Meet Velebit

Each nation has its own holy mountain: Greeks – Olympus, Central Alps nations – Alps, the Japanese – Fuji. Croatian cult mountain, its sacred mountain is Velebit. Among its peaks is a good spirit dwelling in Croatia – Villas Velebit. Although the amount behind of Dinara, Kamešnica and Biokovo, that mountain has a central place in the collective consciousness of the Croatian people. It is an integral part of national identity, a symbol of Croatian and one of the elements of her identity in the global community. Such a place in the spiritual relief of Croatia, Velebit has earned by its position, appearance and meaning in life of their population.

Velebit is the longest mountain of the Dinaric system. Extends slightly bent at the port, heading northwest – southeast, between the pass Vratnik  and Zrmanja Valley, in the length of 145 km. His massive body is divided with transversely passes, which is based on the common division of the mountain in a series: northern (between Veliki Vratnik and Alan), medium (between Veliki Alan and Baske Oštarije), southern (between Oštarija and Mali Alan) and southeast (between Mali Alan and the valley of the upper Zrmanja river). To the west is clearly bounded by the Adriatic Sea with Velebit Channel and to the East with Lika-Gacka plateau, between 425 and 600 meters above sea level. Its width varies from about 30 kilometers in north, to just ten kilometers air distance in the southern Velebit. Despite huge appearance, its mountain range is not characterized by particular height. Highest Vaganski vrh reaches only 1757 m.

Due to special relief, vegetation and landscape values, some narrower parts of Velebit are particularly isolated and included in the appropriate categories of protection. In the year 1949 in the southern mountainous part was established the National Park Paklenica (102 km2), while the most valuable parts of northern and central Velebit are protected in the category of strict and special reserves. After it was included in the worldwide network of biosphere reserves ( “Man and Biosphere Program, UNESCO) in 1978, by the decision of Croatian Parliament in 1981 whole Velebit was proclaimed a nature park. In the year 1999 in the northern part of the mountain the National Park North Velebit (109 km2)was established, including strict reserves Hajducki and Rozanski kukovi, special botanical reserve Zavižan – Balinovac – Zavizanska (Velika) kosa, Velebit botanical garden in the north, and a special reserve of forest Štirovača vegetation in central Velebit. Today Velebit  is called PARK OF ALL NATIONAL PARKS.

Natural Heritage Velebit is completed by most valuable scientific and tourist Caves in Croatia – Cerovačke caves (southern Velebit) and Luke Cave (northern Velebit) and many smaller caves and holes, as well as a number of significant geomorphological (Kiza, Tulove grede, kuk Stapina, etc. ) and hydrological facilities (spring and stream of Zrmanja river etc.).

For more information:

http://www.pp-velebit.hr