| Protected areas in Croatia - oasis of untouched nature
In respect to its total territory area, the Republic of Croatia has a great number of localities put under legal protection: 8 national parks, 10 nature parks and 2 strict nature reserves, nearly 100 special reserves, 19 park forests, 28 protected landscapes and 72 nature monuments.
Through this story we will introduce the above mentioned localities, mostly situated on the coast and on the islands, and invite you to visit them during your vacation in Croatia. National parks
7 out of 8 national parks are situated in direct or almost direct proximity to the sea, except the 8th national park, the Plitvice Lakes, located less than 200 km away from the coast.
The Brioni Islands situated on the west coast of Istria, consists of 2 main islands and 12 islets. Since the ancient times, the richest and the most important and famous people used to reside here on its shores.
The second national park are the Kornati Islands, the most indented archipelago in the Mediterranean with even 140 mostly uninhabited islands, islets and reefs. It features a paradise for navigation experts, Robinsons and divers.
Mljet is the evergreen Adriatic island situated on the south-west of Dubrovnik. Its two lakes, Veliko and Malo Jezero, and a unique Mediterranean oak evergreen forests were the major reasons for the designation of this island a national park.
National parks in the mountains - South Velebit Mountain, Paklenica and Risnjak - are attractive areas for mountain climbers, cavers, botanists and alpinists, whereas one part of the most beautiful Croatian River Krka has been named a river national park Krka. Plitvice Lakes, the most famous Croatian national park encloses 16 lakes which are linked by a series of waterfalls and cascades surrounded by lush vegetation.
Nature parks
Today, from around 10 nature parks in Croatia, 5 are situated on the coast. We will enumerate all of them, so as to help you to plan your route depending on what direction you are coming from. On the other hand those situated on the coast will be described more in detail.
The nature park Biokovo, which dominates the homonymous Mountain above the Makarska Riviera, is the perfect destination for botanists, cyclist and climbers.
The nature park Telašćica (Bay), a deeply indented bay situated at the entrance to the national park of Kornati, features a 100m high sheer rock with a saltwater lake on its top.
The Velebit Range nature park next to the Zadar Riviera attracts cavers and lovers of an active holiday. In proximity to Zadar is Vransko jezero, the biggest Croatian Lake, known as ornithological reserve.
The Učka Mountain, a mountain and a nature park, located above the Kvarner's riviera and the beautiful town of Opatija, is known for its favorable climatic and curative characteristics. Nature parks in Croatia's inland are Papuk, the greatest hill of the Croatian granary - Slavonia, then Kopački rit, flooded lowlands and bird sanctuary between the Danube River and the Drava River, and Lonjsko polje, one of the greatest marshes in Europe. But there are also the Medvednica Mountain, a mountain massif above Zagreb, and west, the region of Žumberak with the hills of Samoborsko Gorje, known for its medieval castles and acropolis.
Special reserves
Since Croatia has around hundred special reserves, we will name only the most famous ones, stressing in particular those situated on the coast and on the islands. If you are going on holiday on the Zadar's Riviera, visit Lun and Kolansko blato (the island of Pag), make an excursion to Zavižan and Štirovača (on the Velebit Mountain) or pay a visit to the olive-grove Saljsko polje on Dugi Otok. To visitors of the Šibenik's Riviera we recommend visiting the island of Prvić and the nearby Grgurov Canalu and Zeleni (Green) Vir, the Vražji prolaz (Devil's Passage) and the reserves in proximity of Skrad, the city near the Krka national park. Those who go to Istria and the Kvarner can visit the reserve Fojiška on the Cres Island, Limski Bay and Motovun Forest in Istria, the Dundo Forest on the island of Rab or the Islet of Košljun near Punat on the Krk Island.
If you are going to the south of Croatia, visit the islands of Mrkan, Bobara and Lokrum near Dubrovnik, walk through the cypress lined street "Pod Gospu" (Under Our Lady) near Orebić and taste the trout in a restaurant on the delta of Neretva or the oyster farmed in the reserve of Malostonski Zaljev (Bay) near Ston. |
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