The Krka National Park has been known for decades as a favorite destination for those who love nature, the cultural heritage, and spectacular waterfalls. However, it is less known that this Park also contaons a unique, almost hidden path called the Olive Route, which combines a wealth of natural beauty with tradition and sustainable development.
The Olive Route extends over twenty-four kilometers, starting at the historical oil press “Laća” in Skradin, and continuing all the way to the Roški Slap waterfall, one of the jewels of the Krka National Park. This project, which the Krka National Park realized in cooperation with the State Institute for the Protection of Nature, is part of the broader program “The Assessment and Valorization of Neglected Habitats in the Area of the Krka National Park”.
The Olive Route offers visitors a unique opportunity to get to know the autochthonous varieties of olives that thrive in the Krka National Park. Through the tour, visitors can experience the traditional agricultural methods, which are the only ones allowed within the boundaries of the Park. This route not only provides an insight into olive growing, but also takes visitors through rural farmsteads and households, where they can taste and buy homemade olive oil and other local products.
The main goal of the program is to increase and preserve biological diversity through the revitalization of habitats and the development of sustainable practices. By involving local farmers, tourist workers, the local population, and the local governments, the Olive Route has become an example of how nature protection and local community development can be combined.
The route and attractions of the Olive Route
The Olive Route passes through seven places, each with its own special story and significance. The first stop is the “Laća” oil press, where the journey through the history and tradition of olive growing in this region begins.
The next stop is an oblica olive grove, an autochthonous variety of olive that dominates the rural landscape. On some twenty hectares of this olive grove, about four thousand trees of oblica olives, a variety also known as orkula, were planted.
The route continues towards the Braština pond and the town of Čulišić, where olive trees, vineyards, arable fields, and grasslands create a typical Dalmatian mosaic of the agricultural landscape.
The central point of the Olive Route is the town of Dubravica, where, in addition to olive groves, you can also see traditional vineyards with original autothonic Croatian varieties such as plavina, maraština, or debit. After Dubravica, the road leads to Maslinik – Bili brig, a young ecologically grown olive grove located on the shores of Visovac Lake, which is also the largest in the region.
The end of the Olive Route is spectacular – the Roški Slap waterfall, the northernmost point of the Krka National Park where, thanks to the mild Mediterranean climate, olive trees can be grown.
The Olive Route in the Krka National Park offers a unique combination of natural beauty, the cultural heritage, and sustainable development. This route not only connects visitors with the tradition of olive growing, but also introduces them to the world of sustainable agriculture, while at the same time preserving the natural and cultural heritage of this unique region. We invite you to explore the Olive Route and experience the Krka River in a completely new way.
