Of the 1,246 islands on Croatia"s fragmented coast, the unique isle of Bavljenac might be the most identifiable. It"s nicknamed "Fingerprint Island" for its miles of dry-stone walls that look like the whorled ridges of a human fingerprint. The tiny, uninhabited landmass in the Adriatic Sea was once an agricultural center. In the 19th century—the heyday of Croatian wine production— farmers from the nearest populated island built the winding walls on Bavljenac to protect olive trees and grapevines from the winds blowing in from the Adriatic.
Bavljenac Island
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Dressed to impress
-
Celebrating Pie Day is as easy as, well…
-
Illuminations on the Gulf of Poets
-
Splashes of color for Watercolor Month
-
International Chameleon Day
-
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
-
What s cuter than nuzzling rhinos?
-
A picture-perfect day on Trillium
-
Lace up your hiking boots for Mountain Day
-
African bush elephants in Namibia
-
Barn owl, England
-
Spot on for International Cat Day
-
Isla del Pescado on the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
-
The buzz about bees
-
What does the fox dream?
-
The Lena Delta Wildlife Reserve in Siberia, Russia
-
Happy trees = Clean air
-
Amphitheatre of El Jem, Tunisia
-
Meet our fuzzy Earth Day mascot
-
Taiwan yuhinas in Alishan National Scenic Area
-
Hoisting a flag for seafarers
-
Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
-
Dyavolski Most
-
Giving Tuesday
-
World Donkey Day
-
A field of English lavender
-
A new park with a new mission
-
A long, erratic commute
-
Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
-
Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia