Municipality of Ravna Gora: Trails, Nature and Culture
Accommodation in Municipality of Ravna Gora
In the Municipality of Ravna Gora, you can choose between nature experiences, historic sites and a family-friendly winter attraction. Marked walking, hiking and cycling trails are ideal for active days; the “Velike zvijeri” Visitor Centre is dedicated to bears, wolves and lynxes. If you’re travelling with children, you’ll find both a short educational trail with a gentle incline and the Sanjkalište Gorski sjaj in Kupjak. There are also churches, a castle and events celebrating culture and regional traditions.
Explore trails and nature
The Plodovi gorja educational trail uses information boards to teach visitors about the vegetation of Gorski kotar. This includes trees and shrubs as well as mushrooms, medicinal plants and berries. The trail is short and has a gentle incline; it is considered suitable for the whole family. You can enjoy an outing in nature that is about more than simply covering a distance: it also gives you the chance to discover the plant life along the trail.
The HPS-designated Ravna Gora–Javorova Kosa trail is listed with a walking time of 0.45 hours. This is separate from the walk to Javorova kosa, which reaches a mountain hut after about 2 km. Below the hut is the Božji studenac spring, associated with a local healing legend about eyesight. A viewpoint 150 m from the summit of Javorova kosa offers a view of the summit of Medvednica. At 1,367 m, Višnjevica is the highest peak in the Municipality of Ravna Gora.
Ravna Gora also offers specific starting points for cycling and road routes. MTB Route 762, “Following the path of berries,” starts there and is 33.5 km long. Road Route 761, “Rivers of life,” also starts in Ravna Gora and covers 66 km. Consider the different route lengths when choosing between a bike ride and a longer drive. The area also has marked routes for walking, hiking and cycling.
Winter fun and family discoveries
Sanjkalište Gorski sjaj in Kupjak is a family-friendly winter attraction with a conveyor lift. The facility also has a hut serving food and hot refreshments, as well as a lounge area. This outing is different from the trails, where hiking or cycling takes centre stage. If you’re planning a winter’s day out, Kupjak is the place to note for this particular activity.
At the “Velike zvijeri” Visitor Centre in Stara Sušica, you can learn about bears, wolves and lynxes. A multimedia exhibition evokes the atmosphere of a forest setting. Stara Sušica is also home to a castle, a Frankopan castle set in a centuries-old coniferous forest in Gorski kotar. It was restored in the Romantic style of its time. The Frankopan Trail starts in Stara Sušica, near the castle and the visitor centre. It follows the former Karolina Road towards the oldest part of Ravna Gora and Javorova kosa.
Culture and regional traditions
The church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua is part of Stara Sušica Castle. In Ravna Gora stands the Church of Saint Teresa of Ávila, originally built in 1777 and renovated in 1907 to plans by architect Hermann Bollé. In the Ravna Gora area, the Camino Gorski kotar passes the Chapel of Saint Florian, built in 1874, and in Stari Laz the Church of Saint Stephen the King, built in 1912. Kupjak is home to the Church of Saint Vitus, while Šije has the Chapel of Saint Roch.
Cultural events include the “Iz bakine škrinjice” Festival of Antiquities, which promotes and preserves cultural and historical heritage. The Festival komorne glazbe (Chamber Music Festival) takes place as part of Kulturna jesen (Cultural Autumn). “Dani plodova gorja” is described as an educational food and wine event. These different themes offer ideas for combining your trip with nature trails, historic buildings or regional culture and food.
For information about individual places, you can also visit the pages for Ravna Gora, Zalesina, Kupjak, Stara Sušica and Stari Laz.
For the broader travel overview: Kvarner Bay.
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