RISNJAK NATIONAL PARK

Welcome to one of the prettiest and greenest pearls that Croatia has to offer! Risnjak National Park is located about 50 minutes drive from Rijeka and offers an oasis of pristine nature. Towering over the forest area of Gorski Kotar, the mountains Risnjak and Sněžka watch over the wildlife to be found in this paradise of abundance. I checked out some parts of the park for you – and will be back for more!

THE CLIMB: VELIKI RISNJAK

It's a gorgeous May day out here in Croatia as I start my 3 days long adventure to Risnjak National Park. Backpack full, motivation on and off I go to the station to catch a bus that will drop me off in Delnice, from where I will ascend via another bus to Crni Lug, my home away from home for the next 3 days. With a little layover in Delnice of 1 hour, I use the time to roam around the streets, take a walk to the local pond and – of course, in true Croatian manner – to sip a coffee.

Once I board the bus, it's a mere 15 minutes ride that otherwise would take even an experienced hiker a rough 2 hours next to a main street (not great). I get off in tiny Crni Lug, a small village inhabiting one of the entrances to Risnjak National Park and make a few friends right away – mainly because everybody seems confused as to which way to go.

There is a sign with 'Risnjak NP' right next to where the bus lets us off, and with my nifty hiking map app, I already know the shortcut to get there. Spanish and American nature enthusiasts decide to abandon their idea of following the main street leading to the entrance, and so we waddle through Crni Lug, with it's charming little farmhouses dotted along the way. A good 25 minutes later we arrive to the ticket office of Risnjak and get our entrance ticket for EUR 7.00.

From the very first step on, I am absolutely amazed at how green, quiet and beautiful it is. It is not just me and my new Spanish friend on the trail – and we would not encounter a single soul for the remainder of our hike.

The jagged rocks, the thriving flora of Risnjak and the soothing quietness envelope us instantly, and I feel as though I have been teleported into a Disney movie, with Pocahonta's "Colors of the Wind" playing in the back of my head.

Our hike commences fairly easy, with a steady increase of the trail, until we get to a crossing that has us following a very narrow forest trail. Yes, that is the right trail – do not be fooled by the improvised path for service and ranger cars next to it.

Our goal is clear: We want to reach Veliki Risnjak, the peak of the mountain that towers – together with its sibling – over the region. Our trail leads us through a magical wonderland of butterflies, moss-kissed boulders and mushroom-laden trees.

The trail gets a little trickier about 1 hour into our hike. While still following a comfortable continuous ascent, we need to think before putting our foot down, due to some fallen trees and rocky bits – nothing a true adventurer can't handle, though.

We climb steadily until we reach a somewhat steady and flat (or as flat as it gets on a mountain) trail cresting the mountain, before guiding us into the thick of the forest again.

This is where things start to get pretty steep, and my unexpected companion is jokingly blaming my age for my knees not liking this exercise terribly. We climb what will be the last steep hill before we will reach the mountain lodge of Veliki Risnjak. Once we cross the tree border, my knees seem to forget the strain they just went through – thanks to the otherworldly view we are presented with, as we keep on steadily climbing along the stonewalls of the mountain.

Yup, this was definitely worth the burning in my calve muscles. The pine trees encumbering the granite rocks, the gorgeous view over the Gorski Kotar hills and mountains ... *sigh*

HOW TO GET TO RISNJAK

By car:

You can reach Risnjak National Park either by car from Rijeka (50 minutes give or take) but also from Zagreb (about 1.5 hours).

By bus:

If you do not own a car or do not want to rent one, opt for the bus instead! You can either take a bus from Zagreb or Rijeka. From Zagreb, you will get off at Delnice (make sure you book the bus that goes through Delnice and not directly to Rijeka) and change for the bus for Crni Lug.

From Rijeka simply take the bus to Delnice. If you take this bus, chances are the bus to Crni Lug will be waiting for you already.

Would I recommend going for one day only? Of course not! There is so much to see! But if you are really pressed for time, I recommend going by car and seeing the Izvor Kupa.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Veliki Risnjak:

I know my spiel about Croats' interpretation of hiking trails sounded like a comical relief, but take it from a seasoned hiker: Their hikes are amazing, but they are strenuous and I do not recommend beginners to follow the trail all the way up to Veliki Rinsjak peak. As always when hiking: Know your limits and your activity level. It's okay to not climb the peak if it means you are unsure whether you are physically able to. You reaching a peak has nothing to do with the value of you as a person or hiker. Remember, the main thing about hiking is to enjoy it, not to be the very best and risking your life! Stay safe out there!

Izvor:

You know how I always take 'you need a car for that' as a challenge to go somewhere on foot? Well, guess what: Croatia is really putting my theory to the test. If it hadn't been for a kind neighbor of my hosts, I would have probably spent the whole day getting to the trailhead of Izvor Kupe.

Yup, you will most definitely need a car (or at the very least a bicycle) to get there. May I add that the park ranger looked at me wide-eyed when he found out I'd walked through the forest area leading up to the trailhead? Why, you ask? Because a few days before my arrival, the local bear mom had been spotted with her cubs in that area. Yup, not good – even for a nature lover like me. Your safety comes first, so be sure you have safe passage to the trailhead sorted!

"Okay, up to the top!" I hear my companion say suddenly. Wait, there's more?!

Yup, you can climb the actual peak of Veliki Risnjak – and boy, do not be blinded by the 15 minutes your map app will tell it will take. Yes, it's a short climb, but a very steep and challenging one. Why?

After we meander up the last part of the trail to the top, surrounded by honey bees gorging themselves on the blossoming mountain flowers, I find myself standing in front of a wall. Yup, a wall like that one right down there.

My adrenaline spikes when I see the trail marker on the wall – next to a few iron bars hewn into the stone. I decide that my thirst for adventure is bigger than my fear and hoist myself up the 4 or 5 rungs that get me over the crest of Veliki Risnjak and on a trail that leads around one of its biggest boulders.

Sighing proudly (and relieved), I follow the trail and can't wait for the 360 degree view that awaits just arou-

It's a rope. Hanging from the top. Yup, a rope. You could also climb it without the help of the rope, since there are some indents in the stone. Croatia really proves to be one of the most hardcore hiking countries I've ever been to – because they mirror my understanding of what a hiking trail is – basically any trail that does not harm the local flora or fauna, even climbing a rope. Okay, Croatia, challenge accepted!

I climb up the rope and just about throw myself on the white stone that the afternoon sun nicely warmed up. We made it. And as I turn around to see the kingdom the big boy is watching over, I am catching my breath for a whole other reason than my climbing session. From up here, we can see all the way to Slovenia and its rolling hills, marvel at the rock formations of Gorski Kotar and even get to peek at the sea located only 40 kilometers away. Wow, what an adventure! My knees, that are by now nothing more than pudding, agree.