These parts of the Via Dinarica are not yet ready for hikers – in my opinion…
Leaving Prezid was a pleasant hike, through rural Croatia; small villages with beautiful fields and gardens full of flowers and vegetables. Shortly after Goraci the trail needs maintenance; a lot of trees were blown. After searching and trying for a while I returned to the road, skipped Ćabar and hiked over the paved road to Tršće. After I bought snacks and a soda at the convenient store I hiked back to the trail. Soon it lead through forestry area. Paths were missing, new ones were created… It was kind of a messy hike. I spent the night at this amazing church in the middle of the woods.

The next morning a trail was nowhere to be found. I ended up bushwacking for 2 km, at the end I was up to my chest in plants and weeds…
The next part of the trail leading to Izvor Kupe was easy to be missed; again severely overgrown (see photo above, do you spot the marker?). I took a paved road to the entrance of Risjnak NP. Here there was a note hanging, telling that this trail is closed and people are advised to take the paved road.

Izvor Kupe, the spring of the river Kupe, reminded me of little Crater Lake along the PCT with it’s clear blue water. A few km’s after leaving Izvor Kupe, again paved roads all the way to the other part of Risjnak NP (part of stage 5). After this hike my legs are burning from the sun, the scratching of the bushes and hiking on the paved roads. Ouch! Out of a 28km hike, 2 were bushwhacking, 4 were hiking trails and 24 were paved roads

More photos on Instagram. This blog has been written on trail by Claire Leenen.