About Croatia - National Park Risnjak

  Risnjak National Park is one of the most densely wooded areas of western Croatia, it is situated in the area of Gorski Kotar, it is amazing to think that such a place can exist so close to the coastline, Rijeka and the coastline is as close as 15KM away.

National Park Risnjak is named after the Ris (Lynx), which was at one time the most commonly found animal within the park.

Risnjak National Park was declared a National Park in Croatia on the 15th of September 1953, the total park area is approximately 64 square KM, the park is made up of mostly limestone and dolomite which is common for the area.

National Park Risnjak is part of the Dinaric mountain range, it has a diverse range of fauna and flora due mainly to its locations and mild temperatures, even during summer the average temperature for the park and area is 20°C, the area receives plentiful rain during the year, the winters are long and have been know to last up to five months blanketed with thick snow.

River Kupa is the main source of water for the park an area, there are also a handful of permanent springs.

The parks flora and fauna are diverse, again due to its unique location to both the mountain range and coastline, the majority of the park is covered with thick beech and fir providing a dense forest for the wild life in the area, the park is abundant with a variety of fauna: Brown Bear, deer, wild boar, wolf, fox, martens, badgers, weasel, squirrel, just to name a few.

There are a few species of reptiles in the park, most commonly found are the horned viper, common ader and european cat-snake.