From the shores in the South Dalmatian islands bathed by the gently sun of the Adriatic Sea to the top of Dinara, the highest peak in the country, through swamps filled with wildlife in Posavina or the Mediterranean richness of the forests in Mljet… Croatia’s natural beauty never ends.
Plitvice Lakes
The enchanting Plitvice Lakes are on UNESCO’s World Heritage list and also Croatia’s biggest nature park. Plitvice’s 16 stunning lakes are all interconnected and separated by natural dams. To make this nature’s fairy tale complete, the lower lakes have two stunning waterfalls, with the large one being 78 meters high. At Plitvice lakes, you can truly become one with nature - wander along the boardwalks and bridges, take a boat ride across Lake Kozjak or explore the diverse plant life that lives here. After sightseeing Plitvice, you will enjoy lunch near Rastoke, an old part of Slunj, a place so beautiful it’s often referred to as “little Plitvice.”
Ready to delight in pristine nature of Plitvice lakes? Reserve your spot on this excursion and join us!
Brijuni
Brijuni, a group of islands comprising of two large and twelve smaller isles, are strung along Istria’s south western coast not far from Pula. Their surface area is barely seven km2, but together with the surrounding sea the total area of the park is 34 km2. Brijuni are renowned for its indented nature and the unspoiled Mediterranean vegetation, but the islands also boast an invaluable cultural heritage dating from the Roman and Byzantine times, which alongside with the outstanding natural beauty, has made them a popular holiday destination among the world statesmen and the aristocracy. Although not inhabited, because of the numerous tourists who are ferried over from the mainland by boat, there are people on the islands all year round. Veliki Brijun offers accommodation in three small hotels, enabling their guests to savour an atmosphere of peace while being surrounded by beautiful nature and having the tourist flurry of Pula within easy reach. Despite the numerous visitors, the landscape has been well preserved, as proved by a large number of birds which winter on the islands.
Kornati
Kornati islands include 89 uninhabited islands, islets, and reefs, for a total area of 217 km2, and are famous for the cliffs. It seems that the number of islands is even bigger because an old saying says: “As many days in a year, as many Kornati islands”. The biggest part of the Park is in fact its main island, Kornat, and the entire archipelago was named after it. The greatest fans of the Kornati islands are the boaters who find there what they seek the most: a sunny labyrinth of sea and islands, and the peace of the untouched nature.
Krka
The largest part of this amazing river’s course is the national park, which in addition to its natural phenomena abounds with cultural and historical monuments. The most outstanding of these is the Franciscan monastery on the tiny island of Visovac, set in the middle of the lake widening in the river like a precious stone. Within the monastery there is a picture gallery and a church, origins of which are traced back to the 14th century. In the middle of the canyon, upstream of the river, is an interesting Krka Orthodox monastery; while on the high ground above the river several old ruins sit. The old mills, which have been transformed into small ethnographic museums where one can see how wheat was ground in the olden days, are a popular attraction for visitors. Heritage interpreters are dressed in traditional folk costumes, which is particularly interesting and entertaining for children, who are frequent visitors of the park. However, the main attraction of Krka National Park lies in its seven waterfalls. The widest of these is Roški slap, although Skradinski buk is the biggest and most well known.
Mljet
Situated on the island of the same name, Mljet National Park is the most important protected area of the Dalmatian south. The park covers the western part of the island, which many regard as the most alluring in the Adriatic, full of lush and varied Mediterranean vegetation. The park includes two deep bays which, due to their extremely narrow links with the sea, are regarded as and indeed named lakes: the Great Lake and the Small Lake. Mljet is also very rich in cultural heritage, the most prominent example being the complex of the 12th century Benedictine monastery. The monastery is located on a small island in the middle of the Great Lake and is set in a lush park. Over the course of centuries, numerous chronicles, dissertations and other literary works have been written here. Located within the monastery is the church of St Mary.
Paklenica
The greatest natural jewel of the Zadar area is Paklenica National Park, which covers the most attractive parts of the southern Velebit, concentrated in a mere 96 km2. Its most striking features are two forbidding gorges - Velika and Mala Paklenica. The park abounds with peculiar karstic forms, caves and other natural features, while due to its climate conditions, lush variety of flora and fauna has been preserved. Despite its wild nature, Paklenica is easily accessible due to its proximity to the Adriatic highway and the motorway. The vistas of Velebit rising above the resort of Starigrad-Paklenica, which are at once intimidating and alluring, beckon those seeking light-hearted adventure. Movement through the park is aided by numerous signs in several foreign languages. Through the wild ruggedness of Velika Paklenica, where highland women once carried salt on their backs from the coast and brought wheat from the fertile hinterland of Lika, today runs a comfortable hiking trail.
Risnjak
This mountain massif was named after the lynx, in Croatian ris, its most popular inhabitant. It covers the area of 64 km2 and being located where the Alps meet the Dinaric Range and where the Mediterranean gradually gives way to the Pannonia Plain, it combines almost all the forest types of the areas and contains numerous plant and animal species. Nature lovers come to Risnjak for the beauty of the mountains, forests, waters and karst. The most frequent visitors are mountaineers, who find the highest peak of the massif the most rewarding challenge. Risnjak’s summit is equally attractive in all seasons: in winter, when covered with snow; in spring, when the meadows around it transform into carpets of flowers; in summer, when it offers respite from the heat in the nearby littoral area, and in autumn, when the trees are bathed in a myriad of colours. In addition to lynx, the symbol of the mountain, there are also brown bears, martens and dormice. Risnjak is also famous for its fantastic views of the islands in the Kvarner Bay and the mountains in neighbouring Slovenia and further to the Alps.
Northern Velebit
The unique landscapes and the greatest wealth of flora and fauna are to be found in the area of Northern Velebit National Park. Located in the peak area of the northernmost part of the mountain and extending over 109 km2, the national park is rich in exceptional features: the cone like karstic formations known as Hajdučki kukovi and Rožanski kukovi, the botanical garden set in a natural environment, and the pothole Lukina jama (Luka’s pothole). That is why Croatian mountaineers regard this area as the most precious jewel among all of the Croatia’s mountains.
Walking Croatian National Parks