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Sailing through the Zrmanja canyon is our long-awaited trip, which we finally went on this year as part of our summer vacation. Given that we decided to stay in Starigrad near Paklenica, we knew that we would certainly have the opportunity to embark on sailing through the canyon. Perhaps it would be best if we immediately inform you that the price for this trip is affordable for everyone and is around EUR 16. Sailing through the Zrmanja canyon can also include a full-day excursion, but then you will pay a little more for the ticket which is around EUR 47, because the price will include lunch and additional facilities.
Given that we had planned several trips to different places, we decided on a cheaper option that did not include food or additional facilities, but only boat sailing and sightseeing.
Zrmanja is a river that rises at the foot of Mount Poštak in the municipality of Gračac, and flows into the Novigrad Sea. It is 69 km long, and Obrovac can be easily reached by boat through its canyon. This canyon is protected as a geomorphological monument of nature and is characterized by 200 m high cliffs that rise above the river. At the top of the cliff is the tower of the former Pržunac fortress.
The waters of the Zrmanja flow into the river Krka in its central part, via several springs near the former Miljack mill, and in conditions of low water level, the part of the river Zrmanja from Mokro polje dries up, approximately to the source of Crni Bunar.
Of all the natural phenomena that Zrmanja offers, its canyons are the most interesting. Zrmanja is a river of six canyons. From Kravlja Draga to Mokro polje, then from Mokro Polje to Ervenik, from Ervenik to Žegar, from Žegar to Ogar, from HPP Velebit to Obrovac and from Obrovac to the Novigrad Sea, there are canyons interspersed with populated fields. Although they are all interesting and worthy of attention, the wild nature of Zrmanja is most contained and preserved in the canyon between Žegar and Ogar.
Now that we have introduced you to some essential facts about the river and its canyons, it is time to get back to our journey!
We started our journey from the door of the hotel where we were staying because the friendly hosts surprised us and organized transportation to the place where the boats will be waiting for us for all interested hotel guests. We were not surprised when we realized that most of the guests decided to go on this excursion, especially when we realized that the hosts offer transport to certain excursions every year.
In addition, the hotel manager was also our tour guide, so before boarding the boat, we listened to a few interesting facts about navigating the Zrmanja canyon. Considering the high heat, the host did not speak for long, so soon we all boarded two boats. We split into two groups and boarded one boat each.
We rushed to get the best spot at the front of the boat and succeeded. Given that we had a camera with us, we knew that from this position we would be able to capture the best photos of the canyon, which we bring you below!
This time the sea was on our side, so the water was quite calm and the boat didn’t sway too much. Because of this, we were able to take many beautiful photos without getting sick. As we moved away from the shore, the view fell on the mountains in the distance and the entrance to the Zrmanja river canyon. At one point we could see windmills on the right side of the boat. As we approached the entrance to the canyon and finally entered it, nature became more and more magical. We had the opportunity to see different geomorphological forms. Some rocks were completely bare so we could see the clear shape of the stone, others were covered with bushes and pine forests. Several rocks were sticking out of the sea, and we recorded that with a camera.
In the parts where the sea water mixed more and more with the fresh water, we could see characteristic freshwater plants and the water became more green than blue. On our navigation through the Zrmanja canyon, we met several people in kayaks who waved at us cheerfully. Our guide then told us that the river is ideal for boating as well as for kayaking and rafting – the river is divided into two parts; the upper part of the canyon, which is suitable for rafting and kayaking from Kaštel Žegarski to Muškovci, and the second part, a calm stream that many call the European Grand Canyon, suitable for sea kayaking, stand up paddling and boating.
The interesting thing about the canyon of the Zrmanja river that we sailed through is certainly the fact that the hit movies about the adventures of the Indian chief Winnetou, based on the novels by Karl May, were filmed here. As many as 7 out of a total of 11 films were shot here, in the Zrmanja canyon, near Starigrad Paklenica. We learned from the manager that it is possible to visit the exhibition dedicated to films. In addition to numerous film props, photographs and other documentary material, it is also possible to view authentic rooms from that time.
The easy boat ride lasted about an hour and a half (if we remember correctly, given that we were sightseeing and taking photos and not looking at the clock). As we approached Obrovac, the water became greener and we could notice more and more vegetation characteristic of the river areas of the Republic of Croatia. On the left side, we soon passed by the old cemetery, which the guide told us would be worth a visit since you can see monuments from the long past. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to visit it because we only had half an hour in Obrovac itself to have a drink and rest a bit or take a walk. After that, the buses that took us back to Starigrad were already waiting for us at the agreed parking lot.
Your CTC Team, A. M.
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