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The brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in Croatia is a possible source of bears for reintroducing and augmenting disappearing European brown bear populations in western Europe. For successful reintroduction, knowledge about bear habitat quality of both source and target areas is necessary. We developed a habitat suitability index (HSI) model to assess European brown bear habitat quality in Gorski kotar, Croatia. Important habitat variables included seasonal foods, cover, roads, and fragmentation. Food sources were available year-round, whereas foraging and denning cover were more limited. Human influence was manifested through a relatively high density of roads (1.91 km/km^2), which included forest roads. Habitat fragmentation did not occur within the study area, but a highway under construction was a possible threat. The overall HSI value of 0.42 for the entire area indicated that brown bear habitat in Gorski kotar is average. Brown bear habitat could be improved with changes in management practices such as closing forest roads, seasonally avoiding logging in denning areas, and reducing reforestation of beech-fir (Fagus sp.-Abies sp.) areas to spruce (Picea abies).