Pack your hiking boots! The North Velebit National Park is located in a nature reserve covering around 2,200 km², the largest in Croatia. Here, wolves and brown bears have found their home among viewpoints, climbing rocks and huge caves.

The route to Croatia's youngest national park makes every motorcyclist's heart beat faster. Even the ride from Jablanac or Senj into the Velebit Mountains gives you views that you can otherwise only admire on postcards. Our tip: the coastal road from Jablanac has relatively little traffic and the adjacent Veliki Alan pass is well paved.

The Zavižan mountain hut to the north of the park is home to both guests of the national park and Croatia's oldest meteorological measuring station. The hut's popularity can easily be explained by the great view of Kvarner Bay and its strategic location. From here, at an altitude of 1654 meters, you can start about half of all official hiking trails through the national park. From the Zavižan mountain hut, it takes just a quarter of an hour to get to the Botanical Garden.

The second major well-known starting point is the Alan hut, which is a good starting point for hikes in northern and central Velebit.

The Veliki Lubenovac karst valley in the Hajducki nature reserve is also recommended.

Enjoy the feeling of being one with nature, take a deep breath and be yourself.

The popular island of Cres lies in the north of Kvarner Bay. You can get there in different ways:

• Coming from the north: by ferry from Brestova to Porozina
• Coming from the island of Losinj: Cres is connected to Osor on Losinj via a swing bridge
• Coming from the island of Krk: take the ferry from Valbinska to Merag

For swimming, you should prefer the south and west side of the island, where you will often find sandy and pebble beaches. If you prefer hiking, you can climb the two highest mountains, Gorice (648 m) and Sis (638 m), which reward you with a wonderful view.

The small town of the same name, Cres, is home to a wide range of sports and leisure activities and is a good starting point for tours to surrounding towns and bays.

Nearby is Lubenice, 378 m above sea level. The village consists of a medieval fortress, many churches and a handful of inhabitants. Remains of the town walls and the town gate still exist and frame the buildings of the then strategically important town of Lubenice. Time stands still in Lubenice. The Mediterranean flair of the town is reflected in every alleyway. In addition to five churches and a large bell tower, the narrow streets are lined with stone houses.

In the west of the island, the village of Martinscica welcomes you behind a hill covered with olive trees, currently still a real insider tip for a few relaxing days by the sea. The pebble beach is miles long and shallow, so you can always find a quiet spot for yourself.

Valun and its surroundings are ideal for a motorcycle tour through the Pernat Mountains to the north.

The first settlers were already on the site of today's village of Osor in the 9th century BC. Osor was the capital of Cres and Losinj until the 15th century. The so-called "museum town" lives up to its name. The town hall, the bishop's palace, the remains of the old town walls, the cathedral and a multitude of sculptures make the town a real treasure.

The island of Krk comprises around 60 villages. Even the approach from the mainland over the more than 1 km long bridge (starting from Kraljevica) gives you an idea of the dimensions of this enormous island.

The Biserujka stalactite cave awaits you just to the north. The cave was discovered around 120 years ago and has been attracting numerous tourists since 1998. Nearby is the village of Dobrinj, which is a very good starting point for further discovery tours on the island of Krk.

In Silo, you will find beautiful beaches and bathing bays as a contrast to sweating in motorcycle gear. Wellness takes on a whole new dimension in the village of Soline near Silo: on Meline beach, people rub themselves with the famous healing mud, which has positive properties for the body and helps in the treatment of rheumatism, sciatica and skin diseases, for example. Apply the mud to the whole body, let it dry in the sun and then wash it off in warm salt water - the Croatian healing mud treatment is complete!

An insider tip for an "adventure in between" is the abandoned village of Dolovo. Nature has reclaimed the village, which was still inhabited a few decades ago, and has now turned this lost place into a very special spot, which can only be reached via small paths.

The village of Vrbnik has been built in harmony with the rock below it since the Stone Age. The charm of the old village resonates in every alleyway, and Klancic is one of the narrowest alleyways in the world! Draw in your stomach, it gets really narrow! Let yourself drift along the narrow alleyways, which cleverly wind their way around wine taverns and restaurants, before finally allowing yourself to move on, satisfied and relaxed. The picturesque pebble beach Potovosce near Vrbnik and (for lovers of sand under their feet) the sandy beach Sveti Marak are highly recommended. Our recommendation: get on your motorcycle and let yourself drift, you are guaranteed to find a beautiful bay near Vrbnik.

The town of Krk leaves nothing to be desired: in the historic town center, the Vela Placa (the large square, practically the center of the town) attracts visitors with quaint restaurants, interesting stores and historic buildings. Just a short distance away is a 12th century castle, a cathedral, interesting churches and the town's landmark: the gleaming white bell tower, which proudly presents itself and its town from afar.

If you love yachts, the port of Punat with more than 850 berths is the place to be. There are also numerous beaches for bathing fun. The town center itself, with its modern ambience and numerous restaurants and stores, provides Mediterranean vacation flair. Next to Punat is the monastery island of Košljun. Taxi boats will quickly take you to the popular island, whose size of just 6.5 hectares is disproportionate to its huge cultural wealth. The Franciscan monastery and the islet's church date back to different centuries and have undergone various structural changes over time. The rest of the island is dominated by nature and is worth a long walk.

Saddle up your motorcycle, because between the towns of Punat, Krk, Kornić and Vrbnik lies a real treasure trove of ancient architecture and religion: the Church of St. Dunat. A similar church is located near the village of Milohnići (Church of St. Chrysogonus).

Plan a motorcycle stop in the Baška Valley. Baška is known for its 2 km long fine pebble beach, which makes all vacation dreams come true. The town itself is home to many interesting churches and a large aquarium where you can see sea creatures up close. However, the Glagolitic path, which leads from Treskavac Pass to the old riva in Baska harbor, deserves special attention. Impressive stone monuments of letters in Glagolitic script are scattered here as a reminder of Croatian culture.

Other places of interest: Malinska, Njivice and Omisalj.

8 km of beach, good food, delicious wine, walks under palm trees, diving, snorkeling and partying in the evening - that's Crikvenica. For those interested in culture, there is also the Badanj castle complex, which was used between the 4th and 14th centuries, to climb. After the hike, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view.

You can breathe easy in Novi Vinodolski: the air and water here are even cleaner than anywhere else in Kvarner Bay. Apparently, the people of days gone by also appreciated this, which is why Novi Vinodolski was one of the first places in this region to be used by tourists. In addition to the many interesting churches, the beach and the harbor, Novigrad Castle (or the remains of it after it was dismantled in 1761) is particularly interesting. The famous Prince Frankopan once lived here.

The area around the town is particularly interesting for motorcyclists: six viewpoints invite you to linger - including a steep and winding approach.

The municipality of Mošćenička Draga is a special treat for motorcyclists. The picturesque Mediterranean villages of Mošćenice and Brseč are hidden amidst winding roads with breathtaking views. And to cool off, head to one of the two beautiful beaches of Sipar or Sv. Ivan.