Sawt Falasteen - Croatia mountain hideaway booms as tourists flee summer heat

Croatia has been long renowned for its spectacular Adriatic coastline dotted with over a thousand islands and islets.

But just an hour's drive southwest from the capital Zagreb, the village of Fuzine is offering tourists a mountain oasis, where temperatures are up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than on the coast.

"The scenery is beautiful and the climate is great," said American tourist Gerald Bostwick as he took in the view.

Bostwick made the trek to the sleepy mountain hideout after spending a few days in the coastal resort of Split.

"I would rather stay here. There is a cool breeze. You can sleep easily, temperatures are better," the retiree from Denver told AFP.

Forests cover over 60 percent of the mountainous region of Gorski Kotar southwest of the capital, often called "Croatia's Switzerland".

Its climate is marked by harsh, snowy winters, and in the summer daily temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) and nights are crisp.

Like much of southeast Europe, Croatia has been hit by a string of heat waves throughout the summer, with the mercury regularly passing 37 degrees Celsius.

The Adriatic's azure waters offer little relief, with authorities also recording water temperatures of 29 Celsius along the coast.

For tourists in Fuzine, the area provides the best of both worlds.

With the seaside town of Rijeka just a 20-minute drive away, travellers can soak up the sun along the shore and then retreat to the mountains for relief.

"We go to the coast, have a swim and then return here," said Zeljko Maric, a retired economist from Zagreb.

"Here, one needs a blanket at night."

- Develop 'smartly' -

"We have a beautiful mix of the sea and mountains where one can enjoy the fresh air and relax," Silvija Sobol, the head of Fuzine's tourist office, told AFP.

"Very few destinations in Europe have that."

Last year, more than 50,000 tourists visited the Gorski Kotar area, mostly Germans, Italians, Dutch and French.

The number represents just a small fraction of Croatia's more than 20 million annual visitors, most of whom flock to the Adriatic coast.

But with soaring summer temperatures linked to climate change, high-altitude destinations like Fuzine may start grabbing a bigger share of the tourist pie.

With just a trickle of tourists, the region remains reliant on the timber industry as its economic engine.

But the tourism potential for the area is strong, according to Sobol, while cautioning that it should be developed "smartly and not damage the environment, threaten forests and its visual identity".

David Bregovac, the mayor of Fuzine, agrees, pointing to the area's lakes that would be ideal for camping and new restaurants while retaining its rustic vibe.

"That's our goal... as little concrete as possible," he told AFP.

The formula appears to be working.

"This is beautiful," said Ales Zidek, who travelled to Fuzine from the Czech Republic with his girlfriend.

After Fuzine, the young couple planned to head for the island of Krk, though they were already worried it would be "too hot".

But for locals like Alenka Kauzlaric, who rents out an apartment in the village, pressure is mounting to add more modern amenities to their properties, like swimming pools, to accommodate tourists.

"Tourism should not turn into a mass one," she said. "There is so much more to see and do in Gorski Kotar than swimming in a pool."

Amid all the talk of what the area could be in the future, some prefer it just the way it is.

"Potential is here, but the question is whether they really want all those people here," Bostwick said.

"The key is preserving what you have."

Y.Zaher--SF-PST