Ucka Nature Park

Učka Nature Park covers the Učka massif, the high mountain that rises directly above the Kvarner Gulf between Istria and the mainland, and whose highest peak, Vojak, at 1,401 metres, gives one of the widest views in the country, over Istria, the islands, the Gulf of Trieste and, on a clear day, the Alps and Italy. The park was protected in 1999.

Učka is the mountain you cross on the main road from Rijeka into Istria, and its profile dominates the eastern skyline of Istria. Its slopes are forested, its upper slopes are bare karst meadow, and it holds endemic plants, including the Učka bellflower, and a small population of bears and wolves. The ascent is a popular walk from the Poklon pass.

The mountain’s main draws are the Vojak summit view, thenetwork of hiking paths, the Učka mountain hut and the nearby Sluč forest reserve. The slopes are also a paragliding site, with launches off the seaward face, and in winter the high parts hold snow.

For photographers, the panorama from the Vojak tower is the shot, best on a clear winter or spring day when the air is cleanest. Take a layer, the summit is cooler than the coast by many degrees, and reach the Poklon pass by road for the start of the walk.

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