Karlovac is located 50 km southwest of Zagreb, at an altitude of about 100 meters and has a population of 60,000. This city developed around a fortified wall of 16th century renaissance style. The city was a border town of the Habsburg Empire and still has a star-shaped construction from that period. Unfortunately, the only thing left of the fortifications are the trenches caused by the war of independence. However, restoration work has been underway for several years.
Today, the surrounding streets of the old town are full of baroque buildings with a specific architecture, especially in the main square. The first buildings in this architectural style, such as the Church of the Holy Trinity and the Franciscan monastery, as well as the national pilgrimage site of St. Joseph, are very interesting. The National Theater Zorin, the city museum, the music school and the well-preserved medieval fortress Dubovac, which is now a hotel, are also part of the city’s architectural heritage.
The city with four rivers
Karlovac enjoys a pleasant location in central Croatia. Korlovac is strategically located on the four rivers Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra. The town is ideally located on the main road from Zagreb to the Adriatic Sea, which has contributed to the development of tourism, especially stopover tourism. The area was a strategic military location a few centuries ago.
Nowadays, Karlovac is a perfect destination for a stopover, a rest for a few hours or a day break during a trip to the coast. The road to the sea is not very long, but Karlovac is about 2/3 of the way to the sea for Croatians coming from the east of the country, as it is crossed by the E65 highway. The town is quite suitable for a break during this trip.
Vrbanić Park and Marmont Avenue with its plane trees are protected horticultural monuments. Banski Moravci, located east of the city, is classified as a special biological reserve.
Karlovac, a city of culture and industry
The city is a regional cultural capital where many events take place. The city streets are brightened up by plays, winter artists’ colonies, the Korana Sculpture Park and the “Dani Piva” beer festival in August.
Karlovac remains an industrial and commercial city, especially in the metal industry. The chemical, textile, leather, wood and food industries (dairy products, Karlovačko Pivo brewery) are also well represented.