Sjeverni Velebit National Park

Sjeverni Velebit National Park

Sjeverni Velebit National Park is situated in Lika-Senj County. It covers a total area of 109 km². White cliffs of the this national reserve covered by coniferous forest offer some of the most stunning views of the Adriatic Sea.

 

 

Location: Lika-Senj County  Map

Area: 109 km²

Official site

 

Description of Sjeverni Velebit Park

The name of Sjeverni Velebit is translated as "Northern Velebit" since it covers the northern slopes of the Velebit Mountain. It is the youngest of the Croatian national parks, being established in 1999. Isolation of this protected area makes it less visited and hence you less likely to encounter crowds of tourists.

 

Mountains are covered by multiple hiking trails. It is prohibited to get off the trail, but you probably won't want to. Steep and slippery cliffs can be fairly dangerous. It is especially true during rainy periods. In addition to great views and virgin forests Sjeverni Velebit National Park contains several natural underground carst formations. Some of the most famous are Hajducki kukovi, Rozanski kukovi and Lukina cave, eighth longest cave in the World (1392 meters long). Additionally botanical garden contains full collection of all the plants that grow in the area of Sjeverni Velebit National Park.

 

Sjeverni Velebit Park is dotted with many "summer lodges", small houses with cone like roofs made of stones without mortar. Some of the date thousands of years. They served shepherds and hunters as temporary shelters in the mountains. Now they only house bee and wasp hives so you might want to watch out for those. Additionally you should take precautions if you decide to travel by yourself. The bears are fairly common in the Sjeverni Velebit National Park. While the bears run away from a sound of a human voice, if you travel solo take something metallic that rattles and creates noise.