Mala Kapela (, lit. ''Small Chapel'') is a

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have ari ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

, part of the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...

. It stretches in the direction northwest–southeast, and it extends from the

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migr ...

called "Kapela" or "Vrh Kapele" (alt. 887 m), that separates it from

Velika Kapela The Velika Kapela (; lit. ''Great Chapel'') is a large mountain range in the east of Gorski Kotar, Croatia. The highest peak is Bjelolasica-Kula at 1533 m.a.s.l. It overlooks Velebit, Plješivica, islands Krk, Cres, Lošinj, and the Kvarne ...

, down to the mountain pass that connects

Otočac Otočac () is a town in Croatia, former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see. It lies in the northwestern part of Lika region, in the Gacka river valley. The population of the administrative area of the Town of Otočac was 9,778 in ...

and Plitvice and from then on to Plješevica. The highest peak is Seliški vrh at 1279 meters, located in the southern part of the mountain. The

Mala Kapela Tunnel Mala Kapela Tunnel ( hr, Tunel Mala Kapela) is the most significant structure on the Croatian A1 motorway route. As it is long (northbound tube), Mala Kapela Tunnel is the longest tunnel in Croatia. The tunnel is geographically located between t ...

goes through the northern section of the mountain.

Etymology

In the past, the mountain pass until 1522 was known as Iron Mountain (''Alpes ferreae''), Gvozd (''Gozdia'') and Petrov Gvozd (''Peturgoz'') when due to the chapel of St. Nikola (previously St. Mikula) the population started to call it as Kapela. The pass is considered to have been the place where Croatian King

Petar Snačić Petar Snačić (commonly misspelt Petar Svačić) was a feudal lord, notable for being one of the claimants of the Croatian throne between c. 1093 and 1097. It is assumed that he began as a ban (title), ban serving under king Demetrius Zvonimir of ...

died in the

Battle of Gvozd Mountain The Battle of Gvozd Mountain took place in 1097 and was fought between the army of Petar Snačić and King Coloman I of Hungary. It was a decisive Hungarian victory, which ended the War of the Croatian Succession and served as a turning point ...

(1097), which was previously erroneously identified with Petrova Gora.

References

Mountains of Croatia Landforms of Lika-Senj County {{Croatia-geo-stub