CROATIA'S MOST BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES

The Republic of Croatia has numerous protected green areas: 8 National Parks, 10 Nature Parks, 2 Strict Nature Reserves, nearly 100 Special Reserves, 19 Forest Parks, 28 Protected Landscape Areas and 72 Nature Sights. In this feature, you will find out more about protected green area on Croatia's coast and islands that we recommend you visit during your stay in Croatia.

NATIONAL PARKS 7 of Croatia's 8 National Parks are placed directly on or in the vicinity of the coast, while the eighth National Park, Plitvice Lakes, is less than 200 km from the coast. The Brijuni archipelago, placed on Istria's western coast, consists of 2 large islands and 12 islets on which the rich and respected have been spending their holidays since ancient times. Kornati National Park is the most indented Mediterranean archipelago and consists of 140 uninhabited islands, islets and cliffs ideal for boaters, divers and lovers of Robinson Crusoe types of holidays. Mljet National Park, also Croatia's greenest island, lies southwest of Dubrovnik and is known for its two lakes (Veliko jezero and Malo jezero) and unique forests. The mountainous National Parks,Sjeverni Velebit, Paklenica and Risnjak, are very popular with hikers, speleologists, botanists and alpinists. Krka National Park lies on Croatia's most beautiful Karst river. Croatia's best known National Park,Plitvice Lakes, encompasses 16 lakes connected by waterfalls and surrounded by dense forests. NATURE PARKS 5 of Croatia's 10 Nature Parks are situated on the coast. Here you will find a list of all of them, as well as the most important information on those 5 placed on the coast. Nature Park Biokovo located on the mountain of the same name above Makarska Riviera is ideal for botanists, cyclists and climbers. Nature Park Telascica, placed at the entrance to Kornati National Park, is a narrow bay with a 100 m high cliff. At its top lies a large salt water lake. Velebit Nature Park, close to Zadar Riviera, is frequently visited by speleogists and active holiday lovers while Vransko Lake, Croatia's largest lake and also a Nature Park, is placed nearby. Above Kvarner Riviera and the splendid town of Opatija is Ucka, a mountain and Nature Park, known for its mild climate. Nature Parks in the interior are Papuk, Slavonia's highest mountain area, Kopacki rit, a marshland area and ornithological reserve at the place where the river Drava flows into the river Danube, Lonjsko polje, one of the largest marshlands in Europe, Medvednica, a mountain mass above Zagreb, and Zumberacko-Samoborsko gorje west of Zagreb, known for its medieval castles and acropolis towns. SPECIAL RESERVES Since there are nearly a hundred different Special Reserves all over Croatia, we will list only the best known, primarily those on the coast and islands. If you are spending your holiday on Zadar Riviera, we recommend you visit Lun and Kolansko blato (island of Pag), Zavizan and Stirovaca (Velebit), as well as olive grove Saljsko polje on the island of Dugi otok. Those staying on Sibenik Riviera could visit the island of Prvic and Grgurov kanal. If you are in Istria and Kvarner, make sure to visit Fojiska reserve on the island of Cres, Limski zaljev and Motovun forests, Dundo forest on the island of Rab and the islet of Kosljun by Punta on the island of Krk. Also worth visiting are Zeleni vir (Green whirl) and Vražji prolaz (Devil's pass). Book your visit near Skrad in Gorski Kotar. If you are headed for Croatia's south, visit the islands of Mrkan, Bobara and Lokrum by Dubronik, take a walk on the cypress lined promenade "Pod Gospu" by Orebic, and try trouts in one of the restaurant on the Neretva Delta or oysters from Malostonski bay by Ston. When passing through continental Croatia, visit Corkova uvala in Plitvice, Japetic (Samoborsko gorje), and Velika Pljesevica or Sekulinacke planine ( Papuk ).