The 10 Best Things to do in Karlovac County, Central Croatia

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. :)

A watermill village situated where the blue-green waters of river Slunjcica flows into the Korana river. Most of the houses were built at the end of the 19th and the beginning o-f the 20th century. Because of its extraordinary natural beauties and historical tradition, in 1962 Rastoke village fell under the protection of the State Directorate for cultural and historical heritage. Many ancient civilizations, as well as contemporary urban environments whitness that the water has always attracted people to come to its banks and settle there. For thousands of years, the waters of Korana and Slunjcica, and their flora and fauna, fought the laws of nature, and as a result of this struggle in the limestone plateau, a remarkable canyon was carved in for us to take pleasure in. Seeing this natural phenomenon, this "poured off" ("rastocen") terrain, a place where the waters of river Slunjcica pour off in several backwaters, leaving behind small elevations which then form watercourses and waterfalls, people built a village and named it RASTOKE. Here, they found everything they needed and stayed here, forever bound with nature. Rastoke is a village of ambiance value and authentic heritage when it comes to architecture, and according to some records, it was built in the 17th century, possibly even earlier. Most of the houses were built at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. People have always lived in Rastoke. Grain from nearby villages was constantly being milled here, and since its location is by the main road - which connects southern and northern part of Croatia - it became the intersection of various buyers, dealers and live stock traders. This rich village constantly suffered war damages and other social-caused troubles that destroyed it and set its development back to the beginning. Although people were forced to move away, the nature always stayed and defied the odds with its distinctiveness. Because of its extraordinary natural beauties and historical tradition, in 1962 the Rastoke village fell under the protection of the State Directorate for cultural and historical heritage. During the Homeland War in the 1990's, the village was completely destroyed. It was renovated with the help of Croatian Ministry of Development and Reconstruction. Today, there are about 30 households in Rastoke, and their wish is to renew the water mills and start running businesses. The prerequisites to do that were met last year, when the sewage system was built in Rastoke. Most of the households started renting out rooms for tourists. The fear of the future when it comes to their businesses is increasing, because the old road Karlovac-Slunj-Plitvice is not as interesting to the tourists now that the motorway was built. This problem could be dealt with earlier, and today can be evaded by organized accomodation. This is exactly what prompted the Holjevac family, who already owned an estate in the centre of the village, to bulid a small complex of tourist facilities, and to offer those to domestic and foreign tourists. The family company Slovin Unique - Rastoke d.o.o. was founded in 1997, and is the legal bearer of all the services the company offers. With their own knowledge, hard work and strong will, and with the loan taken from Croatian Postal Bank, the family turned the old hayloft into a cosy catering facility. Today, the company has an elaborate vision of future activities.

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

Ruins in ressurrection