Mountain center Petehovac
In the hinterland of the city of Rijeka and the Kvarner coast, in the central area of Gorski Kotar and in the immediate vicinity of the city of Delnice, there is the Petehovac Mountain Center – the cradle of Croatian mountaineering and skiing. It is located on the plateau of the mountain of the same name at an altitude of 1035 m, from which views extend on all four sides, and the unique ones of Delnice, Risnjak National Park and the Slovenian Alps. Due to its exceptional beauty, in 1963 this area was protected and declared a significant landscape.
Back in 1939, the Delnice Mountaineering Association began building a mountain lodge on the site of the current mountain center. The home was completed in 1945 and expanded and renovated in 1952. For the needs of the international competition Kurikkala Cup in 1962, an annex was built, as well as the first ski lift and ski fields in Croatia. Then football, basketball, handball and bocce fields were arranged. For many years, the most famous football, basketball and handball clubs, such as Rijeka, Dinamo, Hajduk, Cibona and others, trained here and had their high-altitude preparations.
In winter, special trains, called Snow Trains, ran from Rijeka to Delnice. Passengers then walked to the foot of the ski lift, which transported them to Petehovac. At that time, skiers could use three ski slopes, with a total length of over 6,000 m. Until 1986, when it was closed due to deterioration, Petehovac was the backbone of tourism in Gorski Kotar, and especially in the Delnice region.
The completely devastated buildings and ski lift were demolished in 1998, and the surrounding neglected terrain was cleared, and construction of a new sports and recreation center with a ski slope began. Since all the land in the area is privately owned, land acquisition and construction progressed very slowly.
The new mountain lodge with 26 beds and a 100-seat restaurant, as well as a ski lift with lighting for night skiing, opened on December 26, 2004. In 2013, the capacity was expanded to 72 beds
Work has begun on the development of a football field, which is unique in Croatia, at an altitude of over 1,000 m, other sports fields, and the marking of bicycle paths and mountain walks.
Come to the most beautiful Croatian mountain center at any time of the year and enjoy the always beautiful and legendary Petehovac.