Tourism in Croatia is steadily increasing. One reason for that could be the hit show “Game of Thrones”, which was filmed in the country. The show premiered in 2011 and just got bigger every year. The fictional King’s Landing was filmed in Dubrovnik, while the gardens in the Red Keep were filmed in Trsteno Arboretum in the city’s outskirts. The Fortress of Klis gets to be part of Meereen while St. Dominic Monastery in Trogir is featured as Qarth. In 2010, 9.1 million tourists visited Croatia. The number ballooned to 12.7 million in 2015, and then 15.7 million in 2017.
The European country has a land area of 56,594 square kilometers (14 million acres) occupied by over 4.076 million people. While tourism in the country is increasing, it is interesting to note that its population is decreasing. Based on the 2011 census, the country’s population was close to 4.3 million.
The country has the ancient appeal with ruins of the Roman emperor’s retirement home and Roman amphitheater. It also has a quirky appeal as it is home to the Museum of Broken Relationships, a museum dedicated to failed relationships—the first in the world.
Croatia is also home to stunning beaches, even those with soaring mountains just like the Biokovo mountain range, which is just a few miles from the sea. The beaches in the country are pebbled, rather than sandy. Stones are rather good in Croatia since the famous white stone from the Island of Brac helped make America’s White House. The entire country has various natural resources that are worth checking out. Some of them are situated in national parks. Here are the top five unexplored national parks in the country that tourists ought to take time and visit:
1. Kornati National Park
The Kornati Archipelago is made up of around 140 islands, islets, and reefs. The southernmost islands were established as a national park mean to protect the islands and the surrounding waters as well as the marine resources. There are 109 islands covered under the park. The Kornat is the biggest island and covers about two-thirds of the entire park’s territory.
The most popular animal residents of the park are the seagulls. There are also around 69 varieties of butterflies within the park as they are attracted to the beautiful and fragrant flowers, like the sage and Xeranthemum that are abundant in the terrestrial part of the park.
2. Mljet National park
Mljet is part of the Adriatic islands of the Dalmatia region. The national park is within the western part of Mljet combined with the following bodies of water: Veliko jezero, Malo jezero, and Soline Bay. One of the attractions of the park is a small islet called Melita, which houses a former Benedictine monastery purportedly built in the 12th century. The monastery is now a restaurant surrounded by lush vegetation. The islet is also surrounded by splendid blue waters that turn to turquoise on the coastline.
The large and small lakes—Veliko and Malo—are wrapped in well-marked paths that are great for hiking. There are shaded footpaths in case of rain. There are also paths for biking. The water bodies within the park are also great for paddling. The Mali Most will allow kayakers a chance to paddle in both lakes. If paddling is allowed, so is swimming.
3. Northern Velebit National Park
Velebit mountains are part of the largest mountain range in Croatia. The northern part of it comprises this park in Lika-Senj County. One of the peaks within the park is the Zavižan, which stands at 1,676 meters. It is the highest meteorological station in the country. There is a botanical reserve within the park, which protects the snowdrop flower. There is also a large population of the endemic species Sibiraea altaiensis. The mountains are favorite among hikers and mountain climbers. The Premužić Trail provides a great view of the Adriatic Sea and the surrounding islands: Goli, Krk, Otok, Pag, Prvic, and Rab.
There are so many interesting natural structures in the park, like the rock formations in the form of obelisks, spires, and towers. There are also caves along the mountains.
4. Paklenica National Park
This is a karst river canyon in Zadar County. There are two canyons in the park: the small canyon called Mala, which means small, and the big canyon known as Velika, which literally translates to large. There is no water in the small canyon though. The natural structures of the canyons are the most beautiful parts of the park.
Over 1,000 plant species are found in the park and 79 of them are endemic. A lot of them are beautiful wildflowers that also draw in butterflies. There are also over 230 species of birds documented in the park. Among the mammals, commonly spotted animals are brown bears, chamois, and the roe deer.
5. Risnjak National Park
The park is located in the most mountainous region of the country called Gorski Kotar. The mountains are also heavily forested, which makes for a great nature experience. The park got its name from the highest peak, Veliki Risnjak, which stands at 1,528 meters. It is also the second-highest peak in the Gorski Kotar range. It is a great place for hiking and mountain climbing. For those who want a lower climb, although, not by much, there is the Snježnik, which is also the second-highest peak in the park. Another attraction in the park is the gorgeous turquoise waters of the Kupa River. It is sourced from a pond in the park, which is 50 meters wide but with a depth ranging from 57 to 86 meters.
With forests so thick, one would expect so many different species of trees, plants, understories, and wildflowers within the park. Among the endangered species thriving in the park are the alpine rose, alpine snowbell, alpine yellow violet, black vanilla orchid, edelweiss, livelong saxifrage, mountain avens, and mountain milfoil. The fauna is also quite diverse in Risnjak with the following: badger, brown bear, chamois, dormouse, pine and stone martens, red and roe deer, squirrel, weasel, wild boar, and wolf. There are also various species of birds.
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