With its surface area of 96 km2, from the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea to the highest peaks of the Velebit Mountains, Vaganski Vrh (1757 m) and Sveto Brdo (1753 m), Paklenica abounds with numerous natural wonders and phenomena. For this reason the entire area was rightfully proclaimed National Park in 1949. The most attractive parts of this park are two impressive gorges, Big (Velika) and Little (Mala) Paklenica, gouged into the mountain from the sea to beneath Velebit’s highest peaks.

The park has a great number of bizarre karstic forms and caves and further a wide diveristy in flora and fauna. Through the wild ruggedness of Velika Paklenica, today runs a comfortable hiking trail, that devolves at the floor of sheer crags and climbs trough the wooded slopes of Velebit. It is an excellent walk for people af all ages, even chlidren, who will learn a great deal about nature from the numerous information boards. Among the moltitude of caves the most beutiful is Manita peć, while the central attraction for climbers is 400 meter high Anić kuk.

Because of its height, sheer sides, vicinity to the sea and possibility for climbig throughout the year, it has become one of the best known Alpinist sites in Europe. As these landscapes are similar to those find in the American “Wild West”, the gorges of Paklenica, together with canyon of Zrmanja River, have attracted quite a few makers of European “Westerns”, in partucular the makers of the film version “Winnetou”, written by Karl May. Grazie al suo paesaggio selvaggio, per certi versi simile al Far West americano, le gole di Paklenica, assieme al canyon del fiume Zermagna, sono servite da ambientazione per girare la serie western dei film “Winnetou”, tratti dai romanzi di Karl May.

from: www.paklenica.hr