ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Is an era of 'cave tourism' dawning in Croatia? The interest in the 'underground world' of the wealthy and spoiled Europe has been on the increase and about 7,500 entrances to different caves have been
discovered in Croatia so far. Fifteen of them have been adapted for tourist visits. If you like the underground world - here's an opportunity!
ZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - Is an era of 'cave tourism' dawning in
Croatia? The interest in the 'underground world' of the wealthy and
spoiled Europe has been on the increase and about 7,500 entrances to
different caves have been discovered in Croatia so far. Fifteen of
them have been adapted for tourist visits. If you like the
underground world - here's an opportunity! #L#
What is hidden in the bowels of the Earth interested our forefathers
a million years ago, and it continues to interest us today. The
first written document on caves in Croatia dates back to 1096. Caves
on Mounts Velebit and Dinara were described for the first time in
1536 and the first scientific work on caves was written in 1584.
Ivan Lovric, who in 1775 described Gospodska Cave near Sinj, in the
Split hinterland, is believed to be Croatia's first caver.
Geologist Josip Poljak, who in 1922 earned the first doctor's
degree in potholing, has a special place in the research of the
Croatian underground world, says an article in the travel brochure
EC.
There are caves in Croatia which are significant on the world scale
as well. The 1,392-metre-deep Luka's Cave on Mt Velebit is the ninth
deepest cave in the world. The deepest dive in the world - 1,355
metres - was made in the cave's siphon. The Blue (Modra) Cave on the
island of Bisevo is irresistible because of its blue. Caves which
have been adapted for tourist visits are Veternica near Zagreb,
Grgos' Cave at Samobor near Zagreb, Vrlovka Cave near Ozalj, south
of Zagreb, Lokvarka near Lokve, Vrelo near Fuzine, the Baredine pit
near the northern Adriatic town of Porec, Biserujka on the island of
Krk, the Talijanova Buza tunnel on the island of Pag, Samograd Cave
near Perusic, southern Croatia, Cerovac Caves near Gracac in
central Croatia, Manita Pec and Bunkeri in the Paklenica national
park, Vranjaca Cave near the central Dalmatian port of Split, the
Blue Cave on the island of Bisevo and the Dragon's (Zmajeva) Cave on
the island of Brac.
In 1994, 35 caves and pits were declared "geomorphologic,
paleontologic and hydrologic monuments of nature" because of their
scientific, aesthetic and cultural value. Descend to the bowels of
the Earth!
(hina) rml