Each nation has its own holy mount: the Greeks have Olympus, the nations of central Europe have the Alps while the Japanese have Mount Fuji. Croatia’'s very own holy mountain is Velebit. Its peaks are the home of the Croat’s good spirit: Vila Velebita (the Fairy of Velebit). Velebit is the longest mountain of the Dinaric system. It rises along 145 km in a gentle northwest-southeast curve between Vratnik saddle and the Zrmanja valley. The saddles diagonally divide its giant belly and its highest peak, Vaganski vrh, is only 1757 m high. Nature Park Velebit includes also Zrmanja River and its tributary, Krupa River, both famous for their rapids and waterfalls. Since 1978 Velebit belongs to the protected areas of UNESCO.

Owing to its hydrogeological, geomorphologic and landscape features, and its flora and fauna, this particular karst area of Croatia is the place where you'll find the largest number of indigenous species. The beech and fir forests of Velebit are home to a significant population of protected animals such as wolf, bear and lyn, while its peaks are house of eagles and griffon-vultures.

The greatest jewel of this park are Cerovac Caves, a wonderful cave complex rich of speleological structures. For their unique natural beauty and numerous findings, that belong to the ancient times, Cerovac Caves received in 1961 legal protection from the government as geological natural monument. Ever since 1981, the caves have been part of Velebit Natural Park.

Another attraction is a rafting trip on Zrmanja River. It starts at the village of Kaštel Žegarski and continues along the canyon till the villagge of Muškovci. 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.

see: www.pp-velebit.hr