ZAGREB, 17 Oct (Hina) - The Croatian Mountaineering Association held an event in Zagreb, marking the culmination of a year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of organised mountaineering in Croatia.

With the founding of its own national mountaineering association in Zagreb on 15 October 1874, Croatia became one of the first countries in the world to organise mountaineering, joining the ranks of the most advanced Alpine nations, it was said at the event.

Some of the founders of the Association were also instrumental in establishing the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the University of Zagreb, and initiating numerous scientific, cultural, and social activities.

Three short videos on Croatian mountaineering were shown. The first showcased the founding of the Croatian Mountaineering Society in 1874, and the second was a historical recording of the 80th anniversary of mountaineering in 1954.

The third was a video collage of the achievements of Croatian mountaineers, highlighting numerous alpine expeditions to major mountain ranges worldwide, speleological research, the founding of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, the role of the Velebit Mountain Unit during the Homeland War, and various other successes.

Today, Croatian mountaineers maintain more than 6,000 kilometers of hiking trails and oversee 160 mountain lodges, huts, and shelters. Every year, they conduct over 100 diverse mountaineering schools with around 3,000 participants.

The mountaineering community now consists of 341 associations with more than 40,000 members, all part of the Croatian Mountaineering Association, which is one of the largest sports organisations in Croatia and the largest NGO dedicated to nature conservation.