National Park Sjeverni Velebit
Encyclopedia
National Park Sjeverni Velebit (lit. Northern Velebit
; ) is a national park in Croatia
that covers 109 km² of the northern section of the Velebit
mountain, the largest mountain in Croatia. Because of the abundant variety of this part of the Velebit range and its authenticity, the area was upgraded from its classification as a nature reserve to a national park in 1999, and started work in September the same year.
The whole of the Velebit mountain is a nature park, a lesser category of nature conservation. Another national park on Velebit is the Paklenica
on its southern side.
The Park is criss-crossed with numerous mountaineering trails. The best known is the Premužić's Trail, named after its constructor, the forester Ante Premužić who built it in late 1933. The path runs through the most beautiful and most interesting parts of the park. From the numerous peaks in the surroundings there are magnificent views of the Adriatic Sea and its islands (Pag
, Rab
, Goli otok
, Prvić
and Krk
) as well as of the continental side.
The Park's cultural value is apparent in the form of numerous ruins of so-called "summer lodges". These bear witness to ages past and long forgotten when Velebit was populated by numerous shepherds and cattle farmers. On its coastal banks there are many ruined houses, lodges and stonewalls which are all the evidence that remain of a local population that long since scattered all around the globe, leaving nothing but traces of their presence on this remarkably beautiful and exquisite land.
The peak Zavižan (1676 m) is located within the park. It is the site of the meteorological station with the highest altitude in Croatia.
in the north part of the Velebit, in Croatia
. Together with Rožanski kukovi it forms an area of around 22 km² declared as a nature reserve in 1969. It is separated from Rožanski kukovi by the Skrbina Draga and Veliki Lubenovac field.
The kukovi group has around 40 "hips" that easily exceed 1600 m. The area around Hajdučki kukovi has a complex underground drainage system. The terrain is much wilder than around Rožanski kukovi, and there are parts where even today no human foot has ever trod. Lukina jama, the deepest mountain cave in Croatia and one of the deepest in southeast Europe
with a depth of 1392 m, discovered in 1992 in the Hajdučki kukovi landscape by a local caving enthusiast named Ozren Lukić who joined a mountain division during the war (1991–1995) as a volunteer and got killed by a sniper
in 1992. Lukina jama was named after him.
The first "kuk", Gromovača (1675 m), lies two and a half hour walk from the hostel in Zavižan. The centre of the rocks begin immediately behind Rossijeva koliba (a mountain hut), which is also 2.5 hours walk from the hostel. The most interesting part of this rocky region is on the path from Rossilijeva koliba to Crikvena (1641 m), half an hour's walk from the hut.
In an area of about 18 km² there are more than fifty stony peaks, all over 1600 m, some with bizarre shapes of tower
s, spire
s or obelisks. Here all the phenomena of karst rock
meet - chasms
, dizzying heights
, crevices
, caves, natural gateways and passes
.
The most well-known and the most popular sights are Novotnijev kuk, Rossilijev kuk and Premužičev kuk.
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
; ) is a national park in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
that covers 109 km² of the northern section of the Velebit
Velebit
Velebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
mountain, the largest mountain in Croatia. Because of the abundant variety of this part of the Velebit range and its authenticity, the area was upgraded from its classification as a nature reserve to a national park in 1999, and started work in September the same year.
The whole of the Velebit mountain is a nature park, a lesser category of nature conservation. Another national park on Velebit is the Paklenica
Paklenica
The Paklenica karst river canyon is a national park in Croatia. It is located in Starigrad, northern Dalmatia, at the southern slopes of Velebit mountain, not far from Zadar. It has two canyons: Mala and Velika Paklenica. Today there is no water flowing throughout Mala Paklenica...
on its southern side.
The park
The park reserve is protected and visitors cannot pass through except on designated trails. Inside the reserve there are the Visibaba (Galanthus) botanical reserve, with an abundance of the endemic Croatian subspecies of Sibiraea altaiensis, and the Zavižan-Balinovac-Velika kosa botanical reserve, famous for its outstanding collection of species of mountain flora. Inside the reserve there is the well known Velebit Botany Garden, founded by pharmacology professor Fran Kušan in 1967.The Park is criss-crossed with numerous mountaineering trails. The best known is the Premužić's Trail, named after its constructor, the forester Ante Premužić who built it in late 1933. The path runs through the most beautiful and most interesting parts of the park. From the numerous peaks in the surroundings there are magnificent views of the Adriatic Sea and its islands (Pag
Pag (island)
Pag is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline....
, Rab
Rab
Rab is an island in Croatia and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea.The island is long, has an area of and 9,480 inhabitants . The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters...
, Goli otok
Goli otok
Goli otok is an island off the northern Adriatic coast, located between Rab's northeastern shore and the mainland, in what is today Croatia's Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. The island is barren and uninhabited...
, Prvić
Prvić (Krk)
Prvić is an uninhabited island in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, located in the Kvarner Gulf. It is the largest of the so-called Senj Islands, a group of small islands and islets located off the coast of the mainland city of Senj, lying between the larger islands of Krk and Rab...
and Krk
Krk
Krk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
) as well as of the continental side.
The peak Zavižan (1676 m) is located within the park. It is the site of the meteorological station with the highest altitude in Croatia.
Special reservations
The special reservations in the park are two locales called Hajdučki kukovi and Rožanski kukovi. Their names come from a folk name given to large stone masses which rise up over the surroundings of the Velebit mountains. They are situated in the center of the park, but are not a regular part of it, access to them is restricted. Only scientific researchers and educational visits are allowed in the protected area.Hajdučki kukovi
Hajdučki kukovi, is part of the Kukovi group of peaksSummit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
in the north part of the Velebit, in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. Together with Rožanski kukovi it forms an area of around 22 km² declared as a nature reserve in 1969. It is separated from Rožanski kukovi by the Skrbina Draga and Veliki Lubenovac field.
The kukovi group has around 40 "hips" that easily exceed 1600 m. The area around Hajdučki kukovi has a complex underground drainage system. The terrain is much wilder than around Rožanski kukovi, and there are parts where even today no human foot has ever trod. Lukina jama, the deepest mountain cave in Croatia and one of the deepest in southeast Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with a depth of 1392 m, discovered in 1992 in the Hajdučki kukovi landscape by a local caving enthusiast named Ozren Lukić who joined a mountain division during the war (1991–1995) as a volunteer and got killed by a sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
in 1992. Lukina jama was named after him.
Rožanski kukovi
In an area of about 18 km² there are more than fifty stony peaks, all over 1600 m, some with bizarre shapes of tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
s, spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
s or obelisks. Here all the phenomena of karst rock
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
meet - chasms
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
, dizzying heights
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, crevices
Fissure
In anatomy, a fissure is a groove, natural division, deep furrow, elongated cleft, or tear in various parts of the body.-Brain:...
, caves, natural gateways and passes
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
.
The most well-known and the most popular sights are Novotnijev kuk, Rossilijev kuk and Premužičev kuk.