National Parks
10.04.2015. 12:38:11
Beautiful nature of Croatian national parks and a multitude of diverse flora and fauna, attracts tourists desiring quality and interesting vacation. Today, Croatia has eight national parks, namely: Brijuni, Kornati, Krka, Mljet, Paklenica, Plitvice, Risnjak and Sjeverni Velebit. Especially attractive is the Brijuni National Park, which makes a group of 14 islands and islets. They are located on the western coast of Istria, near Pula. It is especially significant for its rich Mediterranean vegetation, where there are trees of holm oak, scrub and Arbutus. Landscape is specially embellished by branched pine forests. On the largest island of the Veliki Brijuni is located park that has a large number of eucalyptus, bamboo and palm trees, and it is also a safari park where there are many animals. Brijuni National Park was inhabited by many indigenous animals, and the most of them are birds. Kornati belongs to densest group of islands in the Mediterranean. It is situated in the central part of the Adriatic. It is significant because of its interesting geomorphology, and important large jagged coastline and plenty of living communities. This national park contains a group of 89 islands and islets. The islands have vegetation of rocky pastures separated by dry-stone walls, and also important are grassland communities. Kornati have a rich history, and the settlement dates back to the Neolithic period to the present time. It is believed that about three quarters of this park belongs to the sea, and is worth mentioning that the underwater is rich in plankton and diverse marine life. This national park is famous for its numerous waterfalls that are incurred due to the deposition of limestone called sedra. Between Nin and Skradin is located Krka riverbed that contains seven waterfalls of which the highest is Skradinski buk of even 46 meters. This park boasts with a variety of fauna with about 860 species. There are also 221 species of birds, gnjezdavice are most popular. However, some birds live here only during spring and autumn migration, and thanks to this, this protected park belongs ornithological to the important areas of Europe. Thanks to the cultural and historical monuments and traces of the past, this park is very well visited during the summer months. Mljet is situated in the southern Croatia, west of the city of Dubrovnik. The National Park covers the western part of the island. 90 percent of the area of this park are the forests of holm oak and Aleppo pine, which is why this national park is called the "green island". Park includes small and large lakes, which by its salinity attract many species of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and other animals. On the island, there are many fields of olive trees, which are important for a rich variety of areas. One can say that the Veliko jezero has a very strong heritage because here is situated the islet of Sveta Marija with a Benedictine monastery, which dates from the 12th century. At the National Park we can visit 90 caves, of which the most important are Cave Manita peć and Cave Vodarica. The park contains 150 km long footpath, and thanks to that it is considered a very important hub for climbing in Croatia. This is a home of numerous plant and animal species such as the griffon vulture. Plitvice Lakes are the oldest Croatian national park which boasts with numerous waterfalls, and thanks to clear lakes during the summer months the park receives a large number of tourists. The park has 1,267 plant species, of which as many as 50 species of orchids, 321 species of butterflies, and thanks to its beauty UNESCO included it on the World Heritage List. Risnjak is located in the hinterland of Rijeka and the coastal region of Kvarner.Because of its proximity to Gorski Kotar region here are alternating four types of climates. The park is famous for its white cliffs, and for those sporting spirits the park offers and long hiking trails that lead to the mountains. Northern Velebit was declared a national park in 1999. because of its natural beauty. Here resides a rich wildlife, and today it is the perfect destination for those who want to have holiday in unspoilt nature. It has more than 30 hiking trails that are ideal for those with an adventurous spirit.
