Park Nehaj

Park Nehaj covers the hill above the old town of Senj, on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, and it surrounds the Nehaj Fortress, the square, stern building that dominates the town's skyline. The park is a green, open space on a slope that is otherwise bare and windswept, and it is the favourite place for locals to walk, jog or sit with a view over the sea. Visitors who climb up to see the fortress will pass through it.

The fortress itself dates from 1558 and was built on the orders of the captain of Senj, Ivan Lenković, who needed a strong point to defend the town against Ottoman raids. In the following decades Senj became the base of the Uskoks, refugees and border fighters who held out against the Ottoman advance and also raided Venetian ships in the northern Adriatic, so that Nehaj Castle became a symbol of their stubborn independence. The name is often explained as meaning that one need not worry or fear, and the story fits the character of the place. Today the fortress contains an exhibition about the Uskoks and gives a platform from which the whole coast can be surveyed.

The park around it is simple and pleasant. Gravel paths wind across the hillside, passing benches, shaded corners and open stretches where the wind blows fresh from the sea, and the paths together offer a walk of a few kilometres if you link them all. Pine and scrubby Mediterranean vegetation grow among the rocks, and in spring wildflowers dot the grass. The views are the main reward: the red roofs of Senj below, the Adriatic Sea, the channel with its fast, cold water and the long outline of the island of Krk across the sea, with the Velebit mountains rising steeply behind the town.

The bura, the cold dry wind that blows down from the mountains, is a regular visitor, and on bad days it can be fierce, so it is wise to check the weather, dress in layers and keep a firm grip on hats and bags. On calm days, sunset is the best time to be here, when the light turns the stone gold and the sea silver. There are no fees for the park itself, and it is open at all hours.

The park combines naturally with the rest of Senj. Medieval Downtown Senj, Trg Cilnica, the Gradska vrata (Town Gate), the Senj City Museum (Gradski muzej Senj) and the Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary (Župna crkva Uznesenja Marijina) are all close, and Vratnik, the pass above, can be added by car. It suits walkers, families, photographers and history lovers.