Cerovac Caves

The Cerovac caves were found during railway construction early in the twentieth century, when blasting opened the hillside above the line. There are three connected caves with about eight kilometres of surveyed passages, the largest cave complex open to visitors in Croatia, and two of them are shown to visitors on guided walks. The interest is not only the formations, which are heavy and well preserved in the deeper galleries, but the palaeontology: layers of bone from cave bears and other Ice Age animals have been excavated here, and the tour explains what the deposits contain. A visitor centre was built at the entrance in recent years. Temperatures inside stay in single figures whatever the season outside.

What you actually see

• The Upper Cave galleries - long decorated passages with columns, curtains and pools, the main show route.
• The bone layers - excavated deposits of cave bear and other Ice Age remains, explained on the tour.
• The Lower Cave - a separate entrance with different formations, shown on longer tours when available.
• The visitor centre - displays on Velebit karst and the history of the caves' discovery during railway building.

When to go

Tours run from spring to autumn with a reduced or suspended winter schedule. Book ahead in July and August, when groups fill quickly, and check which of the caves is running on the day. Midsummer is a good time to come precisely because the interior stays cold while Lika bakes outside.

Honest expectations

It is remote, and there is very little else at the site besides the caves. Tours only run on set times with a guide, so arriving on spec can mean a long wait or no entry. The interior is cold, damp and uneven, with steps and low sections. Photography is difficult. Longer routes are physically demanding and not suitable for small children.

Nearby

The Zrmanja canyon is west towards Obrovac, and Paklenica National Park lies on the coastal side of Velebit.