Gorski Kotar (English: Mountain District) is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Together with Lika and the Ogulin-Plaški valley it forms Mountainous Croatia. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called the green lungs of Croatia or Croatian Switzerland. Through the region passes the E65 corridor, which connects Budapest and Zagreb with the Adriatic port Rijeka.
Lika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit Mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the northwest end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the southeast by the Malovan pass.
Major towns include Gospic, Otocac, and Gracac, most of which are located in the karts fields of the Gacka River along with others.
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is also in Lika.
Famous people born in Lika include the world-renowned physicist and entrepreneur Nikola Tesla, Croatian politician Ante Starcevic and the painter Miroslav Kraljevic.
The gastronomic habits and specialties of Gorski Kotar and Lika have emerged from the lifestyle of this mountainous part of Croatia that flourishes in pasture-grounds and forests and where the summers are short and winters cold with plenty of snow. The characteristic of this cuisine is simplicity - that implies preparation of meals cooked on the open fire with plenty of forest products use. Gorski Kotar and Lika are also renowned for the quality of their cheeses (e.g. “Škripavac”, a homemade salty, soft cheese made from cow's milk), goats and cow's milk products, and specialties with sour kraut, polenta, beans, corn, boiled or baked potatoes (with skin). Mushrooms represent a special gastronomic trump card of Gorski Kotar as well as the wild grown herbs. Also, the forest honey of Gorski Kotar and Lika is of the highest quality and is well known throughout of Croatia.
