Where to go?

Anyone who wants to experience the most genuine natural landscapes of Gorski kotar should certainly visit the only national park in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County – Risnjak. Dense, expansive forests, which cover nearly 95% of the park, vividly demonstrate how well preserved the nature in this area is. Risnjak national park is not only the habitat of the three large carnivores of Gorski Kotar – the wolf, the bear and the lynx – but also of the chamois and many other mammals that live in the area. There are as much as 114 species of birds. There is also the crystal clear Kupa river, with the species of brown trout and European grayling, but also with an entire aquatic world that can be experienced in the upper part of its valley. The administration building of the national park is located in Crni Lug.  https://www.np-risnjak.hr

Only a few minutes from the Vrbovsko exit from the Rijeka-Zagreb highway, there is an excursion site Kamačnik. The valley of the Kamačnik creek, which flows into the Dobra River, is a landscape of an unusual natural beauty and a real gem. The pleasant promenade that follows the stream to its source, is 3.2 km long in one direction, and along the way there are numerous educational paths with interesting information points, including sound installations “Pan’s musical trails”, which are particularly attractive. Kamačnik is an ideal place if you want to spend time in nature or have a walk by the crystal clear stream. The nearby catering facility offers refreshment to the visitors. Information about visiting terms can be obtained from the holder of the concession for visitor acceptance and management. http://lokvarka.hr/kamacnik

Situated near Lokve, this ancient forest park abounds in numerous karst phenomena – caves, stalactites and stalagmites, as well as impressive limestone cliffs with numerous well-tended climbing routes and a tourist path that meanders through the beech-fir forest. Unfortunately, the forest wildlife was severely hit by harsh weather conditions, icebreaks and winds, and bark beetles attacks, but now it is slowly recovering. A special thematic educational trail dedicated to the most secretive carnivore of Gorski Kotar – the lynx – has been set up in Golubinjak. As a well-known excursion site and climbing area, Golubinjak attracts numbers of visitors with its spacious meadow in the entrance area, which is an ideal place for family gatherings and outdoor sports. The nearby catering facility offers refreshment to the visitors. Information about visiting terms can be obtained from the holder of the concession for visitor acceptance and management. http://lokvarka.hr/park-suma-golubinjak

The Lokvarka cave was discovered accidentally near Lokve back in 1911, during the extraction of limestone needed for production of lime. It is the deepest tourist cave in Croatia today. It has the protected status of geomorphological monument of nature. It is 275 meters deep and has six levels, of which the visitor can see the first four and descend to a depth of 70 meters. The cave is equipped with staircases and unobtrusive lighting so that the visitor can enjoy the impressive stalactites, stalagmites or other cave formations. Information about visiting terms can be obtained from the holder of the concession for visitor acceptance and management. https://lokvarka.hr/spilja-lokvarka

As part of the international Slovenian-Croatian project “Sožitje” (“Symbiosis”) an educational path was set up, called “Bear Trail”. The trail passes through an orchard of old autochthonous fruit trees, along the picturesque Kupica River, in the area of the Elementary School “Fran Krsto Frankopan”. On the trail, the visitor can learn the basic facts about the life of bears in Gorski Kotar and this part of Europe. One of the objectives of the project “Sožitje” was to encourage the “coexistence” of people and the largest carnivore of the Dinarides. The other part of the “Bear Trail”, also designed as part of this project, is located on the Slovenian side of the border.