Snježnik, Mountain peak in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia.

Snježnik is a limestone mountain summit in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia, rising above a landscape of rocky ridges and open alpine meadows. Its slopes combine patches of exposed rock with grassy areas that open up toward the top.

Snježnik lies in the western Gorski kotar, northwest of the higher Risnjak, and its summit area falls within Risnjak National Park. The mountain gave its name to the nearby Slovenian Snežnik, and the two peaks face each other across the border. A mountain hut, the planinarska kuća Snježnik, was built 16 m below the summit.

The name comes from the Croatian for snow, because snow stays on the ridge until late spring despite the nearby sea. Just below the summit stands the Snježnik mountain hut, a meeting point for hikers on the ridge. Near the top grow stands of the karst edelweiss (Leontopodinum alpinum ssp. krasense), a plant found in this area.

The summit area lies within Risnjak National Park, and the Snježnik mountain hut stands 16 m below the top, reachable on foot from Platak. The final ridge is bare limestone, so sturdy footwear matters; snow can linger here into late spring even when the coast below is warm.

Despite sitting less than 12 miles (about 20 km) from the Adriatic coast, the summit keeps snow on the ground well into late spring. This unusual combination of cold air and coastal proximity allows plants like edelweiss to grow at elevations lower than they normally would.