The issue of restoring the Majstorska cesta opened in Lovinac: the historic Velebit road once again in the focus of the development of Lika and northern Dalmatia
A working meeting dedicated to the restoration and future development of the Majstorska cesta, one of the most recognizable historic roads on Velebit, was held in Lovinac. Almost two centuries after its opening, it still retains strong infrastructural, cultural, and tourism significance. According to available information, the meeting was attended by the Prefect of Lika-Senj County Ernest Petry, the Prefect of Zadar County Josip Bilaver, the Mayor of the Municipality of Lovinac Ivan Miletić, the Mayor of the Municipality of Karlobag Boris Smojver, and County Assembly member Josip Vrkljan. At the center of the discussion was the possibility of preserving, rehabilitating, and meaningfully better integrating this historic road into the development of the area connecting the Lika hinterland and northern Dalmatia. This is a topic that goes beyond the usual municipal framework because the Majstorska cesta is not only an old connection between the interior and the coast, but also a valuable part of Croatian construction heritage, an important element of the identity of southern Velebit, and a space that simultaneously interests historians, hikers, excursionists, motorcyclists, and lovers of the cultural landscape. In that sense, the discussion in Lovinac can be read as an attempt to rethink a historic route in a contemporary context, with a balance between heritage protection, safety, sustainable tourism, and local development.
A road that marked the area between Lika and Dalmatia
The Majstorska cesta occupies a special place in the history of Croatian road construction. According to data from the Velebit Nature Park and official descriptions of cultural heritage, it is a trans-Velebit road connecting Sveti Rok in Lika with Obrovac in Dalmatia via the Mali Alan pass, with a length of approximately 41 kilometers. The official website of the Velebit Nature Park states that construction in its full scope was completed in 1832, when the road was also opened to traffic, while its construction began in 1825 for the purpose of shorter and more functional connection of the interior with the Adriatic area. In construction terms, the Majstorska cesta is considered an exceptional undertaking of the 19th century, especially because the route was led through demanding Velebit terrain, across steep slopes, serpentines, and rocky passes, but with technical solutions that were extremely advanced for that era. Precisely because of such features, this road long ago outgrew its original traffic function in professional and public perception and became a symbol of the skill, ambition, and precision of the builders of that time. It is therefore no coincidence that the road was entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia and that it is highlighted on the official website of the Velebit Nature Park as one of the more important historic features of the area.
The historical value of the Majstorska cesta does not arise only from its age, but also from the fact that for decades it had a real logistical and economic role. According to official data from the Velebit Nature Park, trade and postal flows between the hinterland and the coast took place along this road from the very beginning, including communication between Vienna and Zadar. This made the Majstorska cesta much more than a local road: it was part of a wider traffic network that shaped economic and social ties in the area of southern Velebit. Today, when the restoration of historic routes and their new purpose is being discussed more and more often, precisely that combination of technical, historical, and landscape value gives the Majstorska cesta a special status. It is not interesting only as a monument to the past, but also as a potentially important point of contemporary sustainable tourism, education, and heritage interpretation.
Why the issue of restoration has been opened right now
The restoration of the Majstorska cesta was brought into focus at a time when it is becoming increasingly clear that parts of this historic route require expert rehabilitation and a more systematic management approach. The Velebit Nature Park announced that, in cooperation with Hrvatske ceste, it prepared and submitted a project proposal for the preparation of project-technical documentation for the rehabilitation of the most damaged and most endangered sections of the historic Majstorska cesta, namely on its representative section in the area of Tulove grede. With this, the discussion about the road moved from general interest in its preservation to a more concrete phase, the one in which feasible solutions, expert bases, and a financing model are being sought. It is especially important that the initial intervention is tied precisely to the section of the route that is at the same time visually the most recognizable and touristically the most attractive, but also sensitive from the aspect of area protection and cultural property protection.
The project proposal was submitted to the call of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia for programs of protection and preservation of immovable cultural goods for 2026. This is an important step because it shows that the issue of the Majstorska cesta is not treated only as a traffic or local infrastructural problem, but as a topic of cultural heritage protection. Such an approach may be decisive for the future of the road itself. When a historic road is viewed primarily as a cultural good, restoration is not reduced to rough construction intervention, but includes a conservation approach, protection of the original appearance, preservation of the historic elements of the route, and careful adaptation to the contemporary needs of visitors. This is precisely where the greatest challenge lies: to restore the road so that it remains functional and accessible, while at the same time not losing what makes it worth protecting in the first place.
Tulove grede as a representative point and symbol of the whole project
It is no coincidence that the area of Tulove grede is particularly highlighted in the project. This part of southern Velebit is among the most recognizable landscapes in Croatia, and the Majstorska cesta itself there passes through an area of pronounced landscape and visual strength. In public perception, Tulove grede and the road beneath them are precisely one of the most impressive scenes of Velebit, a place where stone, history, hiking tradition, and the panoramic experience of the area meet. The rehabilitation of that section would therefore have an effect that is both symbolic and practical. On the one hand, by restoring the most representative stretch, a message is sent that the protection of the entire route is being approached seriously. On the other hand, precisely that part can become a model example of how historic transport heritage in open space is restored and interpreted.
For local communities such as Lovinac and the wider area at the foot of Velebit, such a project could also have very concrete development effects. The Majstorska cesta already attracts visitors who are looking for panoramic drives, hiking excursions, photographic motifs, and places with a pronounced sense of space and history. If representative sections are restored and better interpreted, better visitor guidance, safer access, and longer guest stays in the surrounding settlements can also be expected. This, in turn, opens room for greater interest in
accommodation in Lovinac,
accommodation for Velebit visitors and
accommodation offers near the event location, especially in periods outside the peak summer season, when active and content-rich tourism can bring more stable traffic to the local economy.
Cooperation between two counties and municipalities as a prerequisite for a more serious step forward
One of the more important messages of the meeting in Lovinac is that the restoration of the Majstorska cesta cannot be carried out partially. The route of the road itself connects the area of two counties and several local self-government units, so it is logical that future interventions cannot be reduced to administrative boundaries. The participation of the leaders of Lika-Senj and Zadar counties, as well as representatives of Lovinac and Karlobag, shows that there is awareness that the Majstorska cesta can be a joint development project. This is especially important in Croatia, where many good projects stall precisely بسبب the lack of coordination between institutions that share the same area, but do not always have aligned priorities. In the case of the Majstorska cesta, cooperation is not desirable, but necessary.
Such cooperation is important for at least three reasons. First, the road requires the alignment of expert, conservation, traffic, and tourism interests. Second, it is an area that should be viewed as a single whole, and not as a series of separate sections. Third, any more serious valorization requires joint presentation and coordinated promotion. If the Majstorska cesta is to be developed as a recognizable historic and panoramic Velebit route, then it is necessary that both Lika and northern Dalmatia communicate it as a shared area of experience, and not as separate points. That is precisely why the meeting in Lovinac carries weight greater than a single protocol event: it opens the possibility of creating a broader heritage management model that belongs not only to one municipality or one institution, but to the entire area.
Lovinac and Sveti Rok in the new tourism framework of Velebit
For the Municipality of Lovinac, the topic of the Majstorska cesta also has a broader local meaning. The municipality’s official website emphasizes an orientation toward the sustainable development of rural tourism, the valorization of heritage, and the stronger use of natural and cultural resources as development advantages. In such a framework, the Majstorska cesta is not an isolated monument, but part of a broader story about Lovinac, Sveti Rok, and southern Velebit as an area for active holidays, historical exploration, and staying in nature. The restoration and better arrangement of the most important parts of the route could therefore be useful not only for one-day excursionists, but also for creating content that encourages longer stays by guests. This refers to hiking and cycling routes, thematic tours, educational content, interpretation points, and linking with other sites of cultural and natural heritage.
In that context,
accommodation in Sveti Rok,
accommodation in Lovinac and
accommodation near the Majstorska cesta also gain a new development logic. Visitors who come for a hiking or panoramic experience of the area seek a different type of stay than the classic transit guest. What matters to them is the proximity of starting points, the availability of natural and cultural content, and the authenticity of the destination. Precisely for that reason, restoring the historic road is not only a question of the appearance of the route itself, but also a question of whether the surrounding places will succeed in shaping content that will keep the visitor there longer than a few hours. In that sense, the development of the Majstorska cesta can be an incentive for a broader activation of the local offer, from accommodation and hospitality to heritage interpretation and event organization.
Restoration as protection, and not as a loss of authenticity
With every restoration of historic infrastructure, the same question arises: how to intervene without losing the original character of the area. This is especially sensitive on the Majstorska cesta, precisely because its value rests not only on the fact that it is old, but also on its material and spatial authenticity. The stone, the serpentines, the way the route is laid into the relief, the relationship of the road to the mountain landscape, and the feeling of traveling through an almost untouched area make up the essence of its identity. For that reason, every future intervention will have to harmonize conservation requirements with safety and functional criteria. Overly rough modernization would be just as problematic as completely giving up on restoration, because in the first case the road would lose its historical character, and in the second further deterioration could endanger the heritage value itself.
That is precisely why the official announcements of the Velebit Nature Park speak about project-technical documentation and the rehabilitation of the most damaged sections, and not about transforming the road into some new road. This is an important difference. Rehabilitation implies careful repair, protection, and stabilization, while valorization means devising ways to present the area better to the public without compromising its originality. If that approach is maintained to the end, the Majstorska cesta can become an example of how historic roads can be arranged in Croatia: not as a backdrop for mass traffic, but as a heritage and landscape resource that requires measure, knowledge, and long-term management.
What restoration could mean for the wider Velebit area
The Majstorska cesta is already today one of the strongest symbols of the Velebit Nature Park, but also one of those places that have the potential to more strongly connect the continental and coastal identity of this part of Croatia. For Lika, it represents a historic exit toward the sea and an important part of the area of Sveti Rok and Lovinac. For northern Dalmatia, on the other hand, it is one of the most impressive access points to Velebit from the direction of Obrovac and the Zadar hinterland. That is precisely why the successful restoration of the road can have a broader meaning than the rehabilitation of the stone corridor itself. It can contribute to stronger branding of southern Velebit as an area in which natural attractiveness and cultural heritage do not compete, but complement each other.
At a time when more and more destinations are seeking authentic and sustainable development models, the Majstorska cesta imposes itself as a rare resource that already possesses recognizability, historical depth, and an exceptional landscape impression. But precisely because of that, it must not be turned into a quick and superficial project. Whether future interventions will be successful will depend not only on the condition of the route itself, but also on the quality of cooperation between counties, municipalities, state bodies, heritage protection experts, and the managers of the protected area. The meeting in Lovinac should therefore be viewed as the beginning of a more serious phase, in which it will be decided whether the Majstorska cesta can be restored in such a way that it remains what it is: a masterpiece of 19th-century construction and one of the most recognizable historic roads on Velebit, but also a place that will offer new generations of visitors one more reason to come, stay longer, and show interest in
accommodation for touring Velebit and
accommodation offers in the area around Lovinac and Sveti Rok.
Sources:- Velebit Nature Park – official announcement on the submission of the project for the preparation of project-technical documentation for the rehabilitation of the most damaged sections of the Majstorska cesta in the Tulove grede area (link)- Velebit Nature Park – official overview of the history and heritage value of the Majstorska cesta, including data on the route Sveti Rok – Mali Alan – Obrovac and a length of about 41 kilometers (link)- Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia – programs for the protection and preservation of immovable cultural goods in 2026, reference framework for the submission of the rehabilitation project (link)- Municipality of Lovinac – official overview of cultural goods in the municipality area, including the Majstorska cesta as a protected cultural good (link)- Municipality of Lovinac – official description of the tourism and development context of the municipality, important for understanding the local significance of heritage valorization and sustainable tourism (link)- Zadar County – official announcement on the transfer of duties to County Prefect Josip Bilaver on June 9, 2025, as confirmation of the current public office of one of the meeting participants (link)
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