Golubinjak Forest Park

Golubinjak covers a stretch of old forest near Lokve where the limestone underneath has collapsed repeatedly, so the ground is a series of sinkholes, ridges and rock walls with spruce and fir growing out of them, some of the trees very old. Marked paths thread through it past the named features: the Devil's Passage, a narrow cleft between rock walls, and the Golubinjak cave. The park has been managed for visitors since the early twentieth century, with paths, benches and an outdoor school. It is dense, dark and damp - Gorski Kotar has some of the highest rainfall in Croatia, which is why the forest looks the way it does.

Highlights

• Collapsed karst under old forest - sinkholes, ridges and rock walls.
• The Devil's Passage - a narrow cleft between rock faces.
• Golubinjak cave - on the path network.
• Very old spruce and fir - the reason the forest is protected.

When to go

May to October. Half a day.

Practical notes

It rains here often and the paths get muddy and slippery. The forest is dark, which limits photography. Facilities are basic. In winter access can be limited by snow.

Nearby

Lokve and its lake are next door; Fuzine is west.

Key facts