Novigrad Opatija Rijeka Seliste Dreznicko
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 10-12-2025
Route Summary Along the way, you'll pass many beautiful towns and villages with lovely sights, charming cafés, and restaurants. Along the coast, there are also several seaside resorts with beaches, boulevards, and inviting terraces.
There are beautiful nature parks where you can also walk, hike, or canoe. Water sports are available along the coast. The roads are of good quality, but be careful when wet, as they can be slippery. Croatia has a wonderfully mild climate, and you can stay overnight in one of the many hotels, holiday parks, or campsites.
This route runs from Novigrad, via Opatija and Rijeka to Selište Drežničko. It is approximately 327km long and takes about 11 hours, depending on the stops you make. You have the option to split the journey in two by planning an overnight stay in Rijeka. This is definitely worth it, as Rijeka has much to offer tourists.
This route is rightly worth 5***** stars because of the wonderful winding roads, beautiful scenery and many sights along the way.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
13h 45m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
326.94 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review We depart from the Aminess Sirena campsite in Novigrad, fuel up the bikes, and head northwest out of the city. After about a half-hour drive, we can stop briefly to take a photo of the Butori Ponor waterfall.
We descend along a beautiful, winding road with a few hairpin bends to the town of Livade, where we continue to Mali Mlun to stop for a coffee at Café Restaurant Old River, with a lovely terrace overlooking the Mirna River.
The journey continues along beautiful winding mountain roads and through valleys. Along the way, you can enjoy the stunning scenery and sometimes impressive views. Please note that on the narrower mountain roads, traffic going uphill has the right of way. Along the way, you can stop occasionally to enjoy the panorama and take a photo.
After about an hour and a half of driving, you can visit the *Winnetou* filming location. Turn right and follow the road to the parking lot, within walking distance of the site, which features a closed quarry and the old train station on the Lupoglav-Raša railway line. A three-part television film about *Winnetou* was filmed here in 2015. The films are *A New World*, *The Secret of the Silver Lake*, and *The Last Struggle*. A worthwhile stop for fans of these films.
Another recommended stop is a little further along and is part of the Vranjska Draga Nature Park. You can park on the right and hike to the canyon, where you can enjoy spectacular views of the beautiful gorge. The most impressive cliff is the 100-meter-high Great Tower (Veliki Toranj). Allow extra time for this, as the marked hike is approximately 1,200 meters in total and takes 40–50 minutes.
Then we drive up a beautiful, winding road to the highest point of this route, at 960 meters. There are two attractive spots for a quick photo stop: at the small fountain "Voda Josipa II" along the road and a little further on at "Krog Vidikovac," a rock formation with artwork on some of the rocks. It's a short walk from the parking lot to reach this point.
We now descend to the coast via a beautiful, winding road with a few challenging hairpin bends at the end. We pass "Villa Münz," which refers to a period of turbulent Austro-Hungarian architecture in Opatija, Lovran, Ičići, and the surrounding area. The villa owes its name to the wealthy industrialist Jacob Ludwig Münz, its first owner. Münz was known for his investments in the first electrical trauma depots in Rijeka and Pula.
In Opatija, it's a good idea to take a longer break for a delicious lunch at one of the many restaurants and explore the town. There's plenty to see: parks, cozy terraces, and a beach.
Another option is to stay longer or even plan an overnight stay in Rijeka. This large city has much to offer travelers and tourists. Wander through the many old streets and avenues lined with beautiful 18th-century houses and buildings, and take the time to explore the old castle and churches, as well as several impressive museums and galleries. A visit to Risnjak National Park is also worthwhile: a heavily forested, mountainous area with numerous hiking trails. From Rijeka, you can also take a day trip to one of Croatia's many islands.
We leave Rijeka and drive to Bakar, where you can stop for a drink in the beautiful bay of this small village. On the other side of the bay is Dvorac Frankopan Castle. This city castle is a medieval fortress perched on a hill overlooking the sea. With its size and shape, it dominates the surroundings and creates a unique architectural highlight. Definitely worth a short visit.
We continue along the famous coastal road (E65) to Senj. This is a beautiful, relaxing drive with stunning views of the bay. In Senj, we turn left and take the winding road to Brinje, where we stop at Café Bar Santana for a drink and a bite to eat.
After this stop, we continue uphill until just before Zdenac. This road is winding, wide, and unobstructed. Overtaking is only permitted in designated areas (three-lane road). Just before Zdenac, we turn right and descend along a delightful, winding road to our final destination in Selište Drežničko, where we'll spend the night at Kamp Korana campsite in Plitvice Lakes Nature Park.
This route is truly worthy of a 5-star rating for its wonderfully winding roads, beautiful scenery, and numerous sights along the way. Additional overnight stays in the larger towns are an option, and a longer stay in Plitvice Lakes National Park is also recommended for hikers and nature lovers.
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Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes 
Karlovac county
About this region
Karlovac County (Croatian: Karlovačka županija) is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac.
The city of Karlovac is a fort from the times of the Military Frontier. It was built as a six-side star fort in the 16th century at the point of confluence of four rivers. The town blossomed in the 18th and 19th century after being made a free town, with the development of roads between Pannonian plains to the seaside, and waterways along the Kupa river. The city is making use of its crucial geostrategic point in Croatia.
The county itself extends towards the north to the water springs of Jamnica, and towards the south all the way down to the mountainous regions of Gorski Kotar and Lika, in particular to the Bjelolasica mountain which features the largest winter sport recreation center in the country.
Read more on Wikipedia
The city of Karlovac is a fort from the times of the Military Frontier. It was built as a six-side star fort in the 16th century at the point of confluence of four rivers. The town blossomed in the 18th and 19th century after being made a free town, with the development of roads between Pannonian plains to the seaside, and waterways along the Kupa river. The city is making use of its crucial geostrategic point in Croatia.
The county itself extends towards the north to the water springs of Jamnica, and towards the south all the way down to the mountainous regions of Gorski Kotar and Lika, in particular to the Bjelolasica mountain which features the largest winter sport recreation center in the country.
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Route Collections in this region Roundtrip Eastern Europe via Slovenia Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina
This route collection builds up to one great adventure in Eastern Europe. All routes combined make a 19 day roundtrip through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia Herzegovina. It aims to show the beauty of Eastern Europe, displaying how relaxed it can be to ride here. Quiet roads, friendly people, good food and impressive nature and culture will be your host throughout the trip.
As there’s so much to see and experience along the route, you might want to plan a longer trip than the 19 days. What about staying an extra day at Lake Bled (Slovenia)? Or taking some time in Zadar (Croatia) to marvel at the old city and its beautiful sea view. Or what about the idea to stay an extra day in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to soak up the coffee culture and the city’s atmosphere? Or go hiking at the Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)? Or do a via Ferrata in Logarska Dolina (Slovenia)? Or … The options are too numerous to mention them all.
And off course, travelling through the Black Forest, the Alps and Dolomites is always a beautiful experience. Along your way you’ll have plenty opportunities to enjoy impressive sights, both natural and cultural.
The length of the routes are long enough so you can cover distances, as well as spend time to stop and enjoy natural and cultural highlights. Please do note that the routes may demand solid riding skills and a good condition. The main roads in Eastern Europe are definitely improving, but for this collection a large number of smaller scenic roads have been selected to make the riding more adventurous. Please be aware that these smaller roads can be in poor condition as they are not so frequently used and maintained.
As there’s so much to see and experience along the route, you might want to plan a longer trip than the 19 days. What about staying an extra day at Lake Bled (Slovenia)? Or taking some time in Zadar (Croatia) to marvel at the old city and its beautiful sea view. Or what about the idea to stay an extra day in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to soak up the coffee culture and the city’s atmosphere? Or go hiking at the Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)? Or do a via Ferrata in Logarska Dolina (Slovenia)? Or … The options are too numerous to mention them all.
And off course, travelling through the Black Forest, the Alps and Dolomites is always a beautiful experience. Along your way you’ll have plenty opportunities to enjoy impressive sights, both natural and cultural.
The length of the routes are long enough so you can cover distances, as well as spend time to stop and enjoy natural and cultural highlights. Please do note that the routes may demand solid riding skills and a good condition. The main roads in Eastern Europe are definitely improving, but for this collection a large number of smaller scenic roads have been selected to make the riding more adventurous. Please be aware that these smaller roads can be in poor condition as they are not so frequently used and maintained.
View Route Collection