Croatia is a land of sporting champions. Millions around the world have seen the country’s footballers, tennis players and basketball stars grace the greatest stage and win the most prestigious tournaments and trophies.
And yet Croatia has a population of barely four million, less than half of London’s.
The reasons can be linked to physique, an active lifestyle and deep national pride. Then there’s also the landscape itself. Croatia is blessed with dramatic mountains for skiing, hiking and caving, verdant cycling country, fast-flowing rivers – not to mention one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, ideal for sailing.
With so much of it unspoilt, and so little built over or disturbed by industry, Croatia beckons active visitors of all ages and abilities. Kids can learn the basics of sailing on the calm, clear waters of the Adriatic, the business traveller staying in Zagreb can slope off to Sljeme for a day’s skiing, and anyone who loves riding horses will have a field day in Slavonia.
Peaks & slopes
The Paklenica National Park is a popular destination for climbing. Close to the sea, an easy hop from Zadar, Paklenica offers nearly 600 signposted routes of varying degrees of difficulty. The shortest ones are in Klanci, the narrowest section of the Velika Paklenica canyon. These are even suitable for the youngest climbers, with the right equipment and headgear, of course.
The most famous rock is Anića kuk, 350 metres high, lined with various routes, including some for those who prefer to tackle it unaided. The main climbing season begins in spring and lasts until late autumn.
For hikers as well as climbers, the Velebit mountain chain runs along the landward side of the Kvarner Gulf for almost 150km north to south. This forbidding and inhospitable wall of jagged grey peaks provide a dramatic hiking itinerary, winding its way from one side of the Northern Velebit’s central ridge to the other. With deciduous forests cloaking the eastern side and prickly Mediterranean scrub covering the slopes to the west, the full variety of Croatia’s diverse highland flora is on display.
The most popular stretch of the trail, and the one that can be easily attempted as part of a day trip, is the northern end, which starts just south of the Zavižan meteorological station and runs to Rossijeva koliba, an unmanned mountain refuge two or three hours’ walk away. It’s a truly stunning trek, the scenery changing with every twist and turn of the path, with sudden glimpses of the Adriatic in between.
Just outside Zagreb, Sljeme, the highest peak of Medvednica Nature Park, offers training ski slopes for amateurs, night skiing, sledging and snowboarding for enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. There is snow cover on Medvednica and the ski season starts at the beginning of the year.
Sea & rivers
Croatia is one of the best sailing destinations in the world. Of the 1,000-plus islands lining the country’s long coastline, many are close together, so sailing distances can be relatively short and, thanks to usually calmer winds, safer. As well as chartering your own yacht and captain, who will know the best beaches and restaurants, you can also learn to sail at specialist schools on the coast. A basic three-day course costs around 300 euros, a five-day one, 600 euros.
With fast-flowing rivers such as the Cetina near Omiš, the Mrežnica near Karlovac and the Kupa near Rijeka, Croatia can offer whitewater sports aplenty. Rafting on the Cetina takes place on the lower section, with more testing waters further upstream. Beyond 12km, currents can be very strong – the Cetina is also used for hydroelectric power. Rafting tours of the gentler stretches are usually organised from Omiš, including a shuttle service to the site.
For spectacular rafting, head to the Mrežnica near Karlovac, with no fewer than 93 waterfalls gracing the river’s 63km journey before it reaches the city. The lower section closer to town is easier for families and younger ones. For more adventure amid dramatic scenery, the Kupa heads through picturesque Gorski kotar within easy reach of Rijeka. Rafting tours take place along the upper ten kilometres of the Kupa’s 200km route from a lake of green waters in the Risnjak National Park.
Woods & fields
Istria is perfect cycling country. The terrain varies – some roads are asphalt – but the landscape is invariably stunning if sometimes challenging. Around 2,600 kilometres of trails stretch across the region in every direction, with cyclist-friendly hotels and rental companies along the way, and the reward of superb pasta and wine at the end of a satisfyingly tiring day.
Of the many routes tracing the undulating interior. one combining both grit and gourmet is the Truffle’s Trail, which begins and ends in Buzet. Starting at the foot of the Ćićarija Mountains, the route covers nearly 35 kilometres and takes three hours to complete, with an elevation gain of 870 metres. The Bella Vista trail, which begins and ends in Labin, lives up to its name with magnificent panoramas of the Kvarner Bay and a continuous string of photo-ops. It runs for 33 kilometres and should take two hours to complete.
One of the most unique trails is the Parenzana, which follows the tracks of the narrow-gauge railway of the same name that ran from Trieste in the early 1900s. Renovated and revived, the line has since been given over to hikers and cyclists who now enjoy the panoramic views from Motovun, Buje and Grožnjan just as train passengers once did more than a century ago.
Continental Croatia is known for its rolling vineyards, endless wheat fields and its proud equestrian tradition. Stables, riding schools and breeding centres are all part of the landscape here, with one particular horseback trail internationally certified for equestrian tourism: Bilogora in Bjelovar-Bilogora County.
Tradition here is sacrosanct. The hussars of the Bjelovar Border Guards date back to 1756 and still perform at showcase events around Croatia and abroad, maintaining a link with the military cavalry history of the Habsburg era. Most visitors come here to explore the slopes of Bilogora, Papuk and Moslavina on horseback, trails stretching for nearly 200 kilometres. Bilogora runs for 90 kilometres, dotted with 15 equestrian associations and ten rural tourism farms, providing guides, local gastronomy and lodging. Beginners may wish to start out with riding lessons in Čazma, three hectares of fenced-off pasture given over to horses.
This article is sponsored by The Croatian National Tourism Board: 'Croatia Full of Life'.
