Natural heritage

THE LIM CANAL

The Lim Canal is situated on the west coast of Istria, and it is a first rate natural phenomenon of great scientific and aesthetic value. It is a typical example of the sunken canyon valley in the Karst. It was created in the Iura limestone, with the length of about 10 kilometres. The height of the canyon sides reaches up to 150 metres n/w. The position is east-west, while its slopes are situated north-south.
The Lim Canal is situated on the border between the Mediterranean and the sub-Mediterranean zone, and it represents an example of the influence of the expositions on the development of the vegetation. Northern slopes of the canal have southern exposition, which causes the development of the evergreen macchia of the Orno-quercetum ilicis, while the southern slopes of the canal are exposed to northern exposition, which causes an apparition of the sub-Mediterranean deciduous vegetation of Querco-carpinetum orientalis croaticum and white hornbeam.
Southern exposition is characterized by a direct entering of sun’s rays, which causes a quick warming and a quick evaporation of the soil. Mesophilic plants can barely survive in such areas.

An oblique fall of rays in the northern exposition, and the sheltered condition of the slopes causes a weaker warming, less evaporation, a better maintenance of the soil, and more humidity in the air. For this reason, thermophilic plants can barely survive on northern expositions.

Regarding the fact that the frequency of species of an area clearly reflects its climatic conditions, the influence of the exposition as a microclimatic element was researched by Ilijanic in 1970 for the Lim Canal area.

On the southern part of the canal of the southern exposition, the coastal thelygonum cynocrambe L. was noted. This is the habitat situated to the extreme north in Croatia, and also the extreme northern border for this plant’s range in general. Besides, we can also find the green Juniperus Oxycedrus “Rufescens Viriois”.

Due to high natural and aesthetic values, the Lim Canal was proclaimed protected landscape with green fruits.

PARK WOOD PUNTA CORRENTE

Park wood Zlatni Rt-Punta Corrente developed between 1890 and 1910. Count Georg Huetteroth arranged an agricultural landscape of the free landscaping style simultaneously introducing numerous evergreen exotic plants. Towards the end of period of arranging the park, count Huetteroth publicly announced the project of the climatic-beach centre Cap Aureo “The Sunny Coast of Istria”, which was supposed to become an exclusive resort. Villas for the accommodation of the guests were supposed to be built in the Iobe bay, on the meadow near Skarabe, in the bay near Punta and on Montauro. The organisation of the space, communications and the vegetation follow the accurately arranged plan for the hotel construction, which, by the time of its creation, size and the type of construction, is a rarity in such a type of Mediterranean environment, especially due to shapes and richness of the introduced cultures.
Namely, rare trees in European terms were brought to Punat through sailors all the way from Mexico, America, and Japan, and the especially valuable cedars were planted in the shape of the Star of David. Thanks to its arrangement, Zlatni Rt became one of the most famous park woods in the Mediterranean, side by side to Dubrovnik’s Lokrum and Monaco’s Hamburg. The project remained unfinished because of Huetterrodt’s early death in 1910.
World wars and big social transformations changed the original intentions, so that Zlatni Rt became a protected object of nature of the park wood type intended for holidays and relaxation. Zlatni Rt-Punta Corrente was one of the generators of the tourist development of Rovinj but it was not properly maintained. The whole surface was neglected, the space was covered in macchia and the recognisable elements of the landscape style and arrangement were lost.

By the physical plan and the General physical plan of the town, the renovation of the historical nucleus of the park wood was planned, as well as its enlargement southward towards the Cuvi area, also systematically arranged. Parks shaped in such a way turned out as the highest potentials for sunbathing and recreation on the lawns. Zlatni Rt-Punta Corrente used to be the most frequently visited beach in Rovinj. Since the lack of care caused the near disappearance of the lawns, wood borders and the valuable exotic plants, as well as sunny surfaces, the bathers increasingly keep choosing other beaches.

It is worth mentioning that Zlatni Rt-Punta Corrente became a park wood and a protected object of nature as early as 1961 by the resolution of the Republic Institute for the Protection of Nature. It occupies the space of 52,4 hectares, and 12,5 hectares include beaches and 4,5 hectares are fields. There are approximately 5.000 metres of coastal line, while the continental part is bordered with 800 metres of high dry wall. It is interspersed with walking alleys hiking paths. The walking alleys with a solid foundation take up 20.000 square metres of the surface, and the wood trails take up the surface of 5.000 square metres. Of the facilities on Punta, a watchtower and a horse stable were built. The stable was later turned into a catering point. By the same token, a pier for the mooring of boats was built next to the catering point. Park wood Zlatni Rt-Punta Corrente is the habitat for the game, especially deer, rabbit and pheasant for which special water-holes were built.

ORNITHOLOGICAL PARK PALUD

Palud  is an interesting swamp area about ten kilometres away from Rovinj, a geo-morphological unit rarely visited even by us who live in Rovinj. The sweet and salty water and the swamp vegetation offer a refuge to many inhabitants of swamps: the permanently settled birds and migratory birds, turtles, eels, and grey mullets. During the migration, some really rare bird species can be seen in this bird rest area. For all those interested in bird-watching, this the ideal place. There is a professional guide in the reservation.

ESPECIALLY PROTECTED AREAS

SALINE – a kind of lagoon in the close proximity of Valalta, sludgy grounds, and especially interesting flora. Salty habitats and the place where numerous and variated birds came over.

“TWO SISTERS” – the largest nesting place of seagulls in the Rovinj area. While the number of seagulls was lower, the two islands – with macchia and the elements of garrigue (a kind of vegetation lower than macchia), used to be a reservation for the nesting of seagulls. Today, if we want to experience seagulls from near, if we want to her their deafening cries, if we went to observe the young birds in the attempts of their first flights-we will visit the Two sisters islands.

GEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS

Monfiorenzo quarry – a protected monument of nature, not far from Rovinj, on the road to Pula – some people call it the phantasy quarry. Geological monument of world value that reveals the genetic development of the Istrian coast.
Various layers give evidence of the existence of the fossilised meadows consisting of sea-weeds, which, blended with lime-stone silt, were drifted on shore by strong currents during the last 130 million years.
The quarry Phantasy will reveal to a more careful visitor a considerably big number of furrows made of black and white Dolomite layers. Furthermore, there are fissures formed by tightening and desiccation of the silt that had been squeezed into the previously created sediment.
The lower part of these stony layers was formed below the sea level, while the upper part is the result of the high-tide.

The stone quality from the surroundings of Rovinj is excellent, which is witnessed by the excavations proving that it served for the making of sarcophagus as early as Roman times. The Rovinj quarries, along with those on the Brijuni, are the oldest ones in Istria. The Rovinj white stone quarries gave stones for the building of sumptuous buildings in Venice, among which the most important are “The Doge’s Palace”, procuratives on the St. Mark Square, the church “Santa Maria della Salute”, and the famous buildings in Padua and Ancona. Locations: Mondelako, the usce of the Lim Canal to Figarola – stone with specific geological structure. There are interesting grey stone quarries in locations Montauro, Sarizol, Gustinja and Vestar.

ISLANDS

Based on the resolution of the Rovinj Commune Assembly of 27 June 1968, the Rovinj islands and the coastal area were proclaimed the reservation of nature “due to the preservation of natural environments, landscape beauty, rich vegetation, beaches, aesthetic look and tourist significance”. The resolution regarded all islands and the coastal area about 500 metres from the coast, depending on the configuration of the terrain from the St. John promontory in Valalta all the way to Barbariga. The resolution was legalised by the Republic Institute for the Protection of Nature in Zagreb (the official Croatian bulletin Narodne Novine SRH 22/69). The resolution is still in force. The changes regard the reducing of the coastal area following the changed structure of the commune of Bale, so that the beautiful, unique and famous Rovinj Archipelago is shorter by two islands that are held in common with the Bale-Valle Commune.
The following are the Rovinj islands from north to south, including all islands, islets, rocks or reefs: island Figarola (22.572 square metres), reef Figarolica, island St. Catherine (129.789 square metres), island Banjol, popularly called “The Seven Hairs” (7.240 square metres), reef Muntrav, island Samer or “The Island of Love” (4.560 square metres), (ex Crveni island) – St. Andrew and Maskin (233.429 square metres), island Sturag (22.269 square metres), island St. John on the Horizon (88.737 square metres), reef of St. John on the Horizon (lighthouse-lantern) (7.093 square metres), reef Veliki (6.236 square metres) and Mali (4.014 square metres) Piruzi, island Pulari (15.002 square metres), reef Revera (8.323 square metres), island Vestar (17.138 square metres), island Dvije sestrice (Two sisters) – Mala (21.918 square metres) and Velika (49.101 square metres), island Pisui (3.453 square metres), island Gustinja (5.467 square metres).

According to the above list, the Rovinj Archipelago has 14 islands and 6 reefs, in case that Dvije Sestrice are normally counted as two islands, while the ex- Crveni island is methodically subdivided in St. Andrew and Maskin. The length of the entire islands and reefs is 20,5 km, while the surface of the islands is 652.614 square metres or a little more than 65 hectares.
We should also point out that the Bale-Valle Commune got the islets Colonea (7.720 square metres) and the reef Porer. Also, the St. Felix reef has not existed for twenty years now because it was connected with the continent following the construction of the port and the Valalta marina. The majority of islands used to be privately owned by the Rovinj fishermen or by richer families, and the representatives of the upper Austrian caste bought them at the turn of the century.

By the purchase and sale contract of 28 December 1891, the St. Andrew and Maskin became the ownership of the Hütterott family. Cavagliere Giovanni Giorgio of the late Karlo buys them from Conzoni Amalia born Escher, who inherited them from Pietro Catraro and Ana Stengle and Escher Enrico, a merchant from Trieste, the owner of the cement and lime factory founded on St. Andrew island in 1852.

In 1898, the Austrian archduke Karl Stephan bought the Island Catherine, but the Polish count Ignaz Karol Korvin Milewsky bought it from him on 21 April 1905.
On the occasion of the pass to the new ownership, there was a kind of competition about whose island will look better, so that it was systematically organised and professionally afforested transporting earth from the neighbouring area by ships and covering the karst surfaces of the island. For this reason, these islands are today a beautiful pride of Rovinj. The other islands were also afforested or covered with growing wild vegetation, still predominantly evergreen. Reefs are mainly barren, though they are the favourite meeting place of seagulls that breed there.