List of protected areas of Croatia

The main protected areas of Croatia are national parks, nature parks and strict reserves. There are 444 protected areas of Croatia, encompassing 9% of the country. Those include 8 national parks in Croatia, 2 strict reserves and 11 nature parks. The most famous protected area and the oldest national park in Croatia is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Velebit Nature Park is a part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. The strict and special reserves, as well as the national and nature parks, are managed and protected by the central government, while other protected areas are managed by counties. In 2005, the National Ecological Network was set up, as the first step in preparation of the EU accession and joining of the Natura 2000 network.^[1]

The total area of all national parks in the country is 930 km² (359 sq mi), of which 235 km² (91 sq mi) is sea surface. Each of the national parks is maintained by a separate institution, overseen and funded by the government ministry of nature conservation and spatial development. The State Institute for Nature Protection provides centralized oversight and expertise.

National parks

All eight national parks are located in karst area.

#	Name	Image	Area	Website	Established in
1	Plitvice Lakes		296.9 km2 (114.6 sq mi)[2]	www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr	1949
2	Paklenica		95.0 km2 (36.7 sq mi)[3]	np-paklenica.hr/en/	1949
3	Risnjak		63.5 km2 (24.5 sq mi)[4]	www.np-risnjak.hr	1953
4	Mljet		53 km2 (20 sq mi)[5]	www.np-mljet.hr	1960
5	Kornati		217.0 km2 (83.8 sq mi)[6]	www.np-kornati.hr/en/ www.np-kornati.hr	1980[6]
6	Brijuni		33.9 km2 (13.1 sq mi)[7]	www.np-brijuni.hr/en	1983
7	Krka		109.0 km2 (42.1 sq mi)[8]	www.np-krka.hr/en/	1985
8	Sjeverni Velebit		109.0 km2 (42.1 sq mi)[9]	www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr	1999

Nature parks

#	Name	Image	Area	Website	Established in
1	Kopački Rit		231.0 km2 (89.2 sq mi)	pp-kopacki-rit.hr	1967
2	Medvednica		179.4 km2 (69.3 sq mi)	www.pp-medvednica.hr	1981
3	Velebit		2,270.0 km2 (876.5 sq mi)	www.pp-velebit.hr	1981
4	Biokovo		193.0 km2 (74.5 sq mi)	pp-biokovo.hr	1981
5	Telašćica		70.5 km2 (27.2 sq mi)	pp-telascica.hr	1988
6	Lonjsko Polje		506.5 km2 (195.6 sq mi)	pp-lonjsko-polje.hr	1990
7	Žumberak-Samoborsko gorje		217 km2 (84 sq mi)	www.park-zumberak.hr	1999
8	Učka		160.0 km2 (61.8 sq mi)	www.pp-ucka.hr	1999
9	Papuk		336.0 km2 (129.7 sq mi)	www.pp-papuk.hr	1999
10	Vrana lake		57.0 km2 (22.0 sq mi)	www.pp-vransko-jezero.hr	1999
11	Lastovsko otočje		196.0 km2 (75.7 sq mi)	pp-lastovo.hr	2006
12	Dinara		630.5 km2 (243.4 sq mi)	www.parkovihrvatske.hr/park-prirode-dinara	2021

Strict reserves

• Bijele and Samarske stijene
• Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi

Special reserves

There are 80 special reserves in Croatia:^[10]

• 37 forest vegetation reserves
• 22 ornithological reserves
• 9 botanical reserves
• 2 ichthyological reserves
• 2 ichthyological and ornithological reserves
• 2 zoological reserves
• 2 sea reserves
• 1 geological and paleontological reserve
• 1 paleontological reserve
• 1 geographical and botanical reserve
• 1 botanical and zoological reserve

See also

• Register of Protected Natural Values of Croatia
• Natural and Cultural Heritage of Croatia
• List of World Heritage Sites in Croatia