Tulove grede is one of the most beautiful parts of Velebit mountain. We did our hiking tour in this landscape in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, in May of 2020. We always wanted to visit this place and it was on our ‘must visit’ list, but we were waiting so long until were forced to go there.
We had an elopement wedding at Tulove grede for our Love and Ventures adventure weddings project. So we needed to explore the area before to know the best places for photography. What we found out is that every place in this landscape is simply perfect and photogenic.
At the beginning of hiking trail
So finally, we had an easy job doing the photography and we had a great time roaming the stunning landscape of Tulove grede. Another interesting fact about them is that they were often used as a backdrop for western movies, especially in the famous Winnetou movie.
what are tulove grede?
This specific landscape is part of Velebit mountain and it’s situated in the Velebit nature park. Tulove grede is a peculiar phenomenon of high cliffs and interesting rock formations. They are made of limestone which is known to have formations like these.
Tulove grede from air
The highest peak of Tulove grede is 1120 meters high. If you are traveling on a Croatian main motorway between the cities of Zagreb and Split, you’re going to see them rising right above the southern portal of Sv. Rok tunnel. It’s easier to spot them if you are going in the Zagreb direction.
how to get there?
There is a road called Majstorska cesta (Master’s Road) made through Tulove grede landscape back in the 19th century. This road was once an important route that connected north and south of Croatia. There are remnants of old buildings and taverns along the road standing until this day. Ruined, but still, enough preserved to witness the glory of this, once important, road.
Master’s Road detail
To reach Tulove grede, you need to travel this road which is unpaved. Overall, the road is pretty wide and in good condition for a gravel road. The easiest way to find the road is by Google maps navigation, just type in Tulove grede and you’ll get the directions from your location.
Once you get there, you’ll see that there’s a lot of parking space, leave your car and start your adventure on Velebit mountain. You can’t miss Tulove grede since you’re going to pass pretty close to them and there are signs for it along the way. Also, take your time and explore the other places on the road too.
Playing with long exposure
hiking at tulove grede and minefields danger
Hiking at this marvelous place won’t take you much time or effort. Depends on how much you want to hike around. But let’s say you just want to reach the top of Tulove grede. In that case, you’ll need about an hour and a half to do so, starting from a parking lot. You need to be extra careful during your hike because the cliffs are steep and they don’t have a conventional hiking trail. You need to improvise and you’ll use both your arms and legs during the final ascent.
Landscape detail
There is another problem with Tulove grede and that is minefields that are left after the Croatian war for independence. Hiking trails and their vicinity are mostly cleaned. The areas still polluted with mines will be clearly marked by red signs and don’t approach them at all. They are easily visible and they don’t pose any threat if you abide by the rules. Simply stay on the hiking trail and near it and enjoy in beautiful nature of Velebit mountain.
what else to see in the vicinity?
We already mentioned that this landscape is part of the Velebit mountain and it’s one of the most popular mountains in Croatia. It has 2 national parks and the whole mountain is a nature park. That says enough about its beauty.
Majstorska cesta used to reach Tulove grede is one attraction to see. Along with it, you’re going to see many buildings and some of these are very important in Croatian history, Mestrovic mausoleum for example.
Hiking at this place is awesome
The beautiful landscape of the Zrmanja river is not far from Tulove grede and we definitely recommend you visit it. It’s one of the wildest rivers in Croatia. The city of Zadar is also not so far away and being one of the most famous Croatian cities, it’s a good place to visit.
Crnopac peak and Little Prince’s trail are also close. Little Prince’s trail is another very popular hiking trail in Croatia, with many saying that it’s the most unique and astonishing of all other hiking trails. We have been there and we must agree with this claim since hiking this trail is truly a unique experience.
Landscape of Velebit
exploring the rest of the velebit mountain
As already mentioned, there are 2 national parks on the Velebit mountain. The more famous one is Paklenica, and it’s very close to Tulove grede. It’s a large canyon and one of the most popular places for rock climbing in Europe. Paklenica canyon is also a place from which many hiking trails on Velebit mountain start so it’s a good starting place for your Velebit adventure.
Hiking through the Mala Paklenica canyon
Vaganski vrh is the highest peak of Velebit (1757m) and the second highest in Croatia. Around 70 peaks of Velebit mountain are higher than 1600 meters. You can reach Vaganski vrh by hiking through the canyon of Velika Paklenica.
Hiking on Velebit mountain
Northern Velebit is a second national park and, as its name says, it’s situated in the north part of this mountain. It’s also a beautiful place made of different rock formations.
Premuzic trail is a hiking trail that goes through parts of northern and middle of Velebit mountain and it’s one of the most popular hiking trails in Croatia. It was named after the engineer Ante Premuzic who helped to make this trail which passes through some of the most beautiful parts of Velebit.
