Schlosser Mountain Hut — Risnjak

At 1,418 metres just below the summit of Veliki Risnjak sits Schlosserov Dom — the most historic mountain hut in Croatia and the classic overnight stop for anyone climbing Risnjak. Built in 1932 and named after Josip Kalasancije Schlosser, a 19th-century Croatian botanist who first catalogued the Risnjak flora, the hut is a beautifully preserved stone-and-timber alpine building that hasn't fundamentally changed in 90 years. Its 40 beds fill up on summer weekends and require booking in advance through the Croatian Mountaineering Association website; the kitchen serves what many argue is the finest bean stew (grah) in Croatia along with excellent homemade blueberry pie and a small selection of Gorski Kotar craft brandies. The hut sits on a spectacular perch with views straight down to the Kvarner Sea and across to the Kupa valley, and is the base for the final 30-minute scramble to the Veliki Risnjak summit (1,528 m). Come in June for peak wildflower bloom on the surrounding karst meadows: nine species of gentian, alpine primroses and even the rare Dinaric edelweiss. Winter access is on skis or snowshoes only.