Velebit – A Story Millions of Years in the Making
Velebit is Croatia’s largest mountain and forms part of the Dinaric Alps. Its geological structure is the result of complex processes of sedimentation, uplift, and erosion that have taken place over millions of years. Composed predominantly of limestones and dolomites, Velebit features a distinctive karst landscape with numerous caves, pits, sinkholes, dolines, and canyons.
During the Mesozoic era (200 to 65 million years ago), the area now occupied by Velebit was covered by a warm, shallow sea. Coral, mollusks, and other marine organisms lived in these waters, and over millions of years, their remains formed thick layers of limestone and dolomite - the rocks that constitute the heart of Velebit today. The most intense tectonic activities and Alpine orogeny (approximately 40 million years ago), caused by the collision of the Adriatic and Eurasian plates, led to significant folding and uplift of these sedimentary deposits. As tectonic movements continued, Velebit was gradually raised, exposing the rocks to faulting and fracturing. Over the past 25 million years, the present-day karst landscape of Velebit has been shaped by exogenous forces - erosion, surface and underground water, ice, and climatic conditions. The effects of surface water are especially pronounced in areas of Velebit breccias - the most widespread deposits in the Park. Velebit breccias represent a unique lithostratigraphic unit worldwide due to their specific geological composition and mode of formation. They originated from the shattering and fracturing of older Jurassic and Cretaceous and sporadically Eocene limestones, bound together by so-called “carbonate flour.” Because of their predominantly carbonate composition and brecciated structure, they are particularly prone to karstification processes.
Velebit continues to undergo slow but constant tectonic movements and erosion, making it a geologically active region. Its geological diversity contributes to its exceptional natural value, and the abundance of karst phenomena makes it one of the most important areas for speleological and geological research in Croatia. Today, Velebit is not merely a mountain - it is a living chronicle of Earth’s history, a testament to remarkable geological forces, and home to some of the greatest biodiversity in Europe.
Geomorphological Features
Due to its pronounced geomorphological features, several areas within the Park are designated as specially protected natural sites:
Zavratnica – significant landscape
Cerovac Caves – geomorphological natural monument
Modrič Cave – geomorphological natural monument
Velnačka glavica – paleontological natural monument
Among the surface geomorphological formations, notable features include cliffs, towers, ridges, and pillars. The most famous cliffs are the Dabarski kukovi—a series of cliffs stretching 10 km, among which Ljubičko Brdo, Grabar, Kiza, Butinovača, and Bačić kuk are the most prominent. Tulove grede, a distinctive 1 km long limestone ridge, represent one of the most characteristic karst formations. In the southeastern part of Velebit, the canyons of the Krupa and Zrmanja rivers are distinguished by their deep, canyon-shaped valleys.
As for subterranean karst formations, numerous speleological sites are present. In addition to northern Velebit, the Crnopac area is the most significant speleological section of the Dinaric Karst, owing to the Crnopac cave system, which contains over 60 km of explored passages.