Just an hour's drive from Rijeka yet a different world: Risnjak National Park in Gorski kotar protects dense fir and beech forests, karst peaks over 1,500 metres and the emerald spring of the Kupa river. Brown bears, wolves and the lynx after which the park is named (Croatian ris) live here. In high summer it is often 10 degrees cooler than by the sea.
At a glance
Region
Gorski kotar (Kvarner hinterland)
Entrance
Crni Lug / Bijela Vodica
From Rijeka
approx. 1 hour
Entry 2026
€8 (Mar–Jun, Sep–Dec), €11 (Jul–Aug)
Highest peak
Veliki Risnjak, approx. 1,528 m
Ideal for
hikers, families, nature lovers, heat escapees
Hiking in the park
Leska educational trail easy loop of about 4.2 km from the Crni Lug entrance with 23 information boards, ideal for families
Veliki Risnjak summit hike from Crni Lug (about 3 hours up) or shorter via a gravel road from Gornje Jelenje; mountain hut below the summit
Kupa spring emerald karst spring in the north of the park near Razloge, reached by a short path
Moravčeva staza historic path from 1899 to the hut on Risnjak
Admission and practicalities
Admission 2026: adults €8 in spring and autumn (March–June, September–December) and €11 in July and August; students €6 / €8; family ticket €16 / €21. The Bijela Vodica entrance has parking, information and a visitor centre. You can stay at the Crni Lug hostel or in guesthouses in the village; restaurants serve game, mushrooms and blueberries.
Honest verdict
Risnjak is not a spectacular "postcard" park like Plitvice but a quiet forest with few visitors – and that's what makes it valuable. In summer it's a perfect change from the coast; in winter there is often snow. Bring good footwear and a rain jacket; the weather in Gorski kotar changes quickly.
