The Adriatic Sea

The port city of Trieste is located on the upper Adriatic. One of its landmarks is Miramare Castle, built on a rocky cliff. The marine reserve of the same name is the first in Italy and provides a habitat for a variety of fish and fascinating marine life. A team from the Italian school for water rescue dogs trains on Trieste's local beach "Topolini". The furry heroes dare to jump into the stormiest seas and have already saved over 100 people from drowning. The lagoon landscape of the Upper Adriatic begins southwest of the city: sea and rivers, islands and salt marshes have created a fascinating mosaic of nature. This is where student Anna Sarzetto has moved to revive the abandoned island of "Falconera" and save it from erosion. A battle against the forces of nature.

The Slovenian part of the Adriatic is less than 50 kilometers long, in the very north of the east coast. The picturesque coastal towns of Piran and Izola are characterized by 500 years of Venetian rule. Sailor Tina Mrak, two-time European champion in the 470 class, trains in the bay of Piran. The bay is also the research area of marine biologist Borut Mavrič, who is investigating measures to protect endangered snails and rare stony corals with his colleagues. Just a few kilometers further south, the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic is characterized by a multitude of archipelagos with a largely untouched marine world. One of the most unusual is the Brijuni archipelago, consisting of 14 islands. For more than 30 years, former Yugoslavian head of state Josip Broz Tito had his summer residence here.

Rimini's beach is one of the most famous in Italy. Over a length of 15 kilometers, 250 public lidos await the numerous guests. One of these has been attracting particular attention since 2020, even though it is one of the smaller ones: "Bagno 17". For the first time, a lido is entirely in the hands of women. The two sisters Katia and Rossella Nobili and their friend Barbara Fratti are holding their own with charm and humor in the male domain. Many sea turtles have found a home on the Adriatic coast. Time and again they are injured by fishing nets and ship propellers. At the CESTHA turtle hospital in Marina di Ravenna, marine biologist Sara Segati and her team treat injured animals. Over the past four years, they have been able to heal more than 250 sea turtles and release them back into the Adriatic.

The Croatian coast between Split and Dubrovnik is also known as Dalmatia. It is characterized by historic towns and numerous lively islands. Some of the most famous, such as Brač, Hvar, and Vis, lie off the coast of Split. The city grew out of a Roman palace and is now the economic center and largest port in Dalmatia. An unusual ball game was invented in Split a hundred years ago: Picigin. A kind of water volleyball in which the players throw themselves as far and spectacularly as possible into the shallow water to catch the ball. Picigin players of all ages meet at Bačvice beach.

At the spur of the Italian boot lies a small natural paradise: The Tremiti Islands, a mini-archipelago with an underwater world full of surprises. A colorful variety of marine life, shipwrecks dating back several centuries and a giant underwater statue attract diving enthusiasts from all over the world to the "Isole Tremiti" every year. To the south of the islands lies the Varano lagoon landscape. Lago di Varano is connected to the Adriatic Sea via canals. Capers and olive trees thrive on its shores, numerous migratory birds rest here and the nutrient-rich water provides plenty of food for fish and mussels. But in recent years, the invasive blue crab has become a major problem for the fishing industry. Marine biologist Lucrezia Cilenti has a culinary idea to curb the plague: Simply eat the invader, just like in the USA.

The east coast of the Adriatic becomes increasingly flat towards the south. Towering mountain ranges still line the shores near Tivat and Kotor in Montenegro. Here, the Adriatic has dug deep into the rugged rock and created one of the most impressive bays on its coast: The Bay of Kotor is considered the southernmost fjord in Europe. Boccia has been played here passionately since the beginning of the last century. Local teams compete against each other in the annual Boccia Olympics. Božica Ćelanović has already won first place once with her mother, sister, niece and sister-in-law. The Ćelanović women train several times a week for the next Olympics and usually play against the family's men's team, who don't have it easy against the self-confident Olympic champions. The coast around Ulcinj, the southernmost town in Montenegro, is flat. It is not only home to the longest sandy beach in Montenegro but also one of the largest salt pans in the Mediterranean.