Veliko Rujno is a sweeping karst plateau on Velebit, believed to be the largest karst field found anywhere on the mountain range. Sitting at roughly 900 m above sea level, it offers a rare combination of open highland scenery and remarkable traces of prehistoric life.

The plateau has a wild, rugged character typical of Velebit's high karst terrain — rocky ground, scattered low vegetation, and a sense of remoteness that draws hikers and history lovers alike. In summer, the exposed limestone and grassy patches bake under the sun, while spring and autumn often bring mist rolling over the field. Winters here are harsh and quiet, making Veliko Rujno feel like a forgotten world at the edge of the coast. The plateau once carried a prehistoric continental trail linking the Croatian Littoral with the Lika region, and walking across it today still feels like tracing an ancient route.

• Specific trailheads, markings and hiking times are not clearly documented in available sources — check current Velebit hiking maps before planning your route

• The plateau hosts two speleological sites — Samograd Cave and the cave at Bojinac
• Remains of prehistoric gords (gradina) with dry stone foundations and traces of wooden houses, hearths and Bronze Age pottery have been found here
• In 2009, Veliko Rujno was the site of the first documented appearance of the beetle Sericoda quadripunctata in Croatia

In 1930, don Ante Adžija built a small pre-Romanesque church here, replacing an even older dry stone chapel — a quiet reminder of how long people have called this plateau their own.