12.07.2021.
The “Large Carnivores” Visitor Centre was opened in Gorski kotar, and it is dedicated to the brown bear, grey wolf, and Eurasian lynx. The Centre was built on the foundations of the dilapidated outbuilding next to the famous historical castle of the Frankopan family in Stara Sušica, with the exhibition and education expo revealing in the unique way the life of Europe’s largest predators.Gorski kotar is one of the rare regions in Europe where all three large carnivores live, and the construction of the centre contributed to the tourist valorisation of the natural heritage, while Gorski kotar is branded as the home to the bear, wolf, and lynx.
In the preparation phase, the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund financed the drawing up to the project documentation for the Centre with 100% in the amount of HRK 404,875.00, while the construction was carried out under the “Large Carnivores Visitor Centre” project co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund. The overall value of the project is 8.2 million kunas. The European Union and the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds allocated HK 6 million, and the Primorje Gorski kotar County and the Public Institution “Priroda” 2.2 million.
The multimedia exhibition is a blend of the traditional and modern approach to interpreting the natural values of Gorski kotar, which through the shift of seasons takes the visitor to a magical and hidden world of large carnivores. In creating the exhibition, modern 3D printing technologies and software solutions were used, as well as the traditional modelling, sculpting, and painting skills that provided the warmth and emotion of human creation.
The “Large Carnivores” Centre not only showcases the wealth of natural diversity in the area and the value of large carnivores in the ecosystem, but it also reveals a special link of the inhabitants of Gorski kotar with the vast forests and animals populating them.
The Centre is managed by the Public Institution “Priroda”, and it is open for the visitors every workday from 10 to 18. More information at https://centar-velikezvijeri.eu/
