July the 26th, 2024 – It might not have the glitz and glam of fancy yachts and the glorious Adriatic Sea, but it does have much more refreshing temperatures and scenery to die for. Gorgeous Gorski Kotar is finding its place on the foreign tourist map of Croatia.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, outstanding natural beauty, refreshing, crystal clear cold lakes and far more pleasant temperatures than Dalmatia or Istria are a recipe for a relaxing holiday. Even tourists from Germany, who are always among the most numerous along the coast, have come to know this well.
“We enjoy the lakes here in Lokve. We love kayaking there and spending time with our son. If you have a lot of money, you can spend a lot, but even if your budget isn’t massive, you can still do plenty of touristy things. I really like nature, and of course fresh air. Yesterday we went down to the coast from here as well,”
They do admit, however, that there is a lack of content for young people in Gorski Kotar, which can make things a bit more difficult than it would be down on the coast: “It would be nice if there was a bit of night life, a few more cafes, bars, restaurants, and maybe a cinema,” a tourist from Germany told N1 of Gorski Kotar’s tourism offer.
Just a few minutes from beautiful Lokve is the ancient (and exceptionally refreshing) Vrelo cave. Every single year, it attracts an increasing number of visitors from all over Croatia and elsewhere eager for very, very low temperatures regardless of the summer heat outside.
“Relaxation, peace and quiet… it’s amazing to get a break from the scorching heat,” said Igor from Zagreb of the cave and of Gorski Kotar.
gorski kotar is growing in popularity with foreign tourists, but there are still bumps in the road…
The owner of a family accommodation facility not far from the beautiful, mountainous town of Fužine says that the level of interest and the number of reservations is very promising. She’s also more than satisfied with non-boarding spending: “The guests who come here and also those who return know what we offer and they come for the quality we have here. It also isn’t expensive for them.”
With that being said, however, things have dropped a bit compared to last year. In the first six months of 2024, Fužine recorded about 20 percent fewer overnight stays. The decline especially concerns Croatian guests from elsewhere across the country.
“The increase in prices we’ve seen simply doesn’t follow the increase in standards,” Silvija Sobol from the Tourist Board of Fužine believes.
It is estimated that around sixty million euros need to be invested in the development of tourist infrastructure and offers across Gorski Kotar, but towns and municipalities are powerless without the help of the state.
tourism investments for gorski kotar?
The director of the Tourist Board of Gorski Kotar, Petar Hrg, says that they have requested a meeting with the Tourism and Sport Ministry to discuss the ways, potential and possibilities of financing tourism projects.
The effects of such investments would be felt widely, but while waiting for the implementation of capital projects, Gorski Kotar’s locals are trying to complete their offer with events. Thus, the popular Petehovac near Delnice is hosting the Cinehill film festival until July the 28th.
