Gorski kotar

Gorski kotar (English: "Mountain District") is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Together with Lika and the Ogulin-Plaški valley it forms Mountainous Croatia. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called "the green lungs of Croatia" or "Croatian Switzerland". Through the region passes the E65 corridor, which connects Budapest and Zagreb with the Adriatic port Rijeka.

Geography

The region is divided between Primorje-Gorski Kotar county and Karlovac county. The majority of the region lies in Primorje-Gorski kotar county including the cities of Delnice, Čabar, Vrbovsko; and the municipalities of Mrkopalj, Ravna Gora, Skrad, Brod na Kupi, Fužine and Lokve. The part of the region that is in Karlovac county contains the Municipality of Bosiljevo and part of the City of Ogulin. With a population of 4454, Delnice is the largest city of the region and its center. Other centers with populations of more than 1,000 are Vrbovsko (1,900) and Ravna Gora (1,900). Begovo Razdolje, the highest town in Croatia, is located in Gorski kotar at an altitude of 1076 m.

The population density of Gorski kotar is low, but the highest in Mountainous Croatia. As of 2001, about 28,000 people were living in an area of about 1300 square kilometers, which is about 22 people per square kilometer. Lingustically, the region is very diverse; in a relatively small area, all three Croatian dialects can be heard. Also, in some parts of Gorski kotar there is a considerable Serb community, especially in the city of Vrbovsko where they constitute 36% of the population.

Geomorphically Gorski kotar is on the karstic plateau about 35 km and has an average altitude of 800 m. The highest point is Bjelolasica at 1534 m followed by Risnjak at 1528 m. The plateau is a climatic barrier between the littoral and continental parts of the country. The border with the Kvarner region is defined by the Black Sea – Adriatic divide. Its southern border with Lika is not clearly defined but most scholars consider it to be the Jasenak – Novi Vinodolski road and people of Jasenak consider themselves to be somewhere between Gorski kotar and Lika. To the north, the Kupa river is the border between Gorski kotar and Slovenia's Bela Krajina region.

Tourism

Popular tourist destinations in Gorski Kotar include Lake Lokvarsko in the village of Lokve. This is the seventh largest lake in the whole of Croatia measuring over two square kilometres. Nature walks are possible right around the lake. You can also swim and canoe in the summer and fish all year round. A world record 25 kg trout was once caught in this very lake.

Other attractions in Lokve include Golubinjak Nature Forest Park and Lokvarka Caves.

Gorski Kotar's main town is called Delnice. It's approximately 5 miles from Lokve. Delnice has many shops, bars and restaurants as well as train & bus connections to numerous local and national destinations.

The nearest airport to Gorski Kotar is Rijeka Airport (RJK) located on the island of Krk about half an hour's drive away.Zagreb Airport is also a convenient gateway to Gorski Kotar just over an hour's drive away. Slightly further afield are Pula Airport and Ljubljana Airport (each are about 2 hours away) and Trieste Airport in Italy which is about two and a half hours drive away.

Skiing is popular in several places in Gorski Kotar including the resort village of Mrkopalj. Platak is also popular for skiing although technically it falls into the neighbouring region of Kvarner not Gorski Kotar. Platak boasts some truly stunning views of the Adriatic Sea from the pistes.

History

The first known inhabitants of Gorski kotar were Illyrian tribe Iapodes who lived in the area from the 9th century BC on. They were submitted to Romans who built fortification lines from Grobnik to Prezid. In the 6th century the Slavs began to settle the area. The history of Gorski kotar is obscure until the 12th century when the noble family Frankopans began to rule much of Gorski kotar. Frankopans initiated the first wave of settlement in the 14th century, colonizing first the eastern part of Gorski kotar, creating their stronghold in Bosiljevo.

In the 15th century, because of the Ottoman intrusions, the geopolitical position of Gorski kotar increased. This led to a new wave of settlement and the creation of defensive fortifications, which led to the creation of bigger centers in the region. After a short period of insecurity, new settlement began at the end of 16th century when many Ottoman escaped exiles, mostly Shtokavian Dialect speaking Orthodox Serbs, came to this region. They settled the frontier with the Ottoman empire - Gomirje, Vrbovsko, Dobra, Moravice, Stari Laz, Sušica, Mrkopalj and Lič. From the mid-17th century until the beginning of the 18th century, the most developed part of the region was the area around Čabar, where the noble family Zrinski had iron mines and metallurgic manufacturing. Čabar and its surroundings were settled by a Kajkavian population from Carniola and Chakavian from Kvarner. After the failed Zrinski – Frankopan plot their properties were confiscated and shared among many other nobles, who began to exploit Gorski kotar increasingly harshly.

The most intense period settlement began in the 18th century with the 1732 opening of the Karolina road, which linked Karlovac and Bakar. Most immigrants were from Kvarner but Czechs, Slovenians and descendants of Ottoman exiles also came. After the road opened, economic activity in the region flourished, especially "kirijašenje"- transportation of goods from the interior to the Adriatic. The most developed center in this period was Ravna Gora. In 1777 by decree of Maria Theresia of all Gorski kotar was incorporated into Severin county.

During the Napoleonic wars Gorski kotar was part of the French Illyrian Provinces. The French built a new, wider, road Lujziana which connected Karlovac and Rijeka and is still in use today. This led to more development of Gorski kotar, and Delnice became the most developed center in the region.

After the war Gorski kotar became part of the Habsburg monarchy again and in 1873 the first railway in the region was built. This led to a decrease in "kirijašenje," which led to an economic crisis that forced many to leave the region. In 1886, a new administrative division was made and all of Gorski kotar was incorporated into Rijeka county.

After the First World war Gorski kotar was part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

On 21 July 1921 Alija Alijagić, a member of the communist organization "Crvena Pravda", shot minister of the interior Milorad Drašković in Delnice. Although Milorad Drašković was a severe anti-communist and wrote several anti-communist laws, the Communist Party of Yugoslavia condemned this act. Nonetheless, this inspired the King to make a 'law concerning protection of the state' that made the communist party illegal.

During the Second World war Gorski kotar was divided between Italy and the Independent State of Croatia. Citizens of Gorski kotar participated in a large anti-fascist struggle. After the war very popular several TV-series about resistance in Gorski kotar were made, "Kapelski kresovi" being one.

In the 1990s the building of the Zagreb – Rijeka motorway was resumed, part of it having already been built in 1973 (Zagreb – Karlovac and Rijeka – Oštrovica), and in 1997 Delnice was connected to Rijeka. In 2004 the motorway was finished by connecting the two directions of motorway in Vrbovsko.

External links

* [http://www.rasip.fer.hr/gorski_kotar Gorski kotar] English language home page.
* [http://www.sobol.hr/fotogalerija-gorski-kotar2.htm Gorski Kotar images]