Nature

 
Nature parks
Biokovo
Nature park

Biokovo
Biokovo - An imposing, massive rock towering above the Makarska Riviera; a botanical garden of the Biokovo world of flora and a challenge to hikers, climbers and fliers.
 
Kopački rit
Nature park

Kopački rit
Kopački Rit - A zoological and botanical reserve situated close to the town of Osijek. It is among the largest and best preserved wetlands of Europe.
 
Lastovsko otočje
Nature park

Lastovsko otočje
The Lastovo Islands - a group of 44 islands and islets. The onshore area has a wealth of flora and fauna, while the surrounding waters are counted among the most bountiful and diverse in the Croatian Adriatic.
 
Lonjsko polje
Nature park

Lonjsko polje
Lonjsko Polje - A wetland area in Posavina with forests of common oak, bird and fish reserves; Čigoč - the village of white storks; herds of Posavina horses on wide areas of grazing land; a wide variety of game; indigenous popular architecture - oak-built dwellings.
 
Medvednica
Nature park

Medvednica
Medvednica - The mountain rising above Zagreb with forest reserves; the Veternica cave system and other smaller caves; skiing runs, mountaineers’ and biking paths; chapels.
 
Papuk
Nature park

Papuk
Papuk - A mountain rising above Vallis Aurea (Golden Valley] near Požega - forests and springs, the Velika Spa at the foot of the mountain; a road to the Jankovac park; Tisa’s cave; tracks for hiking and biking tours.
 
Telašćica
Nature park

Telašćica
Telašćica - A 7 km-long fjord-like bay on the island of Dugi otok, with a sea water lake and attractive cliffs facing the sea; a favourite meeting place for sailing boats at the “gateway” to the Kvarner Archipelago.
 
Učka
Nature park

Učka
Učka - A 1400 m-high and 20 km-long mountain in Istria acts as a climatic barrier above the Bay of Kvarner; rich in forests of laurel, sweet chestnut, oak and beech, and speckled with high-altitude flowering meadows. From the top there is a wonderful view of the Kvarner islands and from where Velebit and Gorski kotar open out. This is a very popular destination for both mountaineers and the paragliding fraternity.
 
Velebit
Nature park

Velebit
Velebit - A mountain system which encompasses two national parks and which in its entirety has been entered into the UNESCO World List of Biosphere Reserves. The most interesting destination among the Croatian mountains for mountaineers, climbers, mountain bikers and which caters for all their eco-adventures.
 
Vransko lake
Nature park

Vransko lake
Vransko jezero (Lake Vrana) - an ornithological reserve separated from the mainland near Pakoštani by a narrow strip of land. A rich game fishing ground for catfish and carp; also of interest to canoeists and bird watchers.
 
Žumberak
Nature park

Žumberak
Žumberak - Samoborsko Gorje - In the near vicinity of Zagreb; closely packed hamlets perched high up on the slopes, Greco-Catholic churches, prehistoric and Roman necropolises, typical karstic relief, mountain pastures; footpaths and trails to suit everybody: walkers, hikers, riders, mountain bikers.
 
Nature in full colour
Croatia is one of the ecologically best preserved parts of Europe. It is a land where the hues of the sunny and warm Mediterranean happily blend with the tranquillity and freshness of mountains and the gentle sway of the golden plains of Pannonia. A land of truly divine inspiration that has delighted many of the world’s prominent men of letters. A rare European landscape which boasts as many as eight national parks in so small an area!

With Risnjak, Paklenica, the Plitvice Lakes and Northern Velebit in the mountainous area, and with the Kornati Archipelago, the island of Mljet, the Brijuni Archipelago and the Krka waterfalls in the coastal area, Croatia is indeed a jewel of the primeval beauty of nature. Adding to that two arboretums, one in Trsteno, near Dubrovnik, and Opeka, near Vinica, numerous historical parks and protected nature parks, it is indeed a green land, with as many as 4300 plant and as many animal species.

Do not delay: sail the azure blue waters of the Adriatic and discover the island which is one of the last habitats of the griffon vulture in Europe. For dedicated nature lovers in Croatia you can put to sea with an adopted dolphin or, if you are particularly lucky, encounter the mysterious and rare Mediterranean monk seal. Whatever you decide to do, you will find that this is a place where the colours of nature are at their warmest and fullest.
 
National parks
Brijuni
National park

Brijuni
The Brijuni Archipelago National Park comprises the islands of Veli Brijun, Mali Brijun and twelve smaller isles.
 
Kornati
National park

Kornati
The Kornati archipelago is the most densely grouped cluster of islands in the Mediterranean, consisting of 152 islands, isles and reefs strewn between the islands of Dugi otok and Žirje, with high cliffs on Klobučar, Mana and Rašip Veli.
 
Krka
National park

Krka
For two-thirds of its course this virginally pure karstic river, with its seven magical waterfalls and which rises near the town of Knin, flows through canyons.
 
Mljet
National park

Mljet
The national park occupies the western, wooded part of the Island of Mljet.
 
North Velebit
National park

North Velebit
The widest part of the Velebit massif - edged on the seaward side by bare rocks, and on the mainland side by wooded plains - extends from the Vratnik Pass (698 m) on the road Otočac-Senj, to Veliki Alan (1379 m).
 
Paklenica
National park

Paklenica
The awe-inspiring torrent gorges of Velika Paklenica and Mala Paklenica which run parallel to each other offer an insight into the unspoilt wilderness that exists not far from the beaches of the Croatian side of the Adriatic Sea, and rank among the most attractive natural areas in the whole of the Mediterranean: dense forests of black pine and beech, watering points for game and delicious springs issuing from beneath the highest peaks of Velebit.
 
Plitvička jezera
National park

Plitvička jezera
A wondrous creation of forest landscapes snuggling between the mountains of Mala Kapela and Plješivica; a system of sixteen lakes interlinked by numerous waterfalls.
 
Risnjak
National park

Risnjak
The western mountain massif linking the Alps with the Dinaric range, encompassing Veliki Risnjak (1528 m) and Snježnik (1506 m) abounds in karstic phenomena - rifts, abysses, gravel areas, caves and potholes; large areas are covered by mature coniferous forests, mountain pastures, sub-Alpine and Alpine flora, of which many species are endemic.