BELVEDERES - THE EYES OF VINODOL

The entire Vinodol is a beautiful story, composed of rich history, numerous cultural and historical monuments, natural resources and tradition. It is one thing to experience Vinodol by passing through it, and quite another to see it from the "bird’s-eye view”.
A new, distinctive tourist product was created by building six (6) belvederes in the District of Vinodol and the Town of Novi Vinodolski. In this way, Novi Vinodolski Tourist Board and District of Vinodol Tourist Board supplemented the tourist offer of this destination, which has become more and more oriented towards active (day-trip) tourism.

Six locations for belvederes were selected, out of which three (3) are located in the District of Vinodol:

- overlooking Drivenik – Mahavica Belvedere,
- overlooking Grižane/Tribalj – Pridva Belvedere,
- overlooking Bribir - Slipica Belvedere,

and three (3) are located in the Town of Novi Vinodolski:

- overlooking Ledenice – Gradina Belvedere,
- at the foot of Sviba – Sviba Belvedere,
- and by Krmpote – Kuk Belvedere.


1. Mahavica Belvedere (781 meters above sea level) (named after a mountain peak nearby)


   
This belvedere is located at 781 meters above sea level.
It is situated at the meeting point of the Mediterranean and continental climate, in the vegetational zone of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. Above the belvedere there are littoral meadows, and below there are rocky grounds as the final degradation form of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. On the north, there is Mahavica, surrounded by the grassy Zebra ridge; to the east, there are beautiful mountain meadows of Razromir interlaced with stone blocks, to the west there is a mountain massif of Učka, and, to the south-west, the Bay of Kvarner laced with the islands of Krk, Cres, Rab and Pag, surrounded by the Velebit massif. To the south-east, there is the Planina, which steeply falls into the Valley of Vinodol, all the way to Novi Vinodolski. The coastline offers a view of Selce.


2. Pridva Bevedere 573 meters above sea level (named after a mountain peak nearby)



This belvedere is located at 573 meters above sea level. It is situated at the meeting point of the Mediterranean and continental climate, in the vegetational zone of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. Above the belvedere there are littoral meadows, and stony cliffs („griže") and rocky grounds are found below. Stone conical peak of Medviđak rises in the north (1027 m), hidden by beautiful mountain meadows of Razromir interlaced with stone blocks; to the west there is a mountain massif of Učka, and to the south-west, there is the Bay of Kvarner laced with the islands of Krk, Cres, Rab and Pag, surrounded by the Velebit massif. The Planina to the south-east steeply falls into the Valley of Vinodol, all the way to Novi Vinodolski. The coastline offers a view of Crikvenica.


3. Slipica Belvedere 446 meters above sea level



This belvedere is located at 446 meters above sea level. It is situated at the meeting point of the Mediterranean and continental climate, in the vegetational zone of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. Stump forests of bay oak and hop hornbeam are found above the belvedere, and stony cliffs, sandbanks, and rocky grounds are found below. The belvedere is situated on the fifth kilometer of the Bribir – Lukovo – Lič road, above Bribir, on a steep stony cliff. The belvedere offers magnificent view of Velebit, the Velebit Strait, Kvarner islands, Učka, Novi Vinodolski and the Valley of Vinodol, all the way to Grižane.


4. Gradina Belvedere 379 meters above sea level



This belvedere is located at 379 meters above sea level, 600 m from the remains of the Frankopan hill-fort. It is located in the area of Mediterranean climate, i.e. in the Sub-Mediterranean zone, in the vegetational zone of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. Ledeničko Polje is situated in the hinterland as an example of Karst valleys which stand out from barren and degraded slopes of Velika Kapela, and thickets and rocky grounds are found below. The belvedere is situated on the Vinodolski – Ledenice road, directly overlooking Ledenice, offering magnificent view of Ledeničko Polje, Novi Vinodolski, Klenovica, Velebit and Kvarner islands.



5. Sviba Belvedere 753 meters above sea level (named after a mountain peak nearby)



This belvedere is located at 753 meters above sea level. It is situated at the meeting point of the Mediterranean and continental climate, in the vegetational zone of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. In the hinterland and to the south-east, there is a crop of black pine. Small Karst valleys, littoral pastures and woodland areas planted with black pine are found below the belvedere. Thickets or stump forests of bay oak and hop hornbeam are scattered in the areas which are more protected from the gusts of bora. When you turn right from the Novi Vinodolski – Breze road, in the area of Pleteno, you can enjoy the unobstructed view of the entire surrounding area in the direction of Luka Krmpotska. The entire road is a belvedere. The belvedere itself is located below the grassy slopes of Mala and Velika Sviba on beautiful mountain meadows with unobstructed beautiful views of mountainous hinterland, inshore settlements, the Bay of Kvarner, Velebit and Učka.


6. Kuk Belvedere 301 meters above sea level (named after a mountain peak nearby)



This belvedere is located at 301 meters above sea level. It is situated in the area of Mediterranean climate, i.e. in the Sub-Mediterranan zone, in the vegetational zone of bay oak and hop hornbeam forests. It is located in the vicinity of Krmpotsko Polje, an example of Karst valleys which stand out from barren and degraded slopes of Velika Kapela, and thickets and rocky grounds are found below. When you enter Krmpotsko Polje in Krmpote from the coastal side, you can enjoy an interesting view of the entire Novi Vinodolski riviera (Smokvica, Klenovica, Povile and Novi Vinodolski), the Bay of Kvarner, Učka, Senj in the south, and longitudinal view of the Valley of Vinodol.

Map of belvederes (PDF)