The 10 Best Things to do in Karlovac, Central Croatia

Congratulations! You have just found the Katzler Pavilion, the smallest tourist mega-center in the world, a gift-shop, museum, gallery, vault of Karlovac culture and history, and the favorite meeting place of the locals. All in one place. Its interior can hold several thousand people… carefully allocated throughout the year. A group of five can completely fit inside the interior only if they come with a smile. At the entrance to the Karlovac Star there is a small green house with an unusual name – the Katzler Pavilion. Let it be the marker of entrance and exit from the old center. No, we do not charge for entry into the Star. Nor for exiting. Today Karlovac’s great history is framed in small windows of the Katzler Pavilion, and the interior hides items, photographs and documents which are a part of the mosaic showing the town’s image.

The award winning Foginovo beach and recreational area on the River Korana has facilities for activities such as beach volleyball, table tennis, basketball, an outdoor gym & running track as well as the bathing area with it's 7m diving board, water polo and facilities for younger kids who want to get in on the fun.

Opened in 2008 at the 350th anniversary of Franciscan arrival to Karlovac, it represents one of the best preserved collections in the city with numerous artefacts dating centuries back. Located in the heart of the old town, offering a very interesting leap into the history of Karlovac with a good price - value ratio. It's possible to arrange a visit even outside of the work hours via email or by phone (both are listed). *NOTE - CREDIT CARD not accepted/cash only. :)

Dubovac Castle is the oldest Karlovac monument, not just because of its ample history, but also because of the pioneer decision to preserve it in the name of collective memory. To this day the castle on the hill above the Kupa River is the most prominent landmark of the cultural and historical landscape of Karlovac. In the Middle Ages, Dubovac developed as a settlement with a fort at the cross-section of river and road routes, and in an area of dense fortified locations. It was first mentioned in 1339, when it got its first parish priest. Frequently written in Glagolitic script, the testimonies of trade and crafts, legal and school life circumstances of Dubovac burghers-freemen, were most numerous in the several decades preceding 1578, when the Osmanlis devastated its city to the ground. Although not large in area, the Dubovac estate was important economically as a regional market town. Its owners were, among others, important noble families from 1387 to 1810.

The city of Karlovac and its defenders endured fierce attacks in the Homeland War and played a key role in the defence of the Croatian territory, as well as in the creation of the independent Republic of Croatia. Karlovac, a fortress city in the shape of a star, has always been an indispensable part of the European and Croatian history. This unique museum tells the story of the fearlessness of Croatian defenders and the invincibility of the city on four rivers. The permanent interactive museum exhibition containing 350 original artefacts and more than 3 hours of multimedia content through which visitors can discover contemporary Croatian history. The exhibition also presents 23 exhibits featuring large-scale combat technology, with an emphasis on the ones manufactured domestically. The museum also has a Memorial Room of the Fallen Karlovac Defenders from the Homeland War, a multi-purpose hall, library and a souvenir shop.

Freshwater aquarium Aquatika presents the flora and fauna of Croatian rivers and lakes, geological history, traditional culture and history of the basin of four Karlovac rivers. Visitors can witness richness of life in rivers and lakes, and more than one hundred freshwater fish species, of which 40 are endemic. This is an EU project financed from European Development Fund. Additional services: Coffee Shop (open 8 am-9 pm), Souvenir shop, children playgrounds