The bear necessities: A frolic in the forests of Gorski Kotar

Once upon a time, Gorski Kotar’s rugged landscapes were so inaccessible and untamed that old maps called it the ‘Devil’s Garden’. And although the local infrastructure is now much improved, more than 80% of this fairy-tale pocket of south-western Croatia – less than 15km from the Adriatic coast – remains covered in dense, ancient forest.

Much of the area is protected, including the Risnjak National Park and its namesake snow-capped massif, as well as a glut of gorges, caves, waterfalls, rivers and lakes. As such, it’s the perfect environment for three of Europe’s premier carnivores – lynx, wolf and brown bear – to thrive. Best of all: if you want to see them up close, wildlife hides lie deep in the forest and offer a hidden location from which to safely keep watch.

It wasn’t always like this. Recent centuries saw the continent’s predator populations nosedive as they were hunted as vermin – to safeguard farmland – or simply poached. Happily, lynx, wolf and brown bear populations have rebounded in recent decades, with Gorski Kotar one of the exemplars.

Measures to improve harmonious human-carnivore cohabitation have enabled this upturn, together with the preservation of swathes of natural areas, protection orders and hunting regulations. Visitors can learn more at the Large Carnivores Visitor Center in Stara Sušica, beside a witch-hatted castle.

Brown bears are especially resurgent, with around 400 now reckoned to dwell in Gorski Kotar. But despite their razor-sharp claws and imposing size (bulking up to 350kg), they tend to hide away when their incredible sense of smell detects humans. They are gentle giants who don’t post a threat to humans.

Thankfully, Gorski Kotar’s wildlife tourism makes seeing bears in the wild far easier than it used to be. One option is to stay a few hours, or even overnight, at a remote, well-positioned hide. The expert local operator CroMedo arranges photographic trips to hide locations near the Slovenian border; there are also two overnight cabin options inside Risnjak National Park.

Going in autumn when the bears descend to lower areas in search of food and to bulk up for hibernation, is a prime time for sightings. There really is nothing like the thrill of seeing one of these gigantic creatures up close and thriving in the wild.

Wildlife is far from Gorski Kotar’s sole fresh-air pursuit. Art lovers, for instance, are directed to the idyllic yet bumpy Golubinjak Forest Park where, along with a bevvy of caves, you’ll also find a lynx-themed walking trail, a 200-year-old fir tree known as the ‘Queen of the Forest’ and dozens of oak sculptures made by members of a long-established art colony in the nearby village of Lokve.

Scattered around the area are also some handsome castles surviving from the era of the Frankopan and Zrinski noble families, who once controlled these lands. As well as the restored fort at Stara Sušica, standouts include the 16th-century Severin na Kupi, a manor-house-style castle bookended by cylindrical turrets, and a traditional mansion in Čabar, whose information centre tells the story of the two families.

Also worth seeking out is the lemon-coloured Gomirje Monastery, a Frankopan castle later converted into Europe’s westernmost Serb Orthodox monastery. Like everywhere else in Gorski Kotar, it catches the eye.

The Risnjak massif is named after this wild cat (‘ris’ means lynx in Croatian). Local wisdom dictates that spotting one in the wild brings great fortune, but doing so is far from easy. Lynx are famously elusive and chiefly nocturnal, so it can be a long wait in a hide if you want to see one in the flesh.

Grey wolves are likewise tricky to spot, but they do afford other forms of encounter. For example, you can join guides following their tracks in the snow during winter or hear youngsters learning to howl in the summer months. There are six packs around Gorski Kotar, living in groups ranging from two to six.

More than 100 bird species – including eagle owls and redstarts – have been recorded in and around Risnjak National Park. Among the more exciting finds is the western capercaillie, a colourful, largely ground-dwelling forest grouse. The Tetrijeb breeding centre in Prezid is a good place to see this species up close.