Risnjak National Park
Primorsko Goranska, Croatia
Start: Risnjak National Park Entrance, Bijela Vodica
End: Risnjak National Park Entrance, Bijela Vodica
Distance: Various
Time: Various
Difficulty: Easy
Surface: Grass and Forest Trails
Website: www.croatiaitinerary.com
Located in the mountainous “great green heart of Croatia,” Risnjak National Park is part of a lovely crescent-shaped range of mountains that begins to the north of Croatia in Slovenia and arcs its way south in a mesmerizing mix of limestone-riddled valleys and forests full of bare, rocky peaks and hidden dells. The area has been a magnet for scientists and botanists since the early 1800s because of its exceptional diversity of flora and fauna, and in 1949, botanist Ivo Horvat suggested the area be set aside as a national park. A small section was protected in 1956, and this was later enlarged and the park established in 1997. It is small, just 24.5 square miles (63.5 sq km), but it is nevertheless a key area of conservancy, a meeting point for coastal and continental vegetation zones and an overlapping region between the Dinaric and Alpine zones.
The park is characterized by kart features, such as dry meadows, underground streams, and deep caves. The Risnjak and Snjeznik massifs connecting the Alps and Dinaric mountains are an important biological corridor for plants and animals, including wolves and lynx, and its seldom-seen brown bears.
Naturally, there are numerous trails, but it would be negligent to single out any one trail and divert attention from the rest. Everywhere you walk, there is a trail, whether you’re walking on a carpet of narrow-leaf bluegrass, carnation grass, or evergreen sedge, whether on the junegrass around dwarf pines or through meadows of tall oat grass. This was a palette of green, long before anyone thought to put down a trail.
Art Nouveau defines Budapest in much the same way as skyscrapers define New York. Here is a guide that will...
Read moreA thorough list of haunted trails from around the world that I have discovered through the years. From haunted British...
Read moreSeward, Alaska - a breathtaking land shaped by glaciers, and nestled between mountains and ocean. Well-known as the 'gateway' to...
Read morePut on your walking shoes, hit the streets, and discover the Hidden Gems of Tallinn, Estonia. Secret places only the...
Read moreThis stunning, long-distance trail winds across the mountains of Slovenia. The trail passes through this country’s best scenery, including the...
Read moreThe French Way (Camino Francés) and the Routes of Northern Spain are the courses which are listed in the World...
Read morePlaneterra Trek ChallengeVirtual EventRegistration: $25Web: www.planeterra.org Planeterra Launches Second Annual Virtual Trek ChallengeCommunity tourism non-profit, Planeterra, launched its second annual Planeterra Trek...
Read moreThe Camino Portuguese is one route of the Camino de Santiago network. The bulk of this Camino passes through Portugal.
Read moreGrande dame of British entertainment, Sheila Hancock (aged 84), climbed through the Scottish Highlands for the filming of this movie.
Read more