Information

The Kornati Islands

The Kornati Islands form the most fragmented archipelago of the entire Mediterranean Sea and they are situated in northern Dalmatia, near Sibenik. The Kornati archipelago is composed by around 140 islands, islets, and rocks with a total area of around 70 km2. Within the surroundings of the Kornati Islands National Park we can find another protected reserve called Telascica, gem of the Croatian nature. It comprises the homonymous gulf, broad and deep, within the Long Island (Dugi otok). The Kornati Islands are famous for the oddness of their forms and for the unusual reliefs’ structures and also for their steep shores.

The greatest part of the surface belongs to the Kornat Island, the biggest, which has given its name to the archipelago. The navigation is very dangerous in this maze of rocks and sea, and therefore, there are numberous old lighthouses scattered around the Kornati Islands, such as the lighthouses of Blitvenica and Sestrice islands, favourite destinations of the new “Robinson Crusoe”.

Still, the greatest lovers of the Kornati islands are the sport fans who find what they like the most here: a sunny labyrinth of sea and islands surrounded by the peace of virgin nature.

 

KRKA River

The Krka river certainly is the most fascinating and breathtaking rivers of Croatia. The Krka river is known by its numerous waterfalls formed, like the Plitvice lakes, thanks to the deposits of travertine (form of limestone deposited by mineral springs). The Krka National Park comprises most of the Krka river course and the sorrounding river coast, from the historic city of Knin, not far from the Krka river sources, until Skradin, where the Krka river course starts to become a long and deep maritim gulf. The Krka river alternates its course between spectacular canyons cutting the limestone plateau, and lakes, especially in the part with the two more beautiful and highest waterfalls: Skradinski buk and Roski slap.

PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK

The Plitvice lakes form the best know Croatian national park, which also is an UNESCO World Heritage site. The main attraction of this park, unique in the world, is represented by 16 small lakes connected by waterfalls formed with the deposition of limestone deposited by water - the travertine. The park includes the source of the river Korana immersed in an area of dense forests of beech and fir partially uncontaminated. The park is also rich in caves, springs, flower meadows, and among the many species protected animal, is the brown bear. The popularity of the park is is due to its easy accessibility (it is, in fact, along the road connecting Zagreb to Dalmatia) and to the peculiar way of visiting it: the visitors moving, in fact, using its special means of transport (panoramic trains and electric boats).

Read more: PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK

NATURE IN CROATIA

Despite not being a big country, Croatia has a great variety of landscapes, it is at the same time Central Europe and Mediterranean, mountainous and flat, continental and maritime. The richness and variety of landscapes and climates in Croatia are comparable to those of much larger countries in Europe and worldwide. This means that Croatia, despite the narrowness of its territory, is among the top five countries of  Europe's biodiversity and, in some respects, among the richest in the world.

In Croatia, we can see rugged coastline and lush, rich islets, as in the South Seas; well-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean, the narrow streets and stone houses as in Italy, wide green pastures along the coastal hinterland, dotted by stone walls, which remind us of Ireland; areas soften the protected forested mountainous regions and evoke Scandinavia, romantic lakes, fast streams and picturesque mountain villages in the Alps and suggest where we find rugged cliffs and bare open in spectacular gorges and canyons, it seems to be in the American West. In the vast plains of Croatia has extensive wetlands that are protected elsewhere only in the eastern Europe, Russia or Ukraine, vineyards, medieval castles and fortresses punctuate and embellish the hilly regions surrounding just like in Germany or Austria.

The areas most valuable natural assets Croatian part of 450 different protected areas, whose total area is 5,846 sq km, or 10% of the Croatian dry land area, without forgetting the marine protected area of 6,129 sq. km. Among the protected areas are the most important: the eight national parks (Plitvice Lakes, the Krka, the Kornati, the Brijuni, the island of Mljet North Velebit, Paklenica and Risnjak), the nine parks natural (Kopacki rit, Papuk, Lonjsko polje Medvednica Èumberak - the mountains of Samobor, Uèka, Velebit, Telas, Vransko and Biokovo) and two reserves to strong protection (the rocks, and Bijelo Samarske Rocks in the mountains of Bjelolasica, and towering rock formations, Hajducki kukovi in the Rozanski Velebit).

Read more: NATURE IN CROATIA