October the 4th, 2025 – Plenty could be said about Velebit’s dizzying beauty, but not many realise there’s a truly stunning botanical garden hidden there too.
As Putni kofer/Lana Mindoljevic writes, Velebit is an imposing mountain range, considered by many to be the most beautiful in all of Croatia. Some parts of it are only accessible to very experienced mountaineers, while other areas are more gentle and accessible to everyone. The beautiful Premužić Trail is one of the attractions that visitors should not miss out on seeing, but it still requires a decent level of fitness and a willingness to walk.
Those who aren’t able to walk, however, can freely experience the beauty of this mountain in a truly special place. The stunning Velebit botanical garden is located not far from Zavižan, surrounded by beautiful peaks and full of fragrant herbs. It’s an ideal way to get much better acquainted beauty of this mountain range, and an excursion is not difficult at all to organise.
a fifteen-minute walk from Zavižan
Robert Anic/PIXSELL
Zavižan is a glorious location to visit for every single mountaineer and nature lover. The mountain peak in the northern part of Velebit is called Zavižan or Veliki Zavižan, and the mountain lodge located not far from the peak also bears that name, as does the meteorological station that records the most snow in the entire country.
You can reach Zavižan by car, park at the foot of the mountain lodge and have a coffee there before setting off for a walk. The Velebit Botanical Garden is only a fifteen-minute easy walk from Zavižan along a flat surface, and after that, the path continues towards the beginning of the aforementioned Premužić Trail.
The Velebit botanical garden is located at an altitude of 1,480 metres above sea level, its area spans 50 hectares, and together with the surrounding peaks it is protected as the Zavižan – Balinovac – Velika kosa Special Botanical Reserve. Today, around 300 plant species grow freely there, some of which are wild, while some have been brought from other parts of Velebit.
Once you reach the garden, it’s worth taking a slow, thorough tour, breathing in the clean mountain air and studying the plants, some of which are quite rare specimens. Among them are Velebit degenia, Croatian siberia, karst edelweiss and some others that you’re unlikely to see anywhere else. It will take you about an hour to tour the entire garden. Velebit’s botanical garden is at its most beautiful during the months of June and July, when most of the plants are in full bloom, but even in other seasons, although less colourful, it never loses its charm.
a story beginning in 1967
Robert Anic/PIXSELL
The Velebit botanical garden was founded back in 1967 at the initiative of Dr. Fran Kušan, and the idea that guided it is still relevant today. The founder’s wish was to make the richness of Velebit’s natural flora available not only to scientists, researchers and Velebit enthusiasts, but to all visitors.
The central part of the garden is called the Balinovačka sinkhole, around which a circular rocky path about 600 metres long leads. Hikers can enjoy exploring the surrounding peaks, such as Balinovac, Velika Kosa and Veliki Zavižan. All of this stunning natural beauty is located within the area of the Northern Velebit National Park.
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