The Smallest Inhabited Islands
An island is considered to be a piece of land surrounded by water on all sides. There are no specifications regarding size, so technically, even a piece of land large enough to place just a chair and sit on it can be considered an island. Or you could place a throne there and declare yourself king, with the island as your kingdom, provided, of course, that this patch of land does not already belong to any state.
Falkenau Island, Germany
Falkenau Island, also known as Pfalz, is located on the Rhine River. The island is only 90 meters long, but it is home to the fortress of Pfalzgrafenstein. The castle resembles a ship in shape. Since the 13th century, the fortress has served as a customs house; in the 19th century, it began to be used as a lighthouse, and now it has turned into a museum. The island can be accessed by ferry from the town of Kaub. From March to October, the museum is open for visits every day except Monday.
Bishop Rock, United Kingdom
The smallest island in the world (with a structure) is considered to be Bishop Rock.
This small outcrop of land has a lighthouse on it. It is located 4 miles west of the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, a county in the southwest of England. The lighthouse is 49 meters tall and 16 meters long.
On the rocky surface, which is just over 700 square meters (almost 10 times smaller than a football field), subjects of Her Majesty Queen Victoria (the island belongs to the United Kingdom and is located near the coast of the Scilly archipelago) built a lighthouse in 1858, as this stretch of coastline was notorious for an unimaginable number of shipwrecks. The construction took 7 long years and was completed in 1858. The then residents of Scilly were openly dissatisfied with this innovation: looting at shipwreck sites was a significant source of income in their hard lives. But the lighthouse was erected.
Thousand Islands Archipelago, Canada
The smallest inhabited island is located on the border of Canada and the USA; it is one of the 1,864 islands of the so-called Thousand Islands archipelago.
The island is named "Just Room Enough," which literally translates to "Just Enough for a Room." At first glance, it seems like a patch of land with a house that survived a flood. In reality, the house was built with the idea that it would fit perfectly on the small island.
"Just Room Enough" was purchased by the Sizeland family in the 1950s. They bought the small plot of land hoping to have a place to escape the noise and bustle of everyday life. They indeed had enough space to plant a tree and build a small house, and in front of its porch, they placed a table and three chairs for picnics. Once the tiny house was built, it became a magnet for tourists.
Bled Island, Slovenia
Bled Island is a small glacial lake in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. In the center of the lake is the only island in Slovenia. The island is quite small – it is home to the 16th-century Catholic Church of the Assumption of Mary, which houses a bell of wishes, as well as a bell tower that you can climb to enjoy the views. Huge fish swim around the island in the lake. The water is so clear that every stone on the bottom is visible.
You can reach Bled Island by boat, which in Slovenia is called a "pletna." You can also rent a regular rowboat and paddle there.
Trakai Castle, Lithuania
Trakai Castle, located near the ancient town of Trakai, is the largest of all the castles in Lithuania. Moreover, it is considered the only fortification in Eastern Europe located on a separate island.
Trakai Castle was built in the early 14th century from red brick and gray stone. During the reign of Prince Vytautas (better known as Vytautas the Great), when the borders of Lithuania reached the Baltic and Black Seas, the castle was completed and expanded. In the 16th century, the castle was turned into a prison for nobles – it housed captured noble prisoners. In 1962, the restored castle was handed over to the Trakai Historical Museum.
Wilhelmstein Island, Hanover, Germany
Wilhelmstein Island is located on Lake Steinhuder Meer in northwestern Germany. Duke Wilhelm Schaumburg-Lippe (1724-1777) built a fortress on this island to protect his rather small county. It is essentially an artificial island made from a pile of stones brought here by local fishermen in their boats. The fortress originally consisted of 16 islands that were later merged. In the fortress, Wilhelm established a military college. The island was useful only once, when it was besieged by the Duke of Hesse-Cassel in 1787 and successfully withstood the attack. Wilhelmstein today is a museum and a popular destination for tourists visiting the area.
Mont Saint-Michel, France
Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most popular attractions in France, stunning with its uniqueness and literally fairy-tale appearance. After all, a monastery on a rock jutting out of the water cannot help but look breathtaking.
The Abbey of Saint Michael was built over a long period – from the 11th to the 16th century. Vikings settled here, William the Conqueror set out for England from here, and many kings lived here. During the Hundred Years' War between France and England, Mont Saint-Michel was the last French stronghold in Normandy, never captured by the enemy…
The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel was closed a long time ago – back in 1790! Several decades later, ironically, it housed the most dangerous criminals and scoundrels – the castle turned into a state prison for half a century. Because of this, it is colloquially referred to as the "provincial Bastille." Only in 1863, after a major restoration, did it reopen its Royal doors, but this time for tourists.
Dunbar Island, Honduras
The luxurious villa-hotel on Dunbar Island (Central America, Honduras) is located on top of a 10-meter cliff half a kilometer from the shore. The construction of the three-story house, surrounded by an artificial oak forest, took almost three years. But the long efforts paid off: the complex is now used as a hotel and is a favorite spot for divers. Guests on this small patch of land amidst the waves can enjoy numerous water activities and excursions in the surrounding area.
Les Cheneaux Islands (French: Canaries)
This is a group of 36 small islands located 12 miles from the shoreline of Lake Huron, situated on Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
This wonderful little house is located on one of the 36 islands – Dollar Island. A true idyll. Unfortunately, the owner of this beauty is unknown. On this small inhabited island stands a small but quite multifunctional estate. Despite the compactness of the dwelling, this inhabited island even has a fire tower.
Visovac Island, Croatia
Where the Krka River flows into Visovac Lake, there is a small picturesque island with seagulls soaring above it. Compared to other attractions in Krka National Park, it would not stand out if it were not for the ancient Franciscan monastery of Visovac, founded in 1445 in honor of Our Lady of Mercy, and the Church of Our Lady of Visovac. Throughout its rich and tumultuous history, Visovac has always remained an island of peace and prayer, and the Franciscan monastery has been a fortress of spirituality and faith. Due to the centuries-old veneration of the Virgin Mary, Visovac is also called the Island of the Mother of God.
The oval-shaped Visovac Island is quite small: only 170x120 meters. Its area is just over 17,000 square meters, and the shoreline stretches almost 480 meters. From a bird's eye view, the triangular shelf is clearly visible in the transparent waters of the Krka from the southeast side of Visovac. The oldest parts of the monastery complex, nestled on the island, date back to the 14th century.
Pontikonisi Island, Corfu, Greece
Pontikonisi is a small Greek island at Kanoni Cape, near Corfu. The length of Pontikonisi is no more than 130 meters. Perhaps it is for its modest size that it is called Mouse Island. The picturesque little island is covered in lush greenery, and the only building on it is the modest Pantokrator Monastery.
Pontikonisi Island is a small piece of land that is part of the group of islands of Corfu. Its area is only 1 hectare, but this does not prevent the island from being a center of Orthodox culture. The island is only a few hundred meters away from the city, so most tourists find time to visit it.
Saint George Island, Montenegro
In Montenegro, in the Bay of Kotor, lies Saint George Island (Sveti Đorđe) or the Island of the Dead. It has a natural origin and is located near the town of Perast.
The Island of the Dead got its name because for several centuries, burials of famous Perast captains and wealthy locals were conducted there. Each tombstone was adorned with a unique heraldic emblem.
In historical documents, the abbey on the island is first mentioned in 1166, when it was part of the holdings of ancient Kotor and was used to control the town of Perast. However, the architecture of the temple buildings, where ancient fragments have been preserved, shows that the abbey was built much earlier – in the 9th century.
Today, Saint George Island is owned by the Catholic Church, and it has a rest house for priests. This is a closed area, and official visits are prohibited.
Peach Island, Rhode Island
This wonder is located on the islands of the state of Rhode Island. The three-story villa has 26 rooms. Thanks to the rocky foundation of the island, it has a very impregnable appearance, although the name Peach Island is quite romantic. Solar panels are used for heating the cottage. There is no room left for a peach orchard.
Our Lady of the Rock Island, Montenegro
Our Lady of the Rock Island, or Madonna on the Reef, is located in the Bay of Kotor, opposite the town of Perast. It is the only artificial island in the Adriatic Sea, with an area of about 3,000 square meters. The island is home to the famous Church of Our Lady of the Rocks in Montenegro.
It is named so not by chance, as in 1453, right on the reef, brothers – sailors found a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, which healed one of them from illness.
Over the next two centuries, the residents of Perast "built" an entire island on top of a small rock with their own hands. They sank their old and pirate ships, brought stones, and according to tradition, dropped them into the water around the reef.
By the way, this tradition has been preserved to this day in the form of the Fashions Festival, on the same day a colorful regatta takes place for the Cup of Fashions. Every year, on July 22, locals and guests of Perast get into their boats and, one after another, throw stones into the water. This prevents the island from eroding and expands it year after year, making it larger and more beautiful.
On the newly formed island, the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was built in 1630. However, in 1667, during the great earthquake, it also fell victim. It was reconstructed, made more spacious, and in 1722, the church was enlarged and adorned with a dome. A small bell tower appeared next to it, and a modest museum with quite interesting exhibits was established at the church.
Loreto Island, Italy
This beautiful place has attracted attention for centuries due to its seclusion. Loreto is a small private island and castle on Lake Iseo in Northern Italy. Originally, monks lived here; in the late 5th century, a monastery was built, which lasted for several centuries and was eventually abandoned in the 16th century. During a visit to the island by Cardinal Carlo Borromeo in 1580, there lived a hermit named Peter. In the late 15th century, it was the property of the nuns of the monastery of Saint Clare, and in the 16th century, it was abandoned. Now it is a private residence that has become a true gem of Lake Iseo in Italy.