Do you have a wish and plan to visit Croatian national parks? Great idea! Croatia is a country rich in diversity of natural heritage. Its protection is manifested in the preservation of originality, landscape values and biodiversity. There are a total of 410 protected areas in Croatia classified into 9 protection categories. The highest among them is the strict nature reserve, followed by national parks, special reserves, nature parks, regional parks, natural monuments, significant landscapes, park-forests and monuments of park architecture.

There are 8 national parks in Croatia. These are Brijuni, Kornati, Mljet, Plitvice Lakes, Krka, Risnjak, Northern Velebit and Paklenica. They are divided into island, mountain, and national parks with special karst hydrography, i.e. lakes and waterfalls.

Croatian national parks on islands

Brijuni, shaped by a special history and nature! The Brijuni archipelago is located in Istria, and consists of 14 islands and islets, among which the largest and most famous is Veliki Brijun. The Romans created here, and many centuries later the Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser.

During your Brijuni Tour, you will be amazed by the landscape parks, the Mediterranean garden and many native and non-native animals such as istrian cattle boškarin, donkey, goats, squirrels, fallow deer, llamas, zebras, pheasants, butterflies. Here are also the remains of Roman villas and thermal baths, the basilica of St. Mary from the 6th century and several exhibitions: Copies of frescoes and Glagolitic inscriptions from Istria and Kvarner in the St German's Church, Josip Broz Tito on Brijuni, From the memory of an old Austrian and a natural history exhibition. In the House for Boats there is an exhibition about life on Brijuni, the cultural, historical and natural heritage of the islands, as well as about the island doctor Dr. Otto Lenz, who lived and worked on the island for more than 30 years.

Explore the Brijuni National Park during a panoramic ride on the tourist train, by bike, electric car or by walking along the hiking trails. Diving, playing golf or tennis, swimming in the beautiful and clear sea and kayak tours are just some of the activities.

There are several restaurants and hotels on the island, for a longer stay and enjoying the endless beauty of Brijuni archipelago.

Kornati National Park belongs to Šibenik-Knin County. It is located at the point where the islands of Zadar and Šibenik meet. There are 89 islands, islets and rocks. The largest among them is Kornat, with an area of 32.44 km².

Its coastline is distinctly indented. You will be amazed by the cliffs above the sea, crystal clear sea, dry walls and caves. Although stone predominates on the islands, flora and fauna are diverse: Silver Knapweed, Ribwort Plantain, myrtle and holm oak, orchids, Adriatic and Illyrian irises, birds, butterflies, lizards, stone martens, corals, fish and others.

The Kornati National Park found its place in the movie Murina, which won the Camera d'Or in Cannes in 2021.

A visit to Kornati means a trip by excursion boat, which usually consists of a trip to the largest island in the archipelago, passing through the Kornati archipelago, lunch and free time for swimming in the sea.

In Park there are also accommodation facilities, as well as restaurants and taverns, and you can use your time here for activities like boat rental, diving, snorkeling, hiking and observing flora and fauna.

Mljet is the greenest Mediterranean island, located in southern Dalmatia and belongs to the Dubrovnik group of islands. The western part of the island is protected as a national park, and the eastern part as a reserve of natural rarities. The beauty of Mljet is presented in the sea, lakes, karst pits and caves, indentation of the coast, cliffs, flora, fauna and cultural heritage. Typical Mediterranean plants thrive here: macchia, holm oak, strawberry tree, mock privet, tree heather, myrtle, carob tree, wild olives, laurel and many others.

The most visited part of Mljet are Veliko and Malo jezero (Great and Small Lake), which are world geological and oceanographic phenomenon. On the Great Lake there is the island of St. Mary with a church and Benedictine monastery from the 12th century, which can be reached by boat. If you like cultural heritage, you will be enchanted by the remains of a Roman palace from the 5th century.

Mljet is an ideal destination for walking, cycling, hiking, swimming and canoeing or kayaking. The island can be reached by regular ferry or catamaran lines from Dubrovnik, Split, Pelješac, Hvar, Brač and Korčula.

Hospitality and accommodation facilities are usually open during the season.

National parks in Croatia with lakes and waterfalls

The unique Plitvice Lakes are located in Lika, 140 km from the capital Zagreb, 135 km from Zadar and 175 km from Rijeka. Lika is a historical-geographical Croatian region in which the continental to mountain climate dominates, and it is adorned with numerous mountains, rivers and lakes. The most famous are the Plitvice Lakes, which, due to their uniqueness, are on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest, largest and most visited Croatian national park. Sixteen larger and countless smaller lakes, waterfalls, diversity of flora and fauna are enchanting! Porous rock (travertine) is the greatest value - it creates and shapes barriers, waterfalls and lakes. Notice the difference between Lower and Upper lakes, between limestone and dolomite, observe plants, birds, fish! Listen to the power and beauty of water! Beside the classic tour, hiking, rowing, cycling, skiing and sledding are also possible inside the Park. If you want to spend more than one day in Plitvice, there is a whole range of accommodation facilities: hotels within the Park, guesthouses, apartments, holiday homes, classic camps and resorts with tree houses and Indian tents in the immediate vicinity.

Due to the extreme sensitivity of the nature that forms the waterfalls, swimming in the lakes is not allowed.

Krka National Park is located in central Dalmatia, Šibenik town. The beauty of this national park are numerous waterfalls, travertine barriers, lakes, karst relief, caves, the spring of the Krka River, rich flora and fauna, as well as cultural heritage. Among the 7 magnificent waterfalls, the most famous are the unusual Skradinski buk, the noisy Bilušića buk and the highest, Manojlovački waterfall.

During the tour you will notice sedges, reeds, black ash, downy oak, orientalis and hop hornbeam here. The Krka National Park is also a natural enviroment of the Croatian national flower - Iris Croatica. Illyrian chub, brown trout, frogs, salamanders, otters, numerous birds, including eagles and falcons, are just some of many animals in this national park. There is also a rich cultural heritage: mills where grain was ground once, the Roman military camp Burnum, the Franciscan monastery and a small church on the islet of Visovac.

Cycling, walking on educational trails, cave tours, boat ride to Visovac - there are many activities, choose your favorite!

Due to the extreme sensitivity of the nature that forms the waterfalls, swimming in the lakes is not allowed.

Mountain national parks in Croatia

Risnjak is a mountain and a national park in Gorski Kotar (Primorje-Gorski Kotar County), named after the lynx, an animal that lives there. Bears, wolves, birds, reptiles, insects, butterflies and other animals also live here. The specificity and beauty of this national park are hidden in the wealth of forests, the spring of the Kupa River, and significant climatic differences at a very short distance. Risnjak is located 15 km away from the sea. Forests of beech and fir, spruce, black hornbeam and others stand out here, as well as lawns, meadows and rock gardens. The valley of the Kupa River is also called the Valley of Butterflies, and the most famous of them is the silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia).

The most famous peaks are Veliki Risnjak (1528 m) and Snježnik (1506 m). If you have decided to spend a day in nature, recommendation is climbing the peaks of Veliki Risnjak and Snježnik, visiting the spring of the Kupa River or walking along the hiking trail Leska. There are 5 different hiking trails leading to the top of Risnjak. Accommodation is available in the mountain lodge at the top and in the guesthouse at the foot.

Great things to do are making shingle, chamois watching, mountain biking and forest pedagogy programs.

Sjeverni Velebit National Park is a part of the longest Croatian mountain Velebit. The 145 km mountain massif stretches from the Vratnik pass above Senj to the Zrmanja river canyon, and is divided into North, Middle, South and Southeast Velebit. The entire mountain Velebit is protected as a nature park, and North Velebit as a national park. The charms of Northern Velebit are untouched nature, 30 hiking trails, viewpoints with a view of the sea, islands and Lika, the mix of the Mediterranean, continental and alpine climate, activities such as trekking, hiking and cycling. The wealth and diversity of Northern Velebit are inexhaustible, so if you have decided on a one-day trip to this national park, it is recommended to visit the Premužić hiking trail. The length of the Premužić trail within the Northern Velebit National Park is 16 km. The strict reserves of Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi and Lukina jama with a depth of 1431 m are also part of this national park.

On the highest peak of Northern Velebit, Veliki Zavižan (1676 m), there is a famous meteorological station. In the Velebit Botanical Garden, there are about 300 plant species, among them the Degenia velebitica, Croatian sibireia, edelweiss, Velebit pink (Dianthus velebiticus) and Kitaibel's primrose. Did you know that the Velebit degenia is on the Croatian 50 lipa coin?! Cultural and natural heritage of the mountain is presented in the House of Velebit in Krasno village. The mountain playground is a space for education and an info point of national park.

Accommodation facilities within the national park are limited. There are several mountain houses and classic accommodation can be found in the nearby villages of Krasno, Sveti Juraj, Jablanac, Senj and Otočac. 

Paklenica National Park is located on the slopes of South Velebit, in the area of Zadar and a small part of Lika-Senj County. The canyons of Mala (12 km) and Velika Paklenica (14 km), carved into Velebit, are the most impressive part of the park. If you like climbing, Paklenica is a great choice. It is the most important Croatian climbing center, and the vicinity to the coast and sea is an advantage more. If you prefer walking or cycling, choose one of the educational hiking and cycling trails.

Bellflowers, tulips and orchids are just some of the 1000 plant species here. Bears, wolves, deer, martens, squirrels, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, hawks, owls and many other animals live in 7 different forest communities. The very well-preserved beech forests of Paklenica and Northern Velebit have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Besides nature, the uniqueness of this Park is also its cultural heritage: the Ethnographic complex of Village Marasovići (at the entrance to the Velika Paklenica canyon), Paklenica Mill, Visitor center „Underground Secrets of Paklenica" and stone mounuments Mirila.

There are a mountain lodge and mountain shelters in the Park, private accommodation and a camp by the beach in the nearby village of Starigrad.

Some of the Croatian national parks are open to visitors all year round, and some only during certain periods, depending on weather conditions. Before going to Croatian national parks, it is recommended to get information on the official websites of each national park about working hours, weather conditions and ticket reservations.

If you are looking for informations or a guided tour, contact local tour guide in Croatia.