This tiny island rich in dense vegetation lies opposite the walled city. In 1023, the Benedictines founded a monastery here. Closed during the Napoleonic occupation, it was replaced in 1859 by Maximilian of Habsburg's summer residence and a botanic garden was planted with exotic plants. The French were responsible for the royal fort (1806) which commands a fine view of Dubrovnik to the north-west. The island's rocky coastline is equipped with countless ladders for bathers, but it doesn't have a beach.