Perušić, Grabovača – a place you keep coming back to
Location: PerušićLength: 1,39 kmElevation gain: 137 mDifficulty: EasyDifficulty rating: K1, T1, VR1
I often say that there are so many interesting places in the world that we cannot visit them all in a lifetime, and that it is therefore not worth spending time going back to the same places twice. There are, however, some places that call to us, and I do not know why, but we cannot resist that call. Grabovača Cave Park is one of those places.
Grabovača Cave Park, a place of wonderful people and natural phenomena, a place worth returning to.
We have seen bigger caves and more beautiful scenery, but there is something here we cannot resist. Perhaps it is the people? Every time we are delighted by the enthusiasm, the attitude and the sense of humour of the young people who work there. Combined with all the natural phenomena you can see there, they clearly create a magic that is hard to resist.
The trail on the AllTrails map below will take you to a spectacular viewpoint on the far side of Grabovača. The trail is not difficult and is well marked. The first section leads through grassland towards Samograd cave. Shortly before the cave entrance itself it turns right and leads through a beech forest on the other side of Grabovača. From the viewpoint a view opens over Klanac, the Lika River, Smiljan and the surrounding area, and across the whole expanse as far as the majestic Velebit. The viewpoint alone is reason enough to visit Perušić, but it is only the beginning!
24 speleological features are currently known within the “Risovac-Grabovača” Significant Landscape. Of these, only Samograd cave is at present open to the public.
Samograd cave
Samograd cave is exceptionally beautiful and interesting. Although we have visited far larger caves, that takes nothing away from its appeal and we are always happy to go round it again. Along its 345 m there are four chambers, some of them reaching as high as 30 m. It abounds in all kinds of cave formations. The tour is possible with a guide, who will take you through the geological, chemical and historical features of the cave in an engaging way.
For opening hours, prices and other information, be sure to visit the Grabovača Cave Park website: http://pp-grabovaca.hr/hr/
Special
Although our focus is on Croatia, due to great interest in reviewing some international locations from our travels, we decided to launch the Special section. In it, we will not cover locations in the same detailed way we do with Croatian ones, but will instead provide a brief overview of multiple locations grouped into meaningful categories. The only criterion we still strictly follow is that they must be natural attractions.
