We crossed the bridge from Krk again but this time turned right and headed an hour south to the historic walled town of Senj. We are just here for one night and Barbara made us very welcome at Apartment Prpic.
It was a short walk to explore the Nehaj Fortress which dominates the town and was built in the C16th to defend against Ottoman and Venetian invasion.
It became the stronghold of Uskoks, men driven from their homes by the Ottomans who became feared for their successful guerrilla warfare and are honoured as national heroes on the Days of the Uskoks.
A wedding reception was in full swing with plenty of drinking, dancing and singing, but we were still waved inside.
The museum had lots more about the Uskoks and the roof had great views …
… and a loo!
We walked into town in time to see the sun set and then had mussels and pizza for dinner.
Next day, we had a slow start then breakfast pastries from Mlinar, a bakery chain with a store in every town, which we ate sitting on the harbour.
Leaving Senj and the Kvarner Gulf behind, we turned inland to the region of Lika which covers a swathe of the Northern Dalmatian interior. There’s a mix of farmland, forests and craggy uplands in a limestone landscape which also contains caves, lakes and waterfalls. As we climbed upwards, the views back to the coast were great.
An hour later, we bought our ticket for the Velebit National Park so we could visit the Velebit Botanical Garden. We weren’t sure what to expect, but after 7km drive along a gravel road to a car park and a 15 minute walk past a small chapel …
… we reached this beautiful alpine meadow 1480m above sea level.
There are some 300 species of plants here and most had finished flowering, but after a picnic admiring the view …
… I walked the short circular trail to see what I could find while Chris took photos.
Afterwards, we went on to the Butina Guest House in the village of Kuterevo where we are staying for two nights.
Dubravka and Tomas welcomed us into their home with shots of a homemade fruity liqueur and some bread and cheese then showed to our very cute studio with gingham trim and even a balcony.
Meals are served in the open sided barn with wooden furniture and rustic decorations and quite a few bears!
Communication was a little sketchy and there wasn’t a written menu, but we managed fine with a little help from google translate and dinner was great, a veg platter for Chris and a local trout platter for me with plum fritters for dessert.
Breakfast was another feast …
… and then we went for a walk into the village, taking pics and just enjoying the view …
… but also keeping our eyes peeled for bears …
… and reminders that Kuterevo is home to a bear sanctuary came thick and fast!
Kuterevo has been welcoming international volunteers since 1978 and the Bear Refuge was founded in 2002 with helpers still coming from all round the world. Andjela was knowledgable and enthusiastic and answered all our questions.
There are around 1000 brown bears left in Croatia and while we didn’t see one, the Refuge keep track of numbers and there are 15 females living in the area and here is a poo sample found the day before, showing they’ve been eating the red dogwood berries that are abundant right now.
The refuge has 9 bears at the moment, 3 came from zoos and the rest were orphaned young and cannot survive on their own in the wild. They live in three enclosures, one for the younger bears, one for older bears and the last for the oldest female who was born in 1984.
The enclosures were all large, with plenty of vegetation. They are fed corn, bread and seeds which are sprinkled over areas of dry sticks so they can forage for it as they would in the wild, and they are surrounded by the mountains. They all look in good shape, and while it might not be ideal, it’s a lot better than where they came from.
There is no entrance fee, but we left a donation and actually visited twice, returning early evening when it was cooler and the bears were more active when Chris snapped these two.
Back to the guesthouse, we had another great dinner, this time vegetable risotto served with grilled cheese for Chris and chicken fillet for me. Dubravka brought us walnut liqueur to finish, homemade by Tomas and very delicious.
Before we left, I couldn’t resist the shelf of little bears, no doubt whittled by one of the family and chose a couple that will easily fit in the suitcase and remind us of our visit.
We were also sent on our way with gifts of quince preserve and a huge bunch of the sweetest dessert grapes and felt sad to be on our way … but the lakes are calling!
Off Travelling Together 