1. Velebit & Paklenica


Velebit at 1,758 m is one of Croatia’s tallest mountains and the longest mountain of the Dinar system, with a limestone structure and steep sides. On the other side, Paklenica is the most famous and best place to go rock climbing in Croatia, which is located close to Zadar. Paklenica offers the rock climber everything from single pitch bolted sports routes, to multi-pitch sports and traditional routes. The dramatic 350m high face known as Anica kuk emphasizes everything that is excellent about rock climbing in Paklenica.

2. Biokovo mountains


The Biokovo mountains of Central Dalmatia, with Sv Jure as its highest peak at 1762 m, are perhaps the most imposing mountains of Croatia. The Biokovo mountains dominate the whole landscape, towering above all the little resorts on the Makarska Riviera, providing a spectacular back-drop to an already beautiful coastal area. The highest mountain regions do not have the form of a ridge but of a high plateau. The edges of the plateaux often finish in huge vertical cliffs that plunge into deep, flat karst fields. As a rule the cliffs tend to be found on the south slopes, an exception being Troglov, which has cliffs on the northern slopes.

3. Islands



Good climbing mountains are not restricted only to the mainland, there are some excellent climbs on the islands of Hvar, Brac and on the Peljesac peninsula. Unlike the mountains of the mainland, the foothills of the island mountains have been shaped by the action of the sea. The best such example is the coast of Dugi otok, with its vertical cliffs that rear right up from the sea for over 100 metres, but this is a common feature of all the islands. Well known climbs on Hvar include Miss Jadrana and Crown point, both on the cliff base of Suplja stina. The average temperature in January is never below zero which means that the summer climbing season lasts all the year round.

Many of the other crags within Croatia are located close to major towns and popular holiday resorts; such as the capital Zagreb; the coastal resorts around Split & Zadar; and the coastal towns of Rovinj and Pula of the Istria region in the North.