Things to do: A Local’s Guide to the Best Areas to Visit in destination Slunj Rastoke

Autor: Petra Belković Taylor

Heading south from Zagreb to Karlovac, past the concrete of the cities and rush of freeways, the road to Slunj soon enters the countryside of serene rolling hills, lush hamlets and roadside villages. My kids call this area “step Slunj”. The winding road slows one down and prepares her for restful and mesmerizing beauty of river canyons and waterfalls, where life still follows traditions and seasons.

 

Most joyous moment for all of us from Slunj is when after about 40 minutes of driving from Karlovac, the road breaks out of the hills and the canyon of the river Korana emerges streaked by the white foam of cascading water. From this point, in a quick minute and before the big curving bridge, the road breaks off to the right. Taking this side road, one immediately enters what most people can only imagine existing in a fairytale: serene wooden houses perched on green islands between dozens of rushing waterfalls. This is the first and most famous of Slunj’s neighborhoods, Rastoke.

 

 

Many visitors to Slunj make a mistake of briefly stopping in Rastoke on their way to Plitvice National Park and miss the opportunity of a truly restful vacation in other-wordly nature. While Plitvice provide a unique natural spectacle not to be missed, Slunj is a place where one can venture off the beaten trail on stunning nature walks, go swimming, fishing, biking, enjoy a water sport, taste local cuisine, participate in cultural events and workshops, or just spend lazy afternoons reading on a terrace of a café with water rushing under one’s feet.

 

I have brought many of my students and friends from around the world to Slunj, and years later they tell me that Slunj made for some of the most memorable moments of their visit to Croatia.

 

Without more ado, here are some of my favorite things to do in Slunj:

 

WALKS ALONG THE RIVERS:

 

1. Two different walks along the river Slunjčica starting from the statue of Milan Neralić (Slunj Olympian)

 

Start by the statue of Milan Neralić, overlooking the river canyon and the Frankopan Fort, and head downhill towards the church. You will cross the oldest square in Slunj. In the far left corner of the square head down the hill towards the banks of Slunjčica.

 

If you here on Thursday mornings, you will find a farmers market on the square. In the evenings, especially in August during the Days of the Town of Slunj, music concerts also take place here.

 

Once you are by the water, from here you can:

 

1. continue to Moćan bridge and cross over towards the Frankopan Fort. There are a number of benches and picnic tables  for enjoying the river in the sun or shade. Walking across the bridge and up the hill past the fort, you will come back to a road. If you cross to the left, you will see another fort (Napoleon’s weapons storage). There you can take a view of the river from the other side of the bank, and also have a coffee of a meal in restaurant Ambar. You can proceed to walk downhill from Ambar to Rastoke or to the city beach on Korana. (20 – 45 minutes)

 

1. Or, you can take the narrow grassy path that meets the road by the river. Walking to the right along the river will bring you to a favorite picnic spot, right next to the old electrical hydro plant (a small white house on a waterfall) that in early 20^th century provided electricity for the town and now houses fisherman’s club.

 

LOCAL TIP: if you continue on a narrow trail past the old power plant, you will be able to walk further along the river on a trail that eventually leads to the source of the river Slunjčica (or Slušnica, as locals sometimes refer to it).

 

If you are not up for a long walk, you can also take a wide grass path up the hill next to the power plant and you will find yourself in downtown Slunj, next to the city park with a children’s playground, the biggest grocery store, cafes and restaurants. (15 min to 1.5 hours)

 

 

2. Walk/run through Jelvik forrest to Kotlac, and along Korana

 

Starting behind the Napoleon’s Fort, take a beautiful walk through a pine forest.

Along the path are exercise stations and equipment made of logs and ropes, which makes Jelvik a perfect area for a run or outdoor strength training.  At the end of the road (about 20 minute’s walk) you will reach two different swimming areas. Staying on the forest path will take you to Kotlac (translation: place of small water pools). An earlier turn downhill to the left will take you to another favorite swimming place, Pod oltarom (Translation: Under the altar). For more information on both see the swimming section below.

 

From either of these you can walk back along the Korana riverbank to Rastoke and to the main city beach.

 

 

3. Walk past Jareb Mills Island along Korana

 

If you go towards Jareb Mills (where you can also buy locally raised and ground flour), and continue past the new stone bridge across Korana, you will enter the area most tourists never find. You can walk quite a way along Korana, next to rumbling water and past gardens and fields. Once the banks get steeper you can also climb up one of the trails and end up in fields towards the village of Primišlje. This is for more adventurous walkers and not for small children. From these fields, you can make your way back to town bearing left (that is heading east).

 

 

 

SWIMS:

 

1. Main city beach (Nova Škrila) and friendlier to kids (Stara Škrila) are

visible from the main Slunj bridge and from Rastoke. Nova Škrila has a diving platform, a sand volleyball field, changing rooms, a beach bar, and a small playground.

 

The locals swim here in later afternoons. The water is very warm in July and August, and swimmable but colder in May and September. Walking along the right side of the bank, past the small playground, is the area called Old Škrila. Here the water is shallower and there are many more rocks in the water that kids like to jump off. The banks of the river are shadier and more secluded and some locals, especially with children, prefer this beach.

 

2. Walking past Stara Škrila, for about 10-15 minutes, one comes to a wide grassy field, Pod Oltarom (Under the Altar). The river is sandier here and there are a couple of large rocks in the riverbed, that children again use for jumping. Shortly past this areas is Kotlac (place of small water pools). This is where most town children learn to swim. The water is quite shallow here and there are many small waterfalls with shallow water pools between them.

 

You can often see locals grilling on the grassy river banks. There is also a freshwater spring on the other side of the river (it requires some wading in the water) with delicious, cold, drinkable water.

 

3. Swimming on Mrežnica River requires biking or driving (or taking a long walk). To find it, use Google Maps or ask someone in town (tourist office or locals) for the Mrežnica beach. This is a very special spot with river pools, waterfalls and deep green water area in a river bend. Mrežnica is colder than Korana but in summer it feels quite refreshing. This is also where many kayak and white-water expeditions start. If you choose to come here, bring water and food with you.

 

 

IN TOWN:

 

1. Have coffee/drink/meal in one of the restaurants or cafes in Rastoke

All of the places in Rastoke are wonderful and you can spend hours just relaxing or reading in one of the water-top cafes.

 

2. People watch from/in cafes in town

Whether you try a local tap beer pub, or the café in the city park from where you can watch your children on the playground, in downtown area you will have a chance to meet more locals than in Rastoke. People in Slunj are friendly and welcoming and likely speak English or German along with Croatian. Many have lived abroad. I suggest you ask them for a story about the town or suggestions for what to eat, drink, or what is happening in town on that day or week.

 

3. Buy some local flour in Rastoke

While most mills are closed and serve as homes, Jareb family still mills and sells local flour. You can get many varieties of grain there, from classic wheat to varieties of ancient grains and flour mixes for local specialties (like proja). If you buy their products, they will also show you inside of their traditional mill that works the same way it did 300 years ago.

 

4. Make/taste a local meal

You can do this in one of the restaurants in town, or by visiting restaurants on the roads to Plitvice or Karlovac. You might also take advantage of staying in one of the privately owned apartments that offer to make you a meal or teach you how to make a local specialty. Check out also frequent culinary workshops in Rastoke.

 

5. Learn about town history

Check out the event calendar. There are often events in the town movie theatre, church or cultural center. Many of the events may have to do with recent or past historical events. Slunj is an old Austro-Hungarian military border town that for centuries stood as one of the fortified towns where East cultures, religions and empires met the European West. Just 20 minutes away from Slunj is a border with Bosnia which from 16^th to early 19^th century was a part of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Life in the border regions in fascinating and you can learn about it by purchasing one of the history books, finding a book about Slunj in the local library, reading signs posted along the historical monuments and bridges or talking to a local.

Medieval Slunj

 

6. Relax by the river

Locals know how to take time to be present and to slow down. Find a spot by the river to just sit, read a book, have a conversation, or even get a fishing license and go fishing on your own!

 

OTHER FAVORITES:

 

1. Pick chestnuts/mushrooms/berries in the forests in any of the surrounding villages. Chestnuts, mushrooms, and rosehips are best in the fall. Wild strawberries cover fields in the spring, and blackberries in the summer. It is best to ask a local to be your guide or to suggests to you where to go.

 

 

OTHER THINGS TO DO:

 

2. Watch a local soccer game on Zubac (soccer field by the gas station) or a pick-up game downtown
3. Attend church service in the local Catholic church
4. Watch water games and go to concerts during the Days of the City of Slunj in August
5. Visit a local winery
6. Ask a local what they are up to today!

 

Whatever you choose to do, I guarantee that you will not regret taking several days to experience this special place!