Velebit

Situated right at the foot of the mountains, Senj is the perfect base from which to explore the magnificent terrain of the Velebit, a breathtaking chain of craggy peaks that runs along the coast for some 145km. As one of Croatia’s most important areas of surviving natural wilderness, the whole range falls under the protection of the Velebit Nature Park (Park Prirode). Within the Park are two areas of more strict conservation, the Northern Velebit National Park (Nacionalni park Sjeverni Velebit) and – right down at the southern end of the range – the Paklenica National Park. It is the Northern Velebit National Park that lies closest to Senj, providing a stunningly diverse wealth of highland scenery right on the town’s doorstep. 

Seen from the coast, the Velebit range appears to be a forbidding wall of arid rock, although there are plenty of forests, meadows and pastures hidden away in the highland troughs that run between the brittle grey ridges. The western flanks of the Velebit mark the transition from the Mediterranean to the Continental European climatic zones, and the prevailing type of vegetation can change in the space of a few kilometres. Covering the lower limbs of the mountain is the parched rocky scrub so typical of the Adriatic coast, while dense forests of beech stretch across the slopes further up. Spruce, fir and juniper characterize the higher altitudes, and a multitude of alpine flowers can be found above the tree-line – it is claimed that the Velebit as a whole contains 2.5 times more species of flora than the whole of Great Britain put together. The Velebit sustains a diverse animal population, including mountain goats, wild cats, wolves and bears.

In the past the coastal belt of the Velebit was intensively terrace-farmed, as can be seen by the dry-stone walls that still cover the range’s lower slopes. The local inhabitants migrated up and down the mountain according to the season, staying near the coast in winter and taking their flocks to the high-mountain pastures in summer. Most of the olive groves, fruit orchards and sheep pastures that used to stretch along the hillsides have long ago reverted to scrub. Logging remains an important local industry higher up the mountain, and with its wealth of unspoiled scenery and attractive scenery the region is becoming a much-favoured destination for get-away-from-it-all travellers. 

One thing the Velebit range is famous for is its unpredictable weather. Storms can roll in with sudden ferocity and temperatures frequently plummet without warning. If you are planning any walking or mountain biking, always seek advice from the National Park offices before setting out into the wilds.

Getting there from Senj
Most direct route into the Northern Velebit is via the steeply ascending road that leaves the coastal highway just south of Sveti Juraj, before winding its way up to the plateau-hugging village of Krasno.  If you’re hiking, the main entrance points to the Velebit National Park (and the starting points for many of the trails) are at Babić/Siča just south of Oltari on the Sveti Juraj-Krasno road, or at the Alan Mountain Hut above Jablanac. If you’re touring the area by car, bear in mind that both of these National Park entrance points lie at the ends of rough gravelly roads, and it’s probably best to aim for Krasno and make your way towards Veliki Zavižan (the Northern Velebit’s highest peak) from there.

 
Krasno
The headquarters of the Northern Velebit National Park are located in Krasno, a sprawling highland village made up of thirteen separate hamlets. Logging is traditionally the main industry and you’ll see piles of wood stacked up pretty much everywhere in the village. Best place to get an insight into the history of Krasno is to take a peek at the Forestry Museum (Šumarski muzej), located half-way along the road that runs through the village. The display includes a variety of ferocious-looking axes and saws, and one of the hand-hauled sledges on which timber was transported down the mountain to the port at Sveti Juraj. There is a small selection of stuffed Velebit animals (the bear cubs on show here died natural deaths), although arguably the most memorable item on display is a section taken from the trunk of a 440-year-old spruce tree, its rings labelled with the world events that have taken place during its lifetime.

Both the Velebit Nature Park and the Northern Velebit National Park share a modern building just down the road from the museum – you can pick up maps to the Northern Velebit here. One hundred metres west of the park offices is the Sirana Runolist (the ‘Edelweiss Dairy’), with a shop selling their own highly recommended cheeses. Their main product is Krasnarski sir (a mildly piquant hard yellow cows’ cheese), although it’s also worth trying their Velebitski sir - a seasonally-available sheep’s cheese sold in July, August and September.

Krasno’s main visitor draw is the hilltop Shrine of the Holy Mother of God, located at the end of a windy road at the eastern end of the village. This unassuming whitewashed chapel is a year-round pilgrimage destination, attracting particularly large crowds on Assumption (August 15). Inside, statues of a radiant Virgin and a chubby-faced Child are clad in filigree crowns and lacy gowns. Hanging on either side of the statue are the beady necklaces left as votive gifts by grateful pilgrims. Just above the chapel is a pilgrimage reception centre with a gift shop, a café-restaurant, and great views from its terrace.



The Northern Velebit National Park

Stretching south of Krasno is the Northern Velebit National Park, comprising 109 square kilometres of rugged mountain terrain surrounding the region’s highest point, the 1676m Veliki Zavižan. As the site of Croatia’s highest weather station, Zavižan is famous throughout Croatia for posting the most extreme of the winter weather reports. It’s also one of Croatia’s most accessible peaks, with a tarmac road taking you to just below the summit, from where the peak is a reasonably straightforward walk. To the north of the peak is the Zavižan mountain hut just below the 1644m summit of Vučjak, offering basic food and refreshments all year round. Lying between Veliki Zavižan and the mounain hut is the Velebit Botanical Garden, founded in 1967 in order to present Velebit’s diverse flora to the average visitor. Don’t expect densely planted flowerbeds and a greenhouse: this is a ‘natural’ botanical experience in which plants - most of which would be growing naturally in locations like this anyway - are arranged around a highland meadow with a circular educational path.
Zavižan is the starting point for the Premužic Trail (Premužićeva staza), a 57km-long hiking route that heads south to Baške Oštarije, passing the Alan mountain hut on the way. The well-surfaced path was built in three short summers (1930-33) by Ante Premužić and fellow enthusiasts, and now provides hikers with a scenic and accessible route through the heart of the mountains. The trail runs alongside the Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi Strict Reserve, an environmental protection area within the National Park that is out of bounds to tourists. The kukovi (“bony bits”) themselves are jagged lines of limestone peaks, their flanks pitted with caves and potholes.