WALKERS CONQUERED LIKA | The Fifth Croatian Walking Festival was held – participants from 22 countries!

For the fifth year in a row in Otočac and Gospić, the popular event Croatian Walking Festival was held, which attracted a large number of walkers to Lika.

This year there were about 1,300 participants from as many as 22 countries. That speaks volumes about the international popularity of the Festival, which is traditionally held on the first weekend of September.

It is one of the 29 European routes that are part of the large family of the International March League – IML, which is why on both days the cities were filled with walkers of all age groups, who love a healthy life, to stay in nature, and enjoy walking the routes named after Tesla and Gacka.

A large international family of walking enthusiasts hosted walkers from 22 countries in Lika, apart from Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and other European countries, also from America, Australia, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, while groups from Belgium and Taiwan came to Lika ten days earlier. The groups of walkers prepared carefully for this Festival. This is best shown by the group from Taiwan, which printed special dedications with Croatian motifs on their raincoats. From all sides, comments of enthusiasm for the beauty of Lika and the good organization were heard in all languages. Lika’s accommodation facilities are also full, which indicates of the importance of the event for the entire community.

According to IML rules, Festival participants will receive stamps, and after collecting a certain number of stamps, they will receive badges from IML. The organizers are delighted with this year’s success of the Festival at all levels, and especially with the fact that interest in the Festival grows year after year, while registrations for next year have already begun.

The patrons of the Croatian Walking Festival are the Lika-Senj County Tourist Board, the Croatian Walking Association, the Lika-Senj County, the Town of Gospić, the Town of Otočac, and Lika Travel d.o.o.