Josephina (road)

The Josephina ( kroat. Jozefina ) is a historic street in Croatia, which connects the town of Senj on the coast with the city of Karlovac and the Pannonian Plain. It crosses the Dinaric Alps in altitude of 700 meters on Mount Velebit pass between Senj and Brinje and the Kapela pass between Brinje and Josipdol.

Already by the Romans, it was used as a salt road, later in the Middle Ages it was also important for the transport of timber and other goods. Towards the end of the early modern period, Emperor Joseph II commissioned the expansion of the 113 -km-long road, which was carried out 1770-1779 by Knežević. Further improvements took place during the time of the French occupation.

The road was indeed modernized steadily, however, was completely paved until the end of the seventies of the 20th century. Even today it is an important link between the coast and the hinterland: the National Road D23 connects between Senj and Žuta Lokva the Croatian highway with the A1 motorway. The Kapela pass is bypassed by the A1 through the Mala Kapela tunnel.

• Former trade
• Altstrasse
• Road in Croatia