When in North Dalmatia... (pt. 2)
10:53 am
Dalmatia is, of course, much more than beaches, sea, and summer. As a local, I made sure of this a zillion times, but still, time and time again, the Dalmatian landscape manages to sweep me off my feet. As I am not much fond of tourists, crowds and noise thereof, a getaway inland on a windy, rainy Monday afternoon seemed quite an appealing idea. And it turned out it was a good call.
Last time I wrote about the natural beauty of the Zadar area (When in North Dalmatia...), I took you on a short trip seaward, revealing the magic of the islands of Pag and Dugi Otok. This time, I'm taking you inland to share my thoughts on the splendour of Zrmanja and Paklenica that I recently visited for the first time in my life.
Last time I wrote about the natural beauty of the Zadar area (When in North Dalmatia...), I took you on a short trip seaward, revealing the magic of the islands of Pag and Dugi Otok. This time, I'm taking you inland to share my thoughts on the splendour of Zrmanja and Paklenica that I recently visited for the first time in my life.
(Fun fact; this is where Winnetou was filmed: read on to learn why!)
THE WATERFALLS OF ZRMANJA
River Zrmanja is a typical karst river, springing at the foot of mountain Poštak. About 69 kilometers long, it flows through narrow gorges and a 200 meters deep canyon, forming a wonderful landscape of rocks, caves, cascades and waterfalls. The canyon, one of the most impressive in Croatia, is protected as a significant landscape, and the river flow from the town of Obrovac upstream is an integral part of the Velebit Nature Park.
Less than an hour long drive from Zadar takes you to one of the most beautiful waterfalls of Zrmanja: Berberov Buk. You don't really get to see much of it until you actually get there, but once you do, there's quite a scenery. I'll let the photos tell the story of the beautiful landscape, and only mention that there's also a nice campsite there and a lovely restaurant that serves most delicious trout. If you ask me, this is a great site for one-day trips, picnics, short family getaways, or even teambuildings. Entrance is, of course, free.
Paklenica National Park is located on the littoral slope of South Velebit, in the backdrop of the town of Starigrad (about 50 km northeast from Zadar). The area is protected due to its unique natural features, magnificent forests, and extraordinary geomorphologic structures: distinctive canyons with torrent flows of Velika and Mala Paklenica.
The Park is easily accessible by car, and a basic adult one-day pass ranges from €2,60 to €8,00, depending on the time of the year. I must say right away that we made a number of mistakes deciding to take this trip out of the blue, without actually thinking it through. The first huge mistake was arriving here in the afternoon: if I had known better, I would have definitely made sure we had the entire day to explore this place because less than that is simply not enough. The second mistake was not wearing a pair of comfortable walking or hiking shoes (trust me on this one). Finally, I was dupable enough not to consider (or even to ignore) the fact that the infamous bora wind might stop us at a certain point and make us go back to the foothill.
(Dear tourists, when planning your trip to Croatia, please Google "bora".)
The Park is easily accessible by car, and a basic adult one-day pass ranges from €2,60 to €8,00, depending on the time of the year. I must say right away that we made a number of mistakes deciding to take this trip out of the blue, without actually thinking it through. The first huge mistake was arriving here in the afternoon: if I had known better, I would have definitely made sure we had the entire day to explore this place because less than that is simply not enough. The second mistake was not wearing a pair of comfortable walking or hiking shoes (trust me on this one). Finally, I was dupable enough not to consider (or even to ignore) the fact that the infamous bora wind might stop us at a certain point and make us go back to the foothill.
(Dear tourists, when planning your trip to Croatia, please Google "bora".)
The first thing that took me by surprise was the amount of water: for some reason, I thought Paklenica was just part of an ordinary mountain range, with typical mountain features (which is probably the reason I never went there before). But noooo, Paklenica has an abundance of torrent flows and beautiful small waterfalls which would be a shame to miss if you happen to find yourself nearby.
Another interesting part is an underground tunnel turned into a visitor centre: there you can learn a little something about climbing in Paklenica and about the work of the amazing Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. Within the tunnel, there is also a souvenir shop and a coffee bar.
Finally, there's a good chance you'll encounter donkeys on the way through Paklenica: they are used to deliver supplies to the harder-to-reach mountain lodges uphill. My encounter with these two guys was quite amusing actually: they appeared from around the corner as I was sitting on the ground taking pictures and, when I finally spotted them, I jumped and started running, thinking they might run me over. My friend rolled on the floor laughing: he actually heard them long before I did and decided to watch me react instead of warning me. Dumbass.
Anyway, that's the farthest we got because it was getting too dark and windy to carry on. But as I now know there's so much more to Paklenica to explore (my greatest regret is not reaching the caves), I will definitely come back once more.
I hope you'll like this post and that it would arouse your interest in exploring the inland if you ever happen to stay in North Dalmatia. It is truly amazing.
As always, thanks for reading!
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