Croatia Rock Climbing
With Croatia being a mountainous country it is a rock climbers dream. Croatia can offer everything from multi-pitch traditional routes, sport climbing (single and multi-pitch) to deep water soloing (DWS) and bouldering on glorious limestone rock.
The map shows the main rock climbing areas in Croatia, which are located close to either major cities or popular holiday resorts within Croatia. These main rock climbing areas are as follows:
Paklenica is the most famous and best place to go rock climbing in Croatia, which is located close to Zadar. Paklenica offers the rock climber everything from single pitch bolted sport routes, to multi-pitch sport and traditional routes. The dramatic 350m high face known as Anica kuk emphasizes everything that is excellent about rock climbing in Paklenica.
Istria – this is the region in the north west of Croatia and includes the rock climbing around the popular holiday towns of Pazin, Pula and Rovinj. There are over 1,200 sport routes here, which are mainly single pitch. Close by there is also the excellent crag at Osp in Slovenia, and further climbing around Trieste in Italy. This comprehensive region has a good mix of grades to suit climbers of all abilities.
Map of the rock climbing areas in Croatia
Kvarner – this is the region to the south of Rijeka is the smallest climbing region in Croatia though there are some crags offering multi-pitch routes up to 220m long.
Split – this region also includes the rock climbing on the islands of Hvar, Brac & Vis, and offers over 1,200 mainly single pitch sport routes. Also at Omis there are some bolted multi-pitch routes up to 300m long.
To the West and North of the capital Zagreb there is a collection of crags mainly offering over 300 single pitch sport routes.
The photograph opposite was taken at Paklenica, which is at the heart of Croatian climbing. The photograph is of Mike Weeks taken at the annual International Alpine Big Wall speed climbing Meeting, held at the end of April and beginning of May.
The following rock climbing guidebooks for Croatia are available from our shop.