At an average altitude of 800 m, the palace is  surrounded by areas of untouched nature, fresh air and spring water. Ravna Gora is surrounded by the mountain Bjelolasica and the hills Višnjevac and Suhi vrh on one side, and the hills Javorova kosa, Kosica and a number of smaller hills on the other where one can try various Ravna Gora mountain paths.

Walkers and hikers can enjoy in the mountain path that leads through the wider area surrounding the town. The tour begins at the chasm Kosice, 970 metres above sea level and ends on the highest peak of Gorski kotar – Bjelolasica. It includes Kicljeve jame caves, one of the largest cave systems in Croatia, as well as surrounding hills and mountains – Javorova kosa, Vijenac, Turmin, Višnjevica and Bjelolasica.

The tour also includes rest stops along the way on platforms, lookout-spots and excursion destinations, where visitors can enjoy in the natural and cultural sights. It takes around 24 hours to walk the entire tour on foot depending on the will and stamina.

Completely developed cycling trails and a completely new and bowling alley are new facilities. It also features winter sports facilities, offering, just like many other neighbouring towns, paths for Nordic disciplines – Nordic running and skiing, as well as ski slopes, sledge slopes and areas for children.

In Šije, a town in near vicinity, there is a small ski lift where skiers can ski day and night.

Home-made food and mountain fruits are on offer in Ravna Gora restaurants, while mountain lodges offer the a unique accommodation options.

The hunting area ‘Višnjevica’ offers recreational hunting and photography tours. For more info visit Ravna Gora Tourist Board www.tz-ravnagora.hr

The cooperation of Ogulin and Berlin on fairy tale projects continues at mutual satisfaction, but mostly at the satisfaction of all those enjoying the world of fairy tales.

The main theme of Berlin fairy tale days was storytelling and imagined interpretations of fairy tales, but also the modern stories for children and adults performed by educate storytellers or famous writers.

Ogulin fairy tale festival, which was held for the third time in 2008 and which hosted the Berlin festival, was positively welcomed at the presentation in the German Centre for fairy tale culture. On that occasion, further cooperation between the two festivals on common projects was agreed upon, it was found out at the “Muze” studio for cultural management from Zagreb.

Ogulin fairy tale festival is a unique international project which, through celebration of fairy tales and creativity, makes and shows art and cultural production for kids, youth and adults.

It was inspired by the creativity of the famous Croatian children writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (1874-
1938) who was born in Ogulin.  Its goal is to promote art and cultural production meant for all the generations and the scenes are named after the characters from the tales of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić – scenes, Regoč, Kosjenka, Potjeh, Stribor, etc.

In 2008, this manifestation takes place from June 1 to June 14, and on June 10, the pre-festival shows for kids and everyone else who enjoys the imaginative world of fairy tales are on.

It is interesting to mention that in 2010 in Ogulin there should be a multimedia centre “Ivana’s House of Fairy Tales,” whose goal will be multimedia informative programmes meant for affirmation of fairy tales and the writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (www.ogfb.hr).

With that centre, Ogulin will become a unique destination of cultural tourism in Croatia and the wider European region and it will improve the quality of the offer throughout the year.

Developmental project of cultural tourism “Ogulin – a place of fairy tales” was presented at the conference Creative Clusters in Glasgow. The main themes of last year’s conference, held from November 17-27 in Edinburgh and Glasgow, were creative economies in small countries, new technology and film, festival cultural policies and strategic guidance in the area of creative economy.

Development cultural-tourist project “Ogulin – a place of fairy tales,” based on the legacy of fairy tales and stories, was presented together with two successful projects from Scotland and Norway with the theme of storytelling, and numerous colleagues and the audience judged it as innovative and inspiring.

From today onwards, the Bjelolasica and Tintilinić ski resorts will be opened daily from 9 am to 4pm.

The prices for ski day pass are 80 kuna (Children – 30 kuna)

About Bjelolasica Ski Resort:

Bjelolasica is the highest mountain in the Velika Kapela massif, and indeed in the whole of Gorski kotar.

It extends in the form of a simple ridge, 5-6 km in length, with very steep slopes sweeping down from the wide forested plateau between Mrkopaljsko polje and Jasenacko polje.

The steep slopes are covered in forests interspaced with meadows, each more beautiful than the last.

The Croatian Olympic Center, situated at 620m above sea level, offers 7 groomed ski runs.

For more information: www.bjelolasica.hr + Skiing and Snowboarding in Croatia

Lokve are situated about thirty minutes drive from Rijeka and about an hour and a half from Zagreb, right in the heart of Gorski kotar – Croatia’s highlands.

The area around Lokve offers numerous natural attractions – Lake Lokve (Lokvarsko Jezero), the Golubinjak Woods park, the Lokvarka cave, located right next to it is the Risnjak National Park, while Lokve itself offers attractions adapted to an active vacation in the open.

There is something else, however, that makes Lokve special – their trademark is a frog, and it is no wonder that much of the Lokve tourist and gastronomic offer is based on this green amphibian.

A frog jumping competition is organised there in April, unique in the entire world. A frog museum has been opened in which visitors can get to know more about the entire life of these amphibians, try frog-shaped candies and the local Lokve liqueur called Frog’s Blood (Žablja krv) made of the blueberry, blackberry and raspberry that flourish in the area.

Blueberries are a summertime product of Lokve and are the base of a wealth of local cuisine – gnocchi with blueberries, wild boar steak in blueberry sauce and a ladyfinger jelly featuring these tasty berries. During other parts of the year the menu also includes dishes based on other seasonal foodstuffs – mushrooms, fresh trout, wild game etc.

Besides the natural beauties Lokve offers variety of accommodation for walkers and hikers in local houses and cottages all year around.

More info at Lokve Tourist Board web: www.tz-lokve.hr

 Gorski kotar, a highland region located North of Kvarner coast of Croatia, is attractive tourist resort for winter sport enthusiasts.

As we are approaching winter breaks, Gorski Kotar, with its growing number of highland ski trails, is an ideal place for skiing holiday in Croatia.

Petehovac ski resort, located near Delnice, features Alpine and Nordic skiing trails, ski tows and a small ski jump. There are three ski resorts on offer in the area of the small town of Mrkopalj, allowing skiers to enjoy the terrain of Begovo Razdolje, situated at about 1100 metres above sea level. Celimbaše grounds, with some three kilometres of maintained ski trials and four kilometre long trail of the Zagmajna Biathlon Centre are also in near vicinity.

In the village of Tršce, home of the Rudnik ski resort, skiers can ski on two trails and on cross-country skiing trails.

Similar trails are maintained in the area surrounding Ravna Gora, where there are other grounds available suited for sledding, children’s activities on the snow. Trails have been set up there for recreational skiing and night skiing.

Skiers can try their hand at the Platak ski resort’s trails where some nine kilometres of trails are maintained with five ski lifts, a children’s ski lift and a cable car. The resort offers guests ski and snowboard lessons and cross-country skiing and hiking.

Under the highest peak in Gorski kotar on the southeastern part of Mount Bjelolasica (1534 m) is the largest winter sports centre in Croatia, the Bjelolasica Olympic Centre, with trails for all types of skiers – from beginners to top-trained recreational skiers.

More info Gorski Kotar and more links to various resorts - Gorski Kotar Travel Directory + Skiing in Croatia into page.

The trail is over 6 kilometres long, and walking along it tourists can learn all about the way the local miners used to live.

Tršce is a settlement in Gorski Kotar located some 15 km from the small town of Cabar. It is situated on a plateau, surrounded by dense forests and many fields, and with so peaceful and gentle a surroundings, it is a destination attracting many lovers of the great outdoors.

There are particularly many in winter when the entire area slumbers under a white winter blanket and the skiing season kicks off in the nearby hills. Stretching above Tršce is Mount Rudnik with two ski trails and ski tow.

Tršce has many athletic fields, a large sports hall and a large natural stadium for all kinds of running and recreation, which is of interest for the athletes who come here to train. With the many hunting grounds in the vicinity there is also well developed hunting tourism available here, and the destination is also interesting on account of the proximity of other attractive outdoor attractions such as the source of the Kupa River and Risnjak National Park.

More info at Cabar Tourist Board www.gorskikotar.hr/www.tz-cabar.hr/grad.htm

Opatija has the oldest tradition of tourism, dating back to the year 1844 when Rijeka aristocrat Ignacio Skarpa built a
summer residence frequented by numerous guests. That was followed by the construction of the many hotels of Opatija, the oldest of which is the Kvarner, built in 1884, the first modern hotel on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea.

The other Rivieras of the Kvarner area also boast a long tradition – the island of Cres has a legacy of 162 years of tourism, the Novi Vinodolski Riviera boasts 129 years of tradition, the island of Lošinj 122 years, the Crikvenica Riviera 119 years, while on the mainland Gorski kotar has a 133 year old tradition in tourism.

Primorje-Gorski Kotar County currently offers tourists 150,000 accommodation units, which is about 20 percent of the total tourism capacity of Croatia.

Of that number 30,000 beds are offered in the about 80 hotels and hotel resorts. The area also features some 50 camps, 12 thousand guest houses offering lodging and the like. The Kvarner area is exceptionally attractive for sailors – 19 nautical tourism ports attest to this fact, including 8 modern and well-equipped marinas with almost 3,000 sea berths and 2,000 berths on land.

The Kvarner area s a favoured destination for many tourists –that this region accounts for about a quarter of the total tourism turnover in the country bears witness to this fact. Alongside vacation tourism – still the most frequent motive for tourist arrivals– a growing number of visitors are following tourism tradition and coming outside of the peak summer period. The wide range of offers and content related to the customs, the natural surroundings and recreation, is drawing tourists throughout the year.

In Opatija, for example, a well-known congress destination, the infrastructure, quality of services and additional facilities of the hotels makes them ideal hosts for numerous international and national-level congresses, many of which have been held there for many years running. Healthcare tourism has also been developed here, thanks to the favourable climate and to tradition – more and more often a reason to come to the Opatija and Crikvenica Rivieras and to Lošinj, where expert staff has joined forces with the advantageous climatic conditions.

Most of the hotels in the area also feature high quality wellness facilities and the option of a therapy particular to the area – long walks in the fresh air on well-maintained promenades. Opatija’s Lungomare, for example, is 12 kilometres long.

Besides a wealth of possibilities for excursions and active vacation options, there are a number of fascinating events held throughout the year in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. After the autumn Marunada chestnut festival in Lovran and the Olive Days in Punta, November features wellness programs, while December will be marked by winter fun in Gorski Kotar and by Christmas concerts and exhibitions in many townships and settlements…

An invitation to bring in the New Year in the sun – which numerous tourists have accepted for years now – is joined by the New Year’s World Cup in underwater fishing held in Mali Lošinj.

February is traditionally remembered by the exceptionally attractive Rijeka Carnival which will run from January 17th to February 3rd in 2008, and much more, while the coming months will feature the always popular seaside promenades or hikes in Gorski Kotar, the Asparagus Days in Lovran, bicycle tours of Kvarner, the Chivalric Games of Rab, fisher’s festivals, organised excursions, music events and more.

In short, there is plenty of fascinating content year-round that at tracts visitors to this diverse, fascinating and beautiful area.

More detailed info at Kvarner Travel Guide and Gorski Kotar Travel Guide as well as at Primorje-Gorski Kotar Tourist Board http://www.kvarner.hr/

As of this autumn, along with the existing attractions, tourists can also tour the new Heritage Museum (Zavicajni muzej) in Martinovo selo. Situated next to an attractive mill, the Heritage Museum portrays a rich ethnological collection of the entire region – especially attractive is the kitchen, which appears to have sprung forth from the 18th century. Tourists will be able to see a collection of old implements, weapons, folk garb, clothing, traditional decorations, tools and household utensils.

Old paraphernalia, customs and trades, which tourists can see for themselves if they visit an old blacksmith‘s shop in Dražice, are just a small part of the tourism offer in the Grobnik area. That is precisely why several new specialised guidebooks are in the works, like a guidebook for cyclists, already in print, and brochures that will acquaint alpinists and interested hikers with the most attractive outdoor locations in the area, among which are most certainly the Rjecina River, which has become a favourite place for gatherings of fishers and excursion-goers, and the alpine house on Hahlic.

More info : About Kvarner & about Rijeka + Gorski Kotar + external links: Primorje-Gorski kotar Tourist Board http://www.kvarner.hr/ & http://www.jelenje.hr/

• Dubrovnik Hotel Bellevue Troubles - The State Inspectorate is likely to close the Hotel Bellevue in Dubrovnik, partly owned by the “Jadranski Luksuzni Hoteli” consortium. The temporary decision on categorization of the hotel has expired this week. A permanent permit cannot be obtained, as it did not obtain a building inspection certificate. The Dubrovnik-Neretva County Office of the State Administration informed that the hotel could not get the certificate because it had failed technical inspection…
• Zagreb – Products of Croatian villages presentation - Over 200 exhibitors presented “Products of the Croatian villages” in Zagreb. A variety of products, breeds, traditional crafts, etc., should guarantee the future of Croatian farmers in the European Union. Agricultural and economic experts claim that those products are in demand even outside Croatia. Apart from kulen, prsut, honey and cheeses, blackberries are yet to be discovered by the market.
• Varazdin Historical Fair  – The traditional ten-day historical fair began in Varazdin with a ceremonial procession of actors and dancers dressed in traditional costumes and children’s knightly tournament. Most of the programme is dedicated to children, but some of evening performances are for adults. Next week-end, the feast will briefly move from Varazdin to Gornja Stubica. The knights and servants of Count Draskovic will participate in a knightly tournament at the Museum of Croatian Zagorje .

• Ogulin, Gorski Kotar Fairy tales festival – The second Ogulin Festival of Fairy Tales began on Saturday and will last until 17 June. The festival is based on the cultural legacy of writer Ivana Brlic Mazuranic, born in Ogulin. The festival includes the recent production of the Croatian theatres and groups, including a new production of the Tigar Teatar from Zagreb with performance “Cirkus Sardan” and “Jaje” by Zlatko Krilic, performed by the Children’s Theatre from Osijek. Many performances are interactive, teaching the audience various skills in puppetry and circus.