Published
Walking in Croatia (Cicerone Press, 2004)
View from Risnjak (1528m) in winter, Gorski kotar, Croatia (Nikkormat FT2)
221 pages; published June 2004; 1st edition; ISBN 9781852844066
A second edition of this guide is due to be published in June 2010
Introduction
Croatia, or Hrvatska, seems to be experiencing something of a renaissance at present, as far as tourism is concerned. Long popular as a summer destination with German and Italian visitors, but largely overlooked by the vast majority of western travellers since its independence from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the past year or two has seen the Croatian coast literally flooded with western, and in particular English and French, visitors. This is not to say that the Croatian coastline is any busier than any other attractive and sunny part of Europe during the summer months indeed, it remains less crowded than most places, and much, much less spoilt. And while most of those who do visit head straight for the coast the lovely Dalmatian towns and villages, and the glittering isles of the Croatian archipelago the rest of the country remains largely untouched.
Anyone who has visited the country cannot fail to have noticed the rugged mountains, which rise up suddenly, often spectacularly, beyond the narrow ribbon of coastal cities and rocky beaches. It is these mountains the limestone massifs of Velebit, Gorski kotar, Mosor and Biokovo, extending in furrowed ranges from Slovenia in the north to Montenegro in the south which so dramatically divide the Adriatic from the continental interior, contributing as much to the particular character of the country as the more celebrated coastline. More significantly from the point of view of this guide, they provide a superb, and as yet remarkably unspoilt arena for the mountain walker or alpinist.
Often only a few hours from the coast, by way of a steep and rocky trail, these mountains have much to commend them as a walking destination. Ranging from gently sloping, forested hills to rugged tops and limestone crags, they form a landscape of quite considerable beauty; at their most spectacular they are a karst labyrinth of domed peaks and cavernous sinkholes, sun-bleached ridges and rocky dells. They are hardly a wilderness experience in the traditional sense (then again, little in Europe is): trails are for the most part well established and clearly marked; mountain huts are plentiful; local walkers abound. But the scenery is as lovely as it is varied, the terrain rewarding, the views often breathtaking. And despite their modest elevation Velebit rises to less than 1,800m there is still plenty to be found which is challenging. Furthermore, in contrast to many of the mountain areas in neighbouring Slovenia, Velebit and Gorski kotar remain well within the capabilities of the moderately well equipped walker during the winter months, despite heavy snowfall.
Finally, the very proximity of these areas to the coastal scenery and islands, and to historic cities such as Dubrovnik, Split and Korcula, is a considerable attraction in itself. These cities boast some quite stunning Roman and Medieval architecture Dubrovnik often being touted, in boundless hyperbole but with considerable justification, as the best-preserved Medieval city on the Mediterranean. Perhaps at their best seen as a complement to these better-known features of the country, rather than a simple alternative to them, the walks in this guide provide a more intimate view of Croatia and its people, and a counterbalance to the bustle of its coastline during the summer months - and it is, most definitely, a summer phenomenon, after which the coast largely reverts to its sleepy Dalmatian self. And while the walls of Dubrovnik throng with sightseers, and the rocky beaches steadily swell with the returning tide of western tourism, the walker will be able to sit comfortably on a high pass below Zavian perhaps with a fine selection of dried meats and cheeses and other local delicacies spread on a convenient rock, flask in hand and survey the splendour of a dazzling sunset across the Croatian archipelago.
Text and photograph copyright Rudolf Abraham 2004-2008
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