Premužić Trail

Built between 1930 and 1933 by the forestry engineer Ante Premužić using local labour and hand-laid dry-stone construction, the Premužićeva Staza is one of Europe's finest mountain paths — 57 km of near-level ridgeline trail running along the crest of Velebit from Zavižan in the north to Baške Oštarije in the south, without ever exceeding a 10-degree gradient. It threads spectacularly through the karst forest of Rožanski and Hajdučki kukovi, a moon-scape of dolomite teeth and hidden dolines that would otherwise be impassable. The full traverse takes 3–5 days with overnight stops in the mountaineering huts of Alan and Ograđenica; sections can be sampled as day walks — the eight-kilometre stretch from Zavižan south to the striking Rossijevo Sklonište viewpoint is the classic taster and rewards you with a bird's-eye view over Rab, Krk and Cres. The trail is entirely waymarked with the traditional red-and-white targets and is exposed above the treeline, so weather-check before starting: summer thunderstorms roll in fast and shelters are basic. Wildlife you may cross paths with includes chamois, brown bear and golden eagle.