Paklenica National Park contains two parallel limestone canyons carved into the southern Velebit mountain range — dramatic gorges with 400-metre walls, ancient forest, 400+ rock climbing routes, and a hidden WWII military bunker buried deep inside the mountain. Croatia's most spectacular canyon hiking.
Paklenica is a national park that rewards serious exploration. The main canyon — Velika Paklenica — runs 14 kilometres from the Adriatic coastal plain into the heart of the Velebit mountain range, its walls rising 400 metres vertically from the canyon floor and the Paklenica stream running clear and cold through the bottom of the gorge. The trail through the canyon is easy enough for fit walkers, but the landscape has the scale and drama of somewhere far more wild.
The park is most famous among climbers as one of Europe's outstanding limestone destinations — over 400 established sport and trad routes on the canyon walls, ranging from Grade 3 beginners slabs to technical 8b multi-pitch routes that attract elite climbers from across Europe. Our rock climbing tours are based here for good reason: the quality of the limestone, the variety of the routes and the canyon setting make Paklenica exceptional.
The park's most unusual attraction is the Tito Bunker — a classified WWII-era military complex excavated inside the Velebit mountain during the 1950s as a nuclear-proof command bunker for Yugoslavia's Marshal Tito. The complex runs 300 metres into the mountain at depths of up to 60 metres and has recently been opened to guided public tours. It's one of the most extraordinary Cold War relics in Europe, hidden inside a national park canyon. Our Paklenica tours from Zadar combine canyon hiking, the bunker tour and optional climbing guidance.
Book in Advance
National park entry is limited in summer. Pre-booking is essential June–August. Contact us and we'll secure your spot.
Tell us your dates and group size — we confirm within 2 hours, 7 days a week.