Velebit National Park

Within the mountain chain of the Dinarides lies the Velebit, which extends over 10-30 x 145 km parallel to the Dalmatian coast. On the landward side the slopes are wooded and pass slowly into the Lika plain; on the seaward side the mountain winds have torn open the ground and left rocky clefts behind. In the northern foothills of this range lies the Northern Velebit National Park, usually referred to simply as "Velebit". The national park comprises 109 of the range's more than 2,000 square kilometres in total and protects the woodlands from clearance, offers native animals a permanent home and impresses with unique summit ridges. Coniferous forest basins and lime-white rocky peaks create a varied landscape here, and above all in summer nature lovers, hikers and sport climbers are glad to come here.

The Northern Velebit National Park lies near the coast halfway between Zadar and Rijeka. The scenically most impressive part of the park is located along the road between the coastal towns of Jurjevo, Oltari and Zavizan. Here the way is flanked, besides impressive summits, by mountain huts and a botanical garden before it finally leads to the 1,645 m high summit of Vucjak. This region is called Rozanski kukovi and has well-marked and popular walking routes. Just as interesting, and above all shadier in summer than the summit region, is a walk through the Stirovaca forest. On the road from Zavizan via Lom and Mrkviste it is signposted, and to the asphalted road from Krasno there adjoins directly a forest track that is easily drivable by car. Depending on which spots in the national park one wants to see and where one has spent the previous days, different approaches suggest themselves: from Sibenik one follows the signs that lead to the Rossijeva koliba hut; from Klade one keeps in the direction of Zavizan; and anyone arriving from Jablanac simply heads for Veliki Alan.

The weather in the Velebit is as demanding as in all mountains - which only entices passionate mountaineers all the more to conquer not just the summit but the climatic circumstances too. Everyone else is simply advised to take a warm rain jacket along; anyone, however, who wants to explore the region here for longer than just a day should know a little more about the weather conditions: on 158 days of the year the temperature at summit heights falls below freezing point, and the bora, a moody mountain wind, often drives this cold air right down into the valleys as well. In addition, on the coastal side it can reach hurricane-like speeds and sometimes also drives snow before it, which covers the summits on 132 days of the year - and on the other days, the locals say, the low cloud cover colours the mountain tops white. In summer there are correspondingly frequent thunderstorms - six intense downpours a month are no rarity even in the warm season. In order either to avoid nasty surprises altogether or to be able to react to them spontaneously, one should not carelessly stray far from car or mountain hut, should of course also pay attention to weather forecasts and warnings from the locals, and outside the summer months should undertake one's hikes only well prepared and with appropriate equipment. Then one is on the safe side - even if one catches one of the numerous wonderful days on which the warm sun bathes the Velebit National Park in its clear light and one cannot even imagine that it could ever be otherwise.