Paklenica National Park
Paklenica is the combined name for two canyons (Velika and Mala Paklenica - the most beautiful part of the Velebit massif, which UNESCO has declared a part of the World Biosphere Reserve) with cliffs up to 400m high, rising sharply from the sea to just below the highest peaks and extending vertically in the direction of the mountain.
There are numerous interesting and unusual natural phenomena where the mountains meet the sea, in the steep-sided, deep canyons of the piedmont valley that follows the line of the main ridge of Velebit. The primordial nature arouses people’s curiosity and inspires visitors. Paklenica National Park is Croatia’s most famous alpine centre and is well-known even abroad.
In 1949, the area was declared a national park. Today, Paklenica National Park is one of the most attractive natural, scientific and tourist regions in the north-eastern Mediterranean. The rich and diverse array of flora and fauna (with many endemic species, like the Griffon vulture), the numerous karst phenomena (like Manita Cave), as well as the wide range of sporting activities (free-climbing, trekking, picnicking day trips to the Lugarnica forest hut, a tour of a mill and learning about how it works) attract all sorts of visitors.
Hike and bike path
The hike and bike path connects Starigrad-Paklenica and Seline, the coast and its mountain backdrop, the past and the present.
If you start out from the centre of Starigrad-Paklenica, you can expect a gentle ride/walk through the streets of the old town. You can complement the experience with a walk along the Mirila educational mountain trail, letting you discover a unique part of Croatian cultural heritage – the stone memorials located along the trails of Velebit, which bear witness to the former way of life and death on the slopes of Velebit.
We recommend a visit to the small ethnographic museum and the Dalmatian tavern in the newly-renovated ethno-house in the hamlet of Marasovići. From here, you can head into Paklenica National Park or continue along the path that wends its way through the old, picturesque villages situated on the gentle mountain slopes, with idyllic views of the Velebit Channel.
You can reach the shore from any of the old villages on this path and treat yourself to refreshments in one of the quaint restaurants and cafés or even cool off in the crystal clear sea. You will be amazed by the sumptuous beauty of the natural beaches of Pisak and Kulina, and there, on its final cape, Večka Tower stands hiding the secret of King Pasoglav… There is also the old Croatian church of Saint Peter (10th century) nearby, which is certainly worth a visit.
Having seen and learnt so much about the life and customs of the people living at the foot of Velebit, you will return to Starigrad-Paklenica, where you began this short trip through history.
Trail length: Starigrad-Reljani 8km
Trail difficulty: easy, apart from the section from Matkovača to Mirila (900m, medium difficulty) and crossing the riverbed in the Mala Paklenica canyon (200m, medium difficulty)
Terrain: asphalt - macadam - earth - stone
Altitude difference: 100m
Mirila
Along the mountain paths through the Velebit passes, elevations and clearings, the mirila can be found - stone monuments to the deceased.
They date back to the times when people lived and died in the Velebit hamlets (17th – 20th century), mainly making their livelihoods from animal husbandry. They preserve the memories of those who died on the mountain slopes and who had to be carried to the village church and to the graveyard where they were buried.
On these tortuous treks, stopping for a rest and placing the deceased on the ground was only permitted in one place - a place where the deceased would say his final farewell to the sun. A mirilo was erected at this place - the height of the deceased marked with a stone laid at his head and feet and then these stones were connected with other slabs. The headstones were adorned with symbols engraved in shallow relief. They were revered and visited more than the grave itself where ‘only the body lay, without the soul that had remained at the mirilo.’
The mystical markings depicted on the headstones, among which the cross and the sun’s corona were the most common, point to the continuity of artistic decoration from prehistoric cultures through to early Christianity and the iconography of medieval Bosnian tombstones, while inscriptions are rare and belong to more recent times.
As stone markers of a unique funeral cult, the mirila tell us of the customs, the way of life and the creativity of an entire age.
Manita Cave
The park boasts some 70 caves, among which the most beautiful are Manita Cave and the Vodarica pit. Only Manita Cave is open to tourists.
From Anića Luka, there is a path heading towards the western side of the canyon, to Manita Cave. The entrance to the cave is about 550m above sea level. The cave is 175m in length and is divided into two halls, which abound in stalactites, stalagmites and calcium carbonate columns. It is thought that these features are approximately 80,000 years old.
