Fužine - a magical place of Gorski kotar
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Published: 14.05.2020.
In the submerged valley of Ličanka, northwest of Fužine, there is Lake Bajer, from which, with the help of a dam on Lepenica, another one was created over time - Lake Lepenice.
Lake Bajer is the oldest accumulation lake in the Fužine region, which is extremely rich in water. Here, between 1,500 and 2,000 mm of rainfall per square meter falls annually, and in extreme years up to 4,000 liters. In order to retain and use this huge amount of water, three accumulation lakes were built in Fužine - Bajer, Lepenica and Potkoš. All three lakes are perfectly integrated into the mountain landscape and are a real tourist gem of Fužine.
The name Bayer means exactly what that lake is: an artificial lake. The lake has an average depth of 2 to 7 meters and has about a million cubic meters of water. Over the past sixty years, the town of Fužine has completely merged with the lake, and thanks to this symbiosis, today a beautiful promenade with numerous cafes, restaurants and other facilities stretches around the entire lake. During the summer of 2019, the lake was emptied in order to renovate the infrastructure of the hydroelectric power plant and dams, thanks to which the 6 km long promenade was also renovated and several new cafes were opened. It is suitable for boating, canoeing, kayaking and sailing due to frequent winds. In addition to walking and pedaling around the lake, you can also take a tourist train or horse-drawn carriage, and since the summer of 2012, a tourist boat has been sailing on the lake. In addition to a pleasant walk around the lake and the sporting potential it provides, you can also enjoy gastronomic delicacies.
Numerous bike routes have been arranged around the lake and in the entire area of Fužine, so it is not surprising that mountain bike cycling enthusiasts often come to Fužine.
Lake Bajer experiences a special charm in December when thousands of visitors visit Fužine. Fužine was the first in Croatia, 20 years ago, to start saying goodbye to the old year at noon! Then the Torchlight event around the lake is organized. Bayer then takes on an amazing look. A mile and a half of trail along the lake no other day of the year looks so spectacular.
If you want to cool off from the summer heat, a visit to the Vrelo cave is a real hit in the summer. An underground walk through a cave accidentally discovered on the site of an old quarry 70 years ago delights visitors. The Vrelo cave is about 3.5-4 million years old, and it takes between 50 to 100 years for only 1 cm of whitefish to grow. The 380m long cave offers relief from the heat in summer. The temperature in it is about 7-8 degrees. During the year, the cave is visited by 12,000 people.
People who lives there combine natural beauties and unique events in the best possible way, and it is up to you to see for yourself.
We will delight you with three webcams in this beautiful place and two of them look right at the oldest lake Bajer.
