PAKLENICA NATIONAL PARK

Before starting a hike or a day trip to the park, get information at the official office in Starigrad or at the two entrances Velika and Mala Paklenica. Before the main entrance (Velika), one passes through the old hamlet Marasović, where a building has been restored to house a small eco-museum. The museum houses a collection of objects from the daily life of the old mountain people, as well as standing stones found at Mirila in the Velebit Mountains. These stones date from the pastoral period (17th-20th centuries) and preserve the memory of shepherds who died at high altitudes and were brought to the church and then to the cemetery. A unique funeral cult in Croatia.

A natural setting of western. Two torrents have carved out the mountain range, forming two deep and steep gorges. The rock walls have an impressive natural unity, which served as a setting for many westerns. For example, the adventures of Winnetou, the Apache chief hero of a 1960s TV series, adapted from the stories of German novelist Karl May. The tourist office of Starigrad proposes hikes on the tracks of the great Indian warrior!

Fauna and flora. The biodiversity is favored by the different climates. Along the coast, the climate is Mediterranean, while the peaks of Velebit are swept by cold and harsh winds. Most of the forests are populated by beech trees (72%), pine trees (18%), followed by oaks, oaks and hornbeams of the Levant.

The fauna also changes according to the altitude and the habitat. There are many invertebrates (snails, insects, butterflies) and endemic turtles... The park is a paradise for ornithologists. No less than 200 species of Mediterranean birds can be found on the plains: passerine, orpheus, melanocephalus bunting, zizi bunting... Higher up towards the peaks, the griffon vultures, the griffon and golden eagles, the Bonelli eagles (formerly Hieraaetus fasciatus), the biarmicus falcons as well as the peregrine falcons, white-tailed circaetes or snake eagles. In the family of reptiles, only the viper, well present, is dangerous. The area is home to various species of snakes, some of which are endangered. Small mammals are well represented, among them many insectivores and rodents: shrews, mice, voles, but also hares, squirrels, bats, weasels, foxes, martens, wild cats, lynx, deer, boars, bears and wolves.