Velebit is Croatia’s largest mountain range, stretching 145 km along the Adriatic coast. It features two national parks: the Northern Velebit National Park and Paklenica National Park. The nature throughout the entire range is stunning, with incredible limestone landscapes, majestic sea views from the mountaintops, and abundant flora and fauna.
I have visited Velebit many times before. I usually take my photography groups there or go hiking. This time, I visited Velebit specifically for photography. I heard some wild horses are to be found, similar to those in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With this in mind, I drove to Croatia to search for them. I planned to spend three days there, enjoying nature and taking photographs.
Wild Horses of Mt Velebit
I spent the rest of the day exploring this part of Mt Velebit, looking for potential photo locations. Since the weather improved, I decided to camp in the area and not return to Novi Vinodolski.
I arrived at Velebit in the late afternoon, just after a heavy rain had stopped. Although the sky was still cloudy, it was slowly beginning to clear. The horses were supposed to be near Novi Vinodolski, grazing around the meadows of the mountain, about 20 minutes from the town. As I drove around the area, I soon spotted them. Many horses were grazing close to the road, so I stopped to observe. They were curious and approached me. Since the light was fading I simply enjoyed their company, leaving photography for the next day.
The next day I returned to the mountain and spent the whole morning photographing small details, flowers, nature, bugs, and more. Later, I searched for horses again. I found them at almost the same locations as the day before. It was amazing watching them in their natural habitat. They formed several smaller herds, each having their territory. I am still not sure if these are wild animals or do they belong to farmers in the area. One thing is for sure, they seem like wild animals and they have no straps or anything on them. They also roam freely around large areas and behave as any wild horse would.
I spent the rest of the day exploring this part of Mt. Velebit, looking for potential photo locations. Since the weather had improved, I decided to camp in the area rather than return to Novi Vinodolski.
Nature and Landscapes
The following day, I packed up my tent and headed back to the horses. It was a beautiful spring day, and the horses were grazing as usual. I spent a few hours in the area, watching the horses, observing the birds, and photographing various smaller scenes. It’s amazing how much life surrounds us; you just need to look closer, and everything feels alive! In the sky, a large flock of griffon vultures soared above. The highlight of the day was witnessing a harrier catch an insect right before my eyes!
I returned home with beautiful memories, nice photos, and bags full of blossoming sage—a winter stack for homemade herbal tea!
