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![]() ![]() ![]() ParkVelebit has long been recognized for its exceptional natural beauty and biodiversity. Within UNESCO’s programme (MAB) (MAB – Man and Biosphere Established in 1999, Northern Velebit is the youngest of eight national parks in Croatia. This part of the Velebit Mountain is a true patchwork of the most diverse habitats that are home to countless plant, fungus and animal species – a wealth that is yet to be explored in its entirety. It is this diversity of kart formations, wildlife and landscape, to a large extent created by man, which was the main reason for setting up the Northern Velebit National Park. Northern Velebit National Park encompasses several areas protected earlier: Hajdučki i Rožanski Kukovi, strict reserve, the Visibaba botanical reserve – home to the endemic species Croatian sibirea, and the Zavižan-Balinovac-Velika kosa botanical reserve which houses the well-known Velebit Botanical Garden, which has been listed as a monument of landscape architecture. Due to its exceptional worth the Northern Velebit National Park has been included in the National Ecological Network and is listed in the proposal of the future Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Northern Velebit National Park is also member of the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) network, being the national winner in the category „Tourism and Protected Areas“. Northern Velebit National Park, together with Paklenica National Park and Velebit Nature Park, has been included in five European pilot-areas as part of the Rewilding Europe project. ![]() ![]() Park’s Identity Card
![]() ![]() Role of the National ParkThe purpose of a national park is primarily to preserve the intrinsic natural values of an area, with wildlife being its vital part. Protected areas play a crucial role in the preservation of wildlife whose existence is threatened due to habitat decline. ![]() ![]() National Ecological Network (NEM) and Natura 2000Croatia has its national ecological network Nacionalna ekološka mreža (NEM), also known under its English abbreviation CRO-NEN (Croatian National Ecological Network). Northern Velebit National Park has been included in this network, which was set up in 2007, as an area important for birds of prey, owls, large carnivores, chamois, capercaillie and other endangered species, and 17 types of habitat. In an effort to ensure sufficient living space for wildlife, the European Union has established an ecological network called Natura 2000 – a network of areas important for rare and endangered species and habitats. Each member country is responsible for contributing to the network by designating sites based on species and habitats protected under Natura 2000, the qualifying species, which are defined in the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. These are the two fundamental regulations in the EU nature conservation legislation. NEM and Natura 2000 areas are largely overlapping, however, NEM includes some areas that are significant for Croatia, while not being of special importance on the European level and vice versa. To learn more about the National Ecological Network and the future Natura 2000 network, visit the Croatian State Institute for Nature Protection (Državni zavod za zaštitu prirode). ![]() ![]() European Destination of Excellence (EDEN)EDEN is an abbreviation for European Destinations of ExcelleNce - a project that promotes sustainable tourism development models. The project is based on national competitions for the selection of tourist destinations of excellence for each participating country, drawing attention to the values, diversity as well as common features of European destinations and promoting networking between awarded destinations. The project’s objective is to enhance and promote emerging tourist destinations. Tekst
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