Veliki Zavižan is one of the highest peaks of northern Velebit, a cone-shaped, rocky summit rising above the Zavižan basin. It's a place where rugged karst scenery meets a remarkable botanical world, rewarding hikers with sweeping views over the Adriatic and the mountains.

The character of the mountain shifts dramatically depending on the side you approach from. The seaward slope is steep and rocky, while the northern side is gentler, covered with spruce forest and dwarf beech and mountain pine. Up to about 1300 m, coastal beech forest dominates. In summer the peak comes alive with rare and endemic plants, while in winter conditions turn harsh and windswept - fitting, since this is home to the highest meteorological station in Croatia.

• Zavižan mountain hut - short approach trail, easy to moderate, suitable for most hikers
• Trails through Northern Velebit National Park, well marked around the Zavižan basin

• The Zavižan mountain hut and the Zavižan meteorological station, operating since 1 October 1953, are located nearby
• The peak lies within the Zavižan-Balinovac-Velika Kosa botanical reserve, where plant life is protected
• Specimens of the endemic Velebit degenia have been planted near the meteorological station

In 1967, Croatian botanist Fran Kušan founded a botanical garden in Modrić-dolac at the foot of the peak, home to rare species such as the Velebit cow-wheat and alpine sea holly.