In Croatia, beauty isn’t confined to the surface. Here, even the subterranean worlds are spectacular, and they don’t come more magnificent than Cerovac Caves.
Located around 4km from Gračac, this is Croatia's largest tourist cave complex, a stunning underground world of mystery and magic where the wonders are endless. Sure, that might sound like we’re bigging it up, but we’re downplaying it. The famous cities and landmarks above ground are wonderful, but Cerovac Caves is deserving of its spot at Croatia’s tourist destination top table.
Cerovac Caves is divided into Upper and Lower sections, both approximately 700 metres long and packed with fascinating sights and stories. It takes around three hours to visit both caves (giving each an hour and a half), with around 50 minutes given over to each specific cave. The tours are guided by experts, ensuring your safety and providing you with in-depth knowledge about the caves. After all, you wouldn’t want to wander into these dark worlds without an expert. After all, you never know what you might bump into…
The entrance to the Upper Cave (Gornja špilja) is spacious, but don’t be fooled. The 30-metre entrance hall soon gives way to an intricate network of twists and turns, with two large canals accentuated by smaller ones jutting off in every direction. The 100-metre-long Gornja dvorana (Upper Hall) is impressive, and many cave bear bones have been discovered in these parts before the network eventually gives way to the spectacular Great Hall and Hall of the Paleolithic Hunter, where human bones have been found alongside those of the famous cave bears. The tunnels provided storage and temporary shelter, as humans ingenious ways to work with the natural surroundings. The canals of Upper Cave are rich in various cave deposits and speleogenic forms.
The Lower Cave (Donja špilja) is no less impressive, with a tourist path covering 608 of the record 4,058 metres. The entrance leads to a gorgeously illuminated canal adapted for visitors, and it will be immediately apparent how much different the morphology is here. Still, cave bear remains have been discovered here, and the aptly named Bear Hall lives up to its billing. Throw in a buffet of vertical channels, awe-inspiring structures and more, and you have something extraordinary. If you’re looking for stalactites, stalagmites, pillars and the rest, you’ll find them at the Lower Cave.
The caves are open for visits all year round and warm, layered clothing is recommended. The average temperature in the caves hovers around 7°C, no matter the time of year, so prepare appropriately. The Cerovac Caves Centre of Excellence (with parking) sets the stage before a 15-minute walk brings visitors to the Lower Cave. Cerovac Caves are a fabulous centrepiece for what is a truly blessed area of Croatia, the spectacular Velebit Nature Park — nearby attractions including the stunning Majstorska road, the dramatic Krupa and Zrmanja canyons, the challenging Via Ferrata Bat, and much more. Protected as a geomorphological natural monument since 1961 (the caves were discovered in 1913 with the building of the railway between Zagreb and Split), Cerovac Caves is one of Croatia's most impressive expressions of nature.
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