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October 21st, 2009
It’s amazing how certain coastal towns can be wall-to-wall with tourists during the summer while other, equally enchanting Croatian destinations can be nearly empty. Northern Velebit National Park, in northern Dalmatia has never gotten the attention it deserved despite its status as a national park. That may change now that the European Commission has named the park as a European Destination of Excellence (EDEN). The purpose of these yearly awards is to highlight destinations that manifest a commitment to sustainable tourism with the aim of helping to “de-congest over-visited tourist destinations”.
In awarding the prize the commission noted that “the park unites two different locales, the coastal region and the mountainous zone. Predatory animals such as wildcats, bears and wolves, roam the mountainsides, while deep sinkholes and caves give the park an unparalleled sense of multiplicity”.
“Multiplicity” here might also refer to multiple activities. You can explore over 150 caves (including Lukina Jama which is 1392m deep), hike, cycle, cross-country ski, and just enjoy waves of unparalleled scenery. There’s also multiple plant species: around 1500! The park has something to offer each season from flowery hillsides in spring, verdant hiking trails in summer, migrating birds in fall and snowy peaks in winter.
Find out more and see pictures of Northern Velebit National Park or discover other Croatian National Parks.
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