14.07.2023.
Director of the Fund, Luka Balen, and his colleagues joined the many participants in the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the famous Premužić trail, organised by the Public Institution Velebit Nature Park and Sjeverni Velebit National Park. Apart from the director of the Fund, Aleksandra Čilić, head of the Environmental Protection Sector at the Fund, and Vlatka Gulan Zetić, head of the Nature Protection Department, also participated in the programme.To mark this round anniversary properly, a two-day programme was prepared, which began with the promotion of the guidebook "Premužić Trail" by Alan Čaplar at Baške Oštarije. The welcome speech was held by the director of the Velebit Nature Park, Mario Šaban, and the director of the Sjeverni Velebit National Park, Irena Glavičić Sertić, followed by lecturer Ana Lemić, who presented the life of Ivan Krajač, the person who was the originator of the idea of the Premužić trail, and in conclusion the author of the guidebook described it in detail, underlining that it was tailored to the hikers as it could fit in every and any backpack.
The trail, which has been officially listed as a cultural asset of national importance since 2009, was designed and built by forestry engineer Ante Premužić, a passionate hiker and ardent admirer of the beauty of Velebit, so Croatian mountain climbers honoured Premužić by naming the trail after him. The original trail, from Oltar to Baške Oštarije, is 57 kilometers long, but the Premužić trail we know today stretches 42 kilometres, from Zavižan to Baške Oštarije.
Around 150 participants hiked the 14 km-long stretch of the trail from Zavižan to Alan thus marking the 2nd day of the programme. Hiking along the Premužić trail was an opportunity to further highlight the masterpiece of dry stonewalling, which has not only significant cultural value, but also reminds visitors of the importance of the everlasting connection of man and nature.
Representatives of the Fund also used this opportunity to hold a working meeting with the representatives of public institutions of Velebit Nature Park and Sjeverni Velebit and Paklenica National Parks, where they discussed the implementation of projects that were in the execution phase, part of which were financed from European and part from national resources of the Fund. These are mainly projects for the restoration and improvement of the visitor infrastructure, as well as projects promoting the sustainable management of protected areas of nature.
The Fund co-finances these types of projects to Croatian national and nature parks, so this working meeting is part of the activities that will be organised with other public institutions so that the Fund can obtain the information about their needs based on which they will develop their programmes.
