Kudo’s Bridge

Once upon a time there was a young man named Kude. He loved a girl from the village on the other side of the river Krupa, so he built a bridge of travertine blocks in order to reach his beloved. The bridge was named after him and, even after 200 years, it still defies the torrents of the Krupa.

The bridge is over 100 metres long and is made up of 12 arches. For a long time it was the only link between the villages on one side and the other of the river. For centuries people crossed here to trade and to lead their livestock to pasture.

Today it is a Protected Cultural Monument under the management of Velebit Nature Park, and besides the Park’s staff, the locals continue to care for it and its surroundings.

Apart from the bridge, it is the beautiful surroundings that attract more and more visitors. We have already written about the Krupa, and now, more than a year after our visit to the bridge, the article about it has finally come up for publication.

Although it is a year-round destination, since it is nevertheless a deep canyon, during the part of the year when the sun is low, a good part of the surroundings and of Kudin most itself is in permanent shade. I mention this for all lovers of the perfect photograph. It should also be borne in mind that the river is surrounded by deciduous trees, so the second half of spring would be the time when the colours are most vivid. That said, this is far from saying that the location is not attractive in autumn or winter. Besides the beautiful autumn colours, the temperatures are also much more pleasant for excursions, and here that matters, because a descent over a stony slope of almost 200 metres of elevation difference awaits you, and the ascent by the same route on the way back.

The trail information and map are given for the option of descending and ascending by the same route from Golubić, crossing the bridge and taking an easy walk along the left bank upstream as far as the trail goes. However, there are other options for Kudin most too. One of them is the route leading from the Krupa monastery along the right bank. Part of that trail runs along pegs above the water and is secured with cables. We tried out a section of the trail with pegs, not far from Kudin most, and that part is well maintained and great fun. Downstream, the trail continues on across the bridge and carries on down the river along the left bank, until at some point it crosses again to the right side of the river and continues on that side all the way to the confluence of the Krupa with the Zrmanja. That crossing to the right side is an unknown to us, as we did not pass that way. It appears to lead through the shallows of the river over stones, and its passability certainly depends on the water level. Incidentally, the confluence of the Krupa with the Zrmanja can also be reached by another route that descends directly from the top of the canyon.

In any case, whether it is your destination in itself or just one of the points within some longer route, Kudin most deserves to be on the shortlist of attractions of the Zadar hinterland.