«The natural beauties of Croatia are like some laurel wreath on this much loved part of our planet Earth - a part which we know as - Our beautiful homeland Croatia.
Lying as it does in that part of Central Europe that stretches between fertile plains of the Pannonian lowlands, across the karst land and down to the Adriatic coast it has many and varied treasures, one of the first being the ancient geological formations and levels which come to expression in the morphological composition of the land. These have given form to the seemingly endless flatlands between the rivers, to the legions of small hills and the huge and craggy mountain ranges, whose lower slopes are bathed in the sea.
Croatia's rich earth, watered by the rivers and streams of the lowlands or among the mountains ringing with the sound of waterfalls, hides within itself thousands of caves and underground rivers. Yet the surface is crowned with resistant vegetation and with many varieties of broadleaved and evergreen forests.
Among these natural gifts of nature, in their magical colors, are the horizon with golden ears of corn that sway in the breezes of summer and where in winter the cold, dense, oak forests stand out. Then there are the smaller, wooded hills of central Slavonia bearing vineyards that have provided wines known from antuquity, but which have, too, swampy areas beside rivers Danube, Sava and Drava. For centuries man's hands have shaped the fields and green meadows of the Croatian Zagorje and Žumberak, partly wooded and partly ploughland, vineyards and orchards. Gorski kotar is a hige majestic region of conifers. Lika is partly thick forest, partly limestone karst. In Istria we find both continental and Meditarranean vegetation, with vines growing richly from the red earth. Dalmatia is part covered with Mediterranean vegetation, macchia, vineyards and oases of lightly cultivated patches, interspersed with rocky terrain. In winter most of continental Croatia is covered with thick snow under which the earth rests to burst forth with new growth in spring and give to men the wealth of its fruits. The coastal regions however must in winter withstand the northern bora and the screaming of the wind across the sea.
In this land, so richly endowed by natural and man-cultivated vegetation, this land of rivers, lakes, mountains, plains and sea, there is a corresponding wealth of animal life – birds, mammals, wild animals and fish. Eagles, vultures and hawks fly wide-winged in the air, at night owls glide and bats swoop. By day quick swallows fly and song-birds with their bright feathers sing and chirrup, while across the meadows magical butterflies move from flower to flower. Pheasents and partridge dart across the ploughland. The stately storks build their nests on cottage roofs. Bears, lynx, wolves, foxes are lords of the forests where the dear with their fawns bound, carefree squirrels spring from tree to tree, hare and rabbits run and jump among the ferns, and underground the moles burrow. In the blue waters of the sea there are innumerable kinds of fish, crabs, shells and dolphin, while in the clear rivers there are otter and beaver.
Within this natural beauty that lies everywhere there are a number of places which are especially rich and wonderful and as such have been designated National Parks. Some lie among the forests and mountains, some on the sea and islands, some have cascading rivers, others waters that flow underground. Croatia's national parks in interest and beauty, if not in size, can stand beside any in the world.»
Andre Mohorovičić, The natural heritage of Croatia |
