There is amazing hiking around Rijeka, even without a car!
Regular contributor John from Rijeka recently shared a highly entertaining account of climbing the Via Ferrata Bat in Dalmatia. A keen adventurer, here John shares with us the many options for hiking around Rijeka, including on the nearby islands. Very helpfully, John recommends (and includes transport information for) many hikes that are possible without a car. (All photos in this post have been provided by John.)
Despite its reputation for cool beaches, Rijeka is surrounded by amazing possibilities for hiking, most obviously in Gorski Kotar but also on the islands. Reading the limited tourist information available, it would appear that all these hiking options can only be accessed by car. This is certainly not true! There are plenty of options accessible by public transportation, and in many cases, they allow better point-to-point routes without the need to always loop back to a car.
The website of the local bus company Autotrolej is your friend, but even the limited train service provides a few options.
Hike right from the centre of Rijeka
However, before considering buses and trains, there is an even easier option that does not involve public transportation. A dramatic canyon following the Rjecina River starting almost in the centre of Rijeka provides surprisingly adventurous hiking. Find Titov Trg (Tito’s Square) and follow the right-hand side of the river inland through an industrial area which leads to a short steep climb into the canyon. This can be followed for an hour to the first road bridge and back, or followed all the way to the source where the river bursts out of the base of a huge cliff, and then returning on the bus from Kukuljani (zone 4, route 12).
Get the mountain feel near Hahlić and Platak
The Hahlić area has a real mountain feel and is easily accessible from Rijeka – get off where the bus turns around at Podkilavac, which can be reached every two hours on route 16 (zone 4). You may have to change buses in Dražice, but this is very easy and straightforward. There are at least three different paths up to the hut of Hahlić, and there are several peaks to climb in the immediate surrounding area. The most dramatic and challenging path to Hahlić is up Mudna Dol. This demands some basic climbing skills and is a great adventurous day out.
At weekends, there is a secret bus (zone 4, route 12B) to the mountain resort of Platak. This is an excellent way to climb Risnjak, the most spectacular mountain peak in the region. This bus can also be used for one-way hikes from Platak to Podkilavac. There are several options; the shortest, going directly between the two, is about 13 kilometres in length, whilst going via Hahlić hut is about 20 kilometres. The advantage of starting at Platak is that there is more down than up.
Head to Kastav for spectacular views
Bus number 19 runs up to the historical and very cute town of Kastav (zone 3), which is worth a visit in its own right with fantastic views across the whole Kvarner Bay and Gorski Kotar. There are several easy circular hikes, marked as Snail Rabbit, and Deer (puž, zec and srna). On the official tourism website, the lengths aren’t given, but they are about 4, 10, and 18 kilometres respectively. They are also excellent for trail running.
Hikes close to Opatija
For those wanting a true hiking challenge, the no.32 bus runs about every 40 minutes from Rijeka to Opatija (zone 3) and Lovran (zone 4). From Lovran, there is a steep path from the sea to the summit of Učka – make sure you take plenty of water with you! An easier but not easy option is to stay on the bus to Brseč, which is another amazing clifftop village, and hike up Sisol.
The train (see schedules on the Croatia Railways website) towards Zagreb runs irregularly to Fužine, and it is possible to visit this famous mountain village for the day and take a gentle walk around the lake. However, one of my favourite options is to take the train for another 5 minutes to Vrata and to hike up the mountain of Bitoraj. There is a beautiful, well-maintained hut just ten minutes below the summit if you want an overnight adventure. The hut is unmanned but always open. There is solar lighting and a rainwater collection system; perhaps bring purification tablets or a filter, or boil it before drinking.
Hiking around Rijeka – on the islands
For those wanting to mix hiking and swimming, there are plenty of options on the islands. One great hike is to take the bus to Nezerine or Ćunski on the island of Lošinj and hike up to the peak of Laća, carrying on along the ridge and dropping down to Osor to get the bus back. This can just as easily be done from the towns of Mali and Veli Lošinj.
From Cres Town, most easily reached by catamaran from Rijeka, there is a two-hour hike each way to the almost too beautiful to be real beach at Sveti Blaž. Bring your swimming costume and plenty of water!
For the more ambitious, there is a hiking trail that exists along the whole length of Cres and Lošinj islands, called the Via Apsyrtides. I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce this, but individual stages can be accessed by bus (check out the Arriva website for timetables) from Cres, usually departing early in the morning, returning mid-afternoon.
The catamaran from Rijeka runs daily to Cres and Mali Lošinj; other than these towns, it stops at different towns and islands depending on the day. With a little planning, it is possible to disembark at Martinšćica (again, don’t even try to pronounce it – I can, but it took me 5 years to get it right!). The 28-kilometre hike from there back to Cres over Lubenice is truly spectacular. It might be worth taking it slowly over two days, sleeping in Lubenica or Valun, which would allow for the strenuous but worthwhile descent for a swim at the stunning Lubenice beach.
On Krk, my favourite hike involves taking the bus from Rijeka to Baška, but getting off at the top of the pass before the final descent – near the peak of Straževnik, which is also easily accessible by bus from Baška itself. The beautiful, if rocky, path leads along the ridge top to the southern tip of the island with numerous options to drop down the Baška for a swim and the bus back to Rijeka. The Vrženica Canyon is another fun favourite in Baška.
More hiking options
I’ve listed some of my favourite hiking routes here; there are, of course, many, many more. It is unfortunate that the local tourist boards do not cater for those without cars, but it can be done. The local bus network is surprisingly comprehensive and useful, even if timetables and ticketing are not so easy to understand. I know that Zadar (check out Velebit, the Dolomites without the crowds) and Split also have many similar options.
Thank you once again, John, for this highly informative guide to hiking around Rijeka!
Read more of John’s excellent reports below:
