Explore Kvarner Bay through its natural and cultural heritage. In Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, discoveries range from large protected areas to individual natural and cultural sites. The Natura 2000 network includes 111 sites there. It covers nearly 75 percent of the land area and 16 percent of the sea area. These percentages refer to different types of area and show how much space protected nature occupies in both. For planning your trip, this provides a regional overview; the individual sites show how varied the natural and cultural themes are.

Cultural Routes and Technical Heritage

The Putovima Frankopana cultural tourism route in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County includes a total of 17 Frankopan castles and 3 religious sites. This combination alone offers a glimpse of different forms of cultural heritage: castles and religious sites appear side by side as distinct themes along the same route. One specific exhibition venue is Zrinski Castle in Brod na Kupi. It houses a permanent exhibition and an interpretation centre about the nature of Gorski kotar and the relationship of the Frankopan and Zrinski families with nature. Opening arrangements may change; check the current conditions before your visit.

Technical history is also among the discoveries. Munjara is considered the first hydroelectric power plant in this area and is located in the protected landscape of Vražji Prolaz and Zeleni Vir. Alongside the Frankopan sites, this brings technical heritage into view.

Landscape, Cave and Wildlife

In the Golubinjak Forest Park in Lokve, forests and rock formations are its main natural features. Zeleni Vir offers a different focus: an emerald-green lake with crystal-clear, still water lies in a cave, with the spring at the bottom. This distinction can help you choose: Golubinjak is characterised by forest and rock, while Zeleni Vir is defined by its cave, lake and spring.

The “Velike zvijeri” Visitor Centre in Stara Sušica offers another way to experience the nature of Gorski kotar. It is dedicated to the three large predators—the bear, wolf and lynx—and contributes to opening up and interpreting the natural environment of Gorski kotar for tourism. Unlike the landscape-focused sites of Golubinjak and Zeleni Vir, the centre brings an animal-focused perspective on nature to the fore.

Activities on Different Scales

In Risnjak National Park, the official 2021 park description shows cycling routes on a map ranging from 4.2 to 40 kilometres in length. Before setting out, check the latest map, route details and availability. At Kamačnik Canyon, the scale is different: the section open to visitors begins at the confluence and is about 1 kilometre long. As local access arrangements may change, please check the current conditions before visiting. This distinction can help with planning: Risnjak lists a range of mapped cycling route lengths, while Kamačnik gives the approximate length of a specific accessible section of the canyon.

Discover more destinations: Municipality of Lovran, Municipality of Opatija, Municipality of Čabar, Municipality of Matulji, Municipality of Kastav, Municipality of Kostrena, Municipality of Kraljevica, Municipality of Novi Vinodolski, Municipality of Crikvenica, Municipality of Mrkopalj, Municipality of Delnice, Municipality of Mošćenička Draga, Municipality of Lokve, Municipality of Fužine, Municipality of Rijeka, Municipality of Bakar, Municipality of Skrad, Municipality of Čavle, Municipality of Jelenje, Municipality of Vrbovsko, Municipality of Brod Moravice, Municipality of Viškovo, Municipality of Ravna Gora, Vinodol Municipality, Municipality of Klana.

For the broader travel overview: Croatia.