Central Croatia - Lika, Gorski Kotar, Hrvatsko Zagorje

Central Croatia is Croatian region located in the very heart of Croatia, covering areas of Gorski Kotar, Lika and Hrvatsko Zagorje. All these areas are continental, hilly and mountainous areas, and differ very much from Slavonia or Coastal Croatian Areas in terms of landscape as well as climate.
These areas of Croatia are popular destinations for visitors that are not very keen on beaches, but prefer breathtaking mountain views, walks and hikes, skiing in the winter as well as visiting numerous Baroque towns and palaces.
Waiting to be discovered is enchanting Hrvatsko Zagorje, the north- western region of Croatia dotted by small wooded hills with churches, romantic castles and tidy vineyards. This region has one of the highest concentration of castles in Europe (check Castles of Croatia). Sparsely populated and beautifully preserved the Croatian inland offers peace, unmatched scenery, tasty, local specialities and great wines of the region

Central Croatia Region includes:

Hrvatsko Zagorje:


Veliki Tabor	Nasice	Miljana	Varazdin

Hrvatsko Zagorje is north-west region of Croatia. Its northern border lies at River Sutla at the border with Slovenia, which is the western border while River Lonja the eastern. The southern border of the Zagorje touches the slopes of Medvednica and city of Zagreb. Hrvatsko Zagorje includes areas around Krapina and Varaždin as well as outskirts of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia...read more

Gorski Kotar:

Gorski Kotar is the mountainous region of central continental part of Croatia , located between Karlovac and Rijeka. Gorski Kotar borders with Lika and Kvarner regions. Gorski kotar means "mountain district" as large part of its territory is densly forested...read more

Lika:

Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. Today most of the territory of Lika is part of Lika-Senj county and some parts part of Karlovac county and Zadar county...read more

Central Croatia Travel News and Blogs:

Central Croatia Travel Forum:

Ask questions and find answers about travelling to Central Croatia. Lika, Hrvatsko Zagorje and Gorski Kotar Travel Forum.

Risnjak National Park - Gorski Kotar: The other side of Kvarner is the highlands on the mainland. Gorski Kotar is a wide, heavily forested, karst plateau rising to jagged peaks. Easily accessible, owing to the proximity of the main Zagreb–Rijeka road, the area is a popular destination with Croats for walking, climbing and ...read more

Krapina is the main cultural centre of Hrvatsko Zagorje. The town features very rich historical and cultural heritage, which makes it also an important tourist centre. The major tourist attraction of Krapina are the remains of the Pleistocene (prehistoric) man of the Neanderthal type (Homo crapiniensis) on the Husnjakovo hill, discovered at the end of the 19th century, which represent one of the most important Neanderthal sites in the world. Important as a tourist area is also the urban core of Krapina with some well preserved town palaces.

Village of Sinac near Otocac and Majerovo Vrilo - Wheat as a Tourist Attraction: Renovated mills, at which grain was once ground into flour every day, are considered by many visitors to be more than just an everyday thing, and they see in them true monuments, rather, to traditional cultural heritage....read more

Goski Kotar in Croatia Gorski Kotar - new offers and facilities: Gorski Kotar, an alpine and highland country located north of the Kvarner area, is offering its guests new attractions. The entire region is known for its wealth of excursion tourism, sports and recreation facilities and lodgings that nurture the spirit of highland tradition. As a tourist destination, Gorski kotar is suited to all ages, from families with small children to athletes and pensioners.... read more...

Vuglec Breg - A New Tourist Complex Within Reach of Zagreb : A tourist complex, the Vuglec Breg Hotel & Resort, is to be opened soon in the village of Škaricevo, with about forty kilometres from Zagreb and in within reach of Krapinske toplice. The overall area of the complex, scheduled for opening at the end of May of this year, extends over 130,000 square metres. It will feature eight buildings, restored in the traditional spirit and in keeping the standards of top-notch tourism. read more...

goski kotar nature photo

Gospic is the main town in Lika - the birthplace of Nikola Tesla, famous croatian scientist, located in the vicinity of Velebit and Plitvice lakes so therefore it is a starting point of several routes toward Velebit (Gospic - Ostarije, 27 km; Gospic - Pazariste - Stirovaca - Veliki Alan, 60 km). The vicinity of Hotel Velebno in Baske Ostarije provides opportunity for winter visits too.

goski kotar nature

Delnice - the main place in Gorski Kotar - that offers various opportunities for visitors: hotels, sports facilities, hunting grounds. At the foot of Japlenski Vrh (Japlenski Peak) are two ski-jumps. Delnice has a century-old tradition of excursions and health tourism due to area's natural beauties and climatic features of Gorski Kotar. Delnice can be reached in an hour from Rijeka and the nearby resorts on the Kvarner riviera, it is an ideal place for day trips and short visits to the peaks of Gorski Kotar (Drgomalj, Petehovac) as well as for longer stays in various inns and hotels.

Brvnara from Lika ( Wooden Cottage) Wooden House from Lika: - In Croatian region of Lika , in small village of Milinkovici, near Smiljani, it is still possible to see the sample of original rural wooden house called brvnara.... read more

Lika Gorski Kotar and Hrvatsko Zagorje Destinations:

Plitvicka Jezera - Plitvice Lakes - Croatian National Park in Lika
Risnjak National Park in Gorski Kotar
North Velebit National Park located in Lika
Other destinations include : Karlovac, Slunj, Samobor, Ivanic Grad, Bjelovar, Sisak, Cakovec, Koprivnica, Krapina, Krapinske Toplice, Stubicke Toplice, Marija Bistrica, Varazdin, Varazdinske Toplice, Ludbreg, Trakoscan, Delnice, Gospic, Vrbovsko , Otocac and Slunj.

above photos: Delnice and Gospic in Gorski Kotar and Lika

Photos: Gorski Kotar Nature, Early Morning in Gorski Kotar , Gorski Kotar Water

How to get to Lika Gorski Kotar and Hrvatsko Zagorje


Istria, Kvarner and Central Croatia Road and Ferry Map	Dalmatia Road and Ferry Map - South Part	Railway Map of Croatia

By plane: Rijeka and Zagreb are airports that serves Central Croatia.
By bus: Various and frequent bus services run from Zagreb Bus Station as well as from Rijeka, Split and Zadar to the various croatian cities and towns in the region.
By train: Train services runs from Zagreb to Rijeka and some other places.
By Boat: by ferry from Italy to Rijeka or Dalmatia and then bus towards Rijeka and Zagreb...