Behind the Velebit, just an hour from the coast, lies Lika: a sparsely populated highland of forests, karst fields and mountains where bears, wolves and lynx live. It is home to Plitvice Lakes, the country's best-known natural wonder, and the Velebit with one of Europe's most beautiful hiking trails. Lika is the perfect counterpoint to beach and promenade – pleasantly cool in summer, snowy in winter.
Plitvice Lakes UNESCO national park with 16 lakes and waterfalls
Velebit Northern Velebit National Park, Zavižan, Premužić Trail
Rastoke mill village with waterfalls near Slunj, on the way to Plitvice
Caves Barać caves near Rakovica, Grabovača cave park near Perušić
Gacka valley clear karst springs, trout and old mills near Otočac
Getting there
The A1 Zagreb–Split motorway crosses Lika (exits Otočac, Perušić, Gospić); Plitvice Lakes is reached via the D1 state road from Karlovac or via Korenica. Buses link Zagreb and Zadar with Plitvice. A car is almost essential for the region.
Best time and notes
May, June, September and October are ideal: powerful waterfalls in spring, colourful forests in autumn. High summer is busy at Plitvice but quiet in the rest of the highlands. Lika is Croatia's coldest region – nights can be fresh even in summer. The region was hit hard during the war of the 1990s; away from marked paths there may still be isolated suspected minefields. Always respect trail markings and warning signs.
Places to stay: Lika & Velebit
We don’t have a property here yet. Browse our holiday rentals all over Croatia:
Note: To protect the personal rights of people shown and to respect third-party copyright, some images on this page are AI-generated. They show typical impressions and may differ in detail from how the places actually look.
