Inspirations endure at Lika-Senj County event

The Lika-Senj committee expressed optimism with the increasing number of tourists, in particular Hungarians who make up the most visitors in this unspoilt, tranquil idyll. A brief presentation and short film made it easy to sense the natural, unruffled beauty and true authenticity of the area.

The highlights are the Velebit Nature Park, which is home to the largest mountain range in Croatia, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is the biggest, oldest and most visited such park in the country, and Paklenica National Park, popular with climbers. There is also a memorial centre highlighting the famous Nikola Tesla, an inventor and electrical engineer (1856-1943), near Gospić, the capital of Lika-Senj.

The county has numerous rivers and the Grabovača Cave Park. Great outdoor trails lead all the way to the towns of Senj and Novalja, the bay at Zavratnica, the olive groves of Lun village and the inviting Adriatic beaches. Most are accessible from Gospić. Remarkably, tourism in the non-peak autumnal season has increased recently by 50 percent.

Ivana Herceg, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board in Hungary, said with enthusiasm: “At the Plitvice Lakes I noticed that almost 90 percent of the vehicles in the parking lot had Hungarian licence plates. This is the best proof that the Hungarians have discovered this natural beauty region, alongside with its tranquillity and tradition that this beautiful wilderness offers.”

Clearly the walking trails and bicycle lanes make it a good place for reinvigorating exercise, but also to relax with nature and peace, whether enjoying the mountains, rivers or sea.

The Croatian Ambassador to Hungary, Dr. Mladen Andrlić, said: “It is a particular pleasure for the Lika people to welcome our European friends as well as those from far and wide, as we all can together sense the spirit of this county with its rich cultural heritage.”

The county is the least populated in Croatia, with 42,469 people in 2022, but the largest, covering 5353 square kilometres.

Dino Galvagno, one of the most renowned Croatian chefs, also came to the Hungarian capital for the promotional event, and created a consummate menu that impressed everyone with its gala of culinary delights. The trout served with horseradish, cornelian cherry and cornbread was served with the 2021 vintage Boškinac Grand Cuvée from the famous Novalja winery. The yogurt-based barley bread potkriža was served with poultry and a velouté made of young wild vegetables, accompanied by the 2021 vintage Boškinac Ocu. Then wild boar medallions presented with juniper gravy, wild garlic capers, porcini cream and potato-caraway scones were the main feature and came with the 2018 Boškinac Crni Cuvée.

The flurry of subtle flavours was topped off with a lard pastry filled with plum jam. All concluded with rapturous applause for the cuisine connoisseur who contributed to a memorable occasion, linking all those present to the spirit of Lika-Senj County.

Lika is generally a rural area with some farming, including livestock. Industry is not so abundant and relies mostly on wood processing. Tourism is important and the national parks attract tourists from around the world.

Cuisine

The local Lika cuisine evolves from its mountainous terrain, scarcity of arable land, hot summers, cold winters and the extensive practice of animal husbandry. It is always simple, traditional and hearty, and is frequently heavily focused on fresh, local ingredients and home-style cooking.

Maize. potatoes, lamb and dairy products are the basis of the diet. Meat is commonly salted or dried, while on special occasions a whole lamb is roasted on a large skewer. Common meat products include šunka (ham), pršut (prosciutto), kulin (blood sausage) and žmare (čvarci). Dairy products such as butter, skorup (cream) and cheeses are very popular. Basa is a common cheese variety made from fermented milk and skorup. Trout is farmed and used extensively in many varieties, either smoked, marinated or breaded in corn flour and fried. Trout caviar is a local delicacy. The use of vegetables is limited and mostly consists of cabbage, turnips and beans.

Common dishes

• Polenta – Eaten in many ways with skorup, žmare or sour cabbage.
• Stewed beans – Usually enriched with sour cabbage, turnip or bacon.
• Lički lonac (Lika pot) – a hearty mutton stew and various vegetables, commonly eaten with boiled potatoes or polenta.
• Lamb under a peka – lamb and potatoes cooked under a large metal or ceramic lid.
• Sour cabbage with cured meat – usually includes cured mutton, bacon, kulin and potatoes on the side.

Common desserts include štrudla (savijača), ruffled dough stuffed with cheese or grated apples, and uštipci, deep-fried nuggets of sweetened leavened dough.

The home of Tesla

Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856-7 January 1943) was a Serbian-American engineer, futurist and inventor. He is known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.

Born during the Austrian Empire, the nowadays world-famous Tesla first studied engineering and physics in the 1870s without receiving a degree. He then gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry. In 1884, he immigrated to the United States and became a citizen. He worked for a short time at the Edison Machine Works in New York City before branching out on his own. With the help of partners to finance and market his ideas, Tesla set up laboratories and companies in New York to develop a range of electrical and mechanical devices. His AC induction motor and related polyphase AC patents, licensed by Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1888, finally earned him a place in history. To find out more about him – click here – Memorijalni centar „Nikola Tesla” Smiljan.