Premuzic Trail Velebit

The Premužić Trail is a stone hiking path built in the 1930s along the ridge of the northern and central Velebit, the great mountain wall that separates the Croatian coast from the interior. It runs for more than fifty kilometres, engineered with gentle gradients and without steep scrambling, so that it remains one of the great day walks in the country, and it is named after its builder, the forester Ante Premužić.

The trail was built for the Croatian mountaineering society, and its genius is the gradient, the path climbs and traverses the ridge by way of long, easy-angled cuttings and switchbacks, never steeper than a comfortable walk, so that you cover serious mountain ground without technical difficulty. From it the view swings between the sea and the islands on one side and the green interior of Lika on the other.

The most popular sections are in Northern Velebit National Park, around Zavižan and the botanical reserve, and in the central Velebit around Oštarije and the Baćke kuće shelter. The trail can be walked in sections of a few hours each, with mountain huts at intervals, or attempted as a multi-day traverse.

For photographers, the ridge views of sea and stone from the trail are the prize, best in clear morning light. Carry water, a layer and a map or GPS, and check the forecast, the weather on the Velebit ridge closes in fast.

Every spot here is mapped and verified. Share this guide if it helped plan your trip.