Walking Guide for Destination Slunj-Rastoke through its 5 Zones of Visitation
There are many things to see and visit in Slunj, where the turquoise and blue colours weave together to form thousands of hues. Rastoke in Slunj appears as a play between the sun and fluttery droplets of crystal clear water, a village full of ambiance houses, whose architecture belongs to past times, but which are still functional and fit for living. In addition, they are a real treat for many visitors.
We present our walking guide for destination Slunj-Rastoke through its 5 zones of visitation, with the help of which you can explore the unexplored and learn a lot about Slunj, only 104.38 km away from Zagreb and 32.49 km from Plitvice Lakes and an ideal place for a weekend getaway, interesting and beautiful in its natural playfulness and diversity.
(Blue) ZONE 1: LIFE BUSTLE – the neighborhood of Rastoke – the length of the trail about 2.5 km – duration 1-3 hours
(Red) ZONE 2: LAND OF ETERNAL SOLDIERS – Bridge of St. John (Rastoke), the statue of Milan Neralić, Zrinski and Frankopan Square, the bank of Slunjčica, Moćan Bridge, Gradina (the Old Town) – the length of the trail 2.5 km – duration 1-2 hours
(Green) ZONE 3: GAMES FOR A LONGER LIFE – Napoleon’s Warehouse, the Jelvik forest, Korana – the length of the trail 3 km – duration 1-3 hours
(Grey) ZONE 4: A PATH WHERE TIME IS MEASURED WITH A DIFFERENT UNIT – research station Natura Viva, the bank of Slunjčica – the length of the trail 6.5 km – duration 1-6 hours
(Yellow) ZONE 5: A TOWN THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU – the town park, the heart of Slunj, high school, Forestry – the length of the trail 1 km – duration 30 minutes
BLUE ZONE The first zone for visitation is called LIFE BUSTLE
Walking through this zone will lead you to authentic watermills, which were built in the 17th century on the waterfalls of the river Slunjčica, a beautiful and protected landscape. You will reach the very centre of the so-called whirlpool of life, Rastoke. Rastoke is a part of Slunj, famous for its beautiful mills and river Slunjčica, which flows into the River Korana over a number of travertine barriers and waterfalls. This unique picture of traditional houses above the river and directly on the waterfalls is breath-taking and creates an incredible ambient for walking and taking photos. You can take a tour via the circular promenade, which is only 2.5 km long. The following link will show you where it is and what you can see while walking along this protected area formed by a joint effort of both people and nature.
All the houses in Rastoke are private properties. Some families living in Rastoke have decided to open the doors of their estates to visitors. We recommend you to visit the mill of the Jareb family, a fantastic place where you can see the process of milling grain and buy flour. They offer corn flour, rye flour, proja, white and wholemeal spelt flour, yellow millet flour and white and wholemeal wheat flour.
You must also visit the Slovin Unique Estate in Rastoke, which, at a first glance, appears to be yet another complex of houses on the water until you enter an empire of fantastic discoveries, fairy gardens, totems, museums, flowers and waterfalls. Waterfalls pass through the estate in their fast-paced and playful rhythm. It contains a small ethno collection, which exhibits the life of our ancestors in this part of Croatia. Then there is the fairy garden. While walking through the estate, you will find little statues of wonderful fairies made from wire, rags and wood. The fairies casually observe the visitors while the latter admire the fairies and take photos with them. You can also find a fairy map located in the middle of the estate, which assigns you your fairy name according to your birth month.
RED ZONE The second zone for visitation is LAND OF ETERNAL SOLDIERS
Along its watery flow, the river Slunjčica passes on its way, carries molten limestone and deposits it on the travertine plateau thus making it ever bigger. The medieval town of Slunj is located In the river bend. During this walk, you can visit the church in Slunj and take a break at a place called Love at the End of Civilisation, as the Austrian author Heimito von Doderer called it in his novel “Die Wasserfälle von Slunj”, meaning the Waterfalls of Slunj, in 1963.
Visit the monument dedicated to Milan Neralić, the first Croat to win a bronze Olympic medal in fencing. On the Zrinski and Frankopan Square in Slunj, in the vicinity of the birth house of the first Croatian Olympian Milan Neralić, sculptor Matija Gajić Puškarić portrayed the person of Milan Neralić and the spirit of the Olympic Games. You can also see Napoleon’s Warehouse and walk to the Old Town, first mentioned in 1322 when the Hungarian-Croatian king Charles I of Hungary granted Friedrich III Frankopan the parish of Drežnik alongside the town of Slunj in a charter. There is another document from 1390, which proves that Ivan Frankopan leased Slunj to duke Pavle Zrinski. Furthermore, listen to the story of the brave Francis Zrinski. During his life, not a single fortress belonging to his family fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks, who had attacked Slunj 13 times without success. When his estate had only 20 serfs left, he renounced the honour of the viceroy of Croatia and ventured to a single voyage not motivated by war, which ended tragically for him.
This trail merges with the circular promenade around Rastoke. It is 2.5 km long and it is asphalted.
GREEN ZONE The third zone for visitation is called GAMES FOR A LONGER LIFE.
This zone calls out for physical activity in a fun way. Take a walk through the splendid Jelvik forest where you can exercise between large trees, which give a pleasant shade, and where you can play a guessing game hidden on boards, offering interesting information about the area surrounding you. Set the river Korana as your goal, walk at your own pace, slow or fast, and do not forget to take a deep breath, fill your lungs and enjoy the intact nature. This forest is part of the largest coordinated network called Natura 2000, which consists of habitat types and wild species of interest for the European union.
The trail in this forest is a forest track and it is a continuation of the circular promenade in Rastoke (Red zone) and the circular promenade, which passes by the birth house of the Slunj Olympian and the Frankopan fortress (Blue zone). It begins in the pine forest called Jelvik, above Napoleon’s Warehouse, and finishes in Rastoke. During summertime, when the water level is low, you can walk across the Korana river and reach the other bank near the beach called Kotlac.
GREY ZONE The fourth zone for visitation is called A PATH WHERE TIME IS MEASURED IN A DIFFERENT UNIT
The river Slunjčica is a natural habitat of a rare species called creeping celery (Apium repens). Therefore, Slunjčica became a part of ecological network Natura 2000. A public organization called Natura Viva offers educational one-hour guided walks along the river Slunjčica. Take a walk along the course of Slunjčica, where you can see characteristic endangered birds from the Motacillidae family and White-throated dipper. You can find the aforementioned birds near the waterfalls, on the travertine barriers and nesting in the old mills, ruins of the Old Town and on rocks along the river Slunjčica. A part of Land registration Slunjčica is covered by a forest, while on the banks of Slunjčica there is a rich layer of shrubbery. The bird species living in the bushes are Sylvia warbler, Common blackbird, Thrush, Common chiffchaff and Finch. The edges of the forest are inhabited by European serin, European greenfinch, Common starling and European turtle dove. The agricultural areas are filled with Red-backed shrike, American Sparrow and Common linnet. The only endangered species encountered here is Peregrine falcon. Pay attention to the luxurious flora along Slunjčica and the gorgeous scenery around this emerald river.
If you decide to follow the river Slunjčica to its source, which is only 6.5 km away from Rastoke, bear in mind that it is a hiking trail and not a well-tended promenade. With the help of hiking marks, you can follow the hiking trail from the source of Slunjčica through the Melnica forest and thus return to Slunj (in this option, the trail is 17.5 km long and it passes through thick forest). The other option is to go same way back, along the river Slunjčica. Staza šume i vode – Slunjčica (Tour by Franjo Rezler)
YELLOW ZONE The fifth zone for visitation is called A TOWN THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU
According to the acknowledgement from the travelling platform Booking.com and based on their research, Slunj, that is Rastoke, was declared the most hospitable destination in Croatia and one of the most hospitable destinations in the world in 2018.
For centuries, the medieval fortress Slunj had been an important location in the fight of the Habsburg monarchy and Croatia against the Ottoman Empire. After the weakening of the Ottoman Empire and the liberation of the Croatian territory at the end of the 17th century, gradually civil activities, such as agriculture, crafts and trade, are beginning to develop in the area of the Military Frontier. After the demilitarisation of the Military Frontier, urbanistic development of Slunj outside the old town centre, located on the river bend of the river Slunjčica, opposite of the old fortress Slunj, began at the end of the 19th century. In 1871 the town park was built with new administrative, public and sacral buildings. A lesser known fact from the town history is that in 1876 there was a ceremonial opening of the school, which was then known as Civil School, and which is now the building of High School Slunj. It was accompanied by a song called Raduj nam se Slovin grade written by Ivan Trnski, for which the music was created by the famous Croatian composer Ivan von Zajc.
Today you will find stores, bakeries, cafés, exchange offices, playgrounds, administrative buildings, a pharmacy, post office, bank, theatre and library in the town centre. This zone is the favourite place for gatherings and meetings of the local people.
In addition to walking around the town and the magical Rastoke, in Slunj you can enjoy quad driving, fishing, cycling, swimming, tasting of the exceptionally delicious local cuisine and sitting in restaurants or cafés with the water murmuring under your feet.
Do not make the mistake of only briefly stopping here on your way to Plitvice Lakes. This town has so many things to offer and it would be a shame not to spare at least two days of your time for Slunj.
Rastoke and Slunj are sprinkled with fairy dust and it would be a pity for you not to carry away at least a small portion of this beauty in your suitcase of memories. At the end of the day, memories are what counts.
Where to eat at destination Slunj-Rastoke?
After a pleasant walk through the natural beauties of our destination Slunj-Rastoke, it is good to know that you can have a delicious lunch or dinner in several restaurants in Slunj.
We have prepared a list of restaurants with a rich gastronomic offer designed for everyone’s taste.
Hotel Mirjana Rastoke has its own restaurant, which offers a wide range of homemade food and international cuisine such as fish and vegetarian delicacies, game dishes, Lika lamb and baked veal under the bell. This supreme culinary experience awaits you at only a few minutes’ drive from Slunj towards Zagreb.
On the same road towards Zagreb, state road D1, you can find the restaurant Pino, which offers an abundance of homemade and international specialties and dishes prepared on a roasting spit.
The Grand Restaurant in Veljun has also nurtured traditional cuisine with dishes on the spit and “under the bell” (ispod peke in Croatian).
If you are a fan of ready prepared dishes, visit bistro Beštek. It is located at a few minutes’ drive from Rastoke towards Cetingrad and it offers a wide range of dishes for everyone’s palate.
If you prefer the taste of traditional cuisine, a restaurant called Feniks is located above the river Slunjčica, near the state road D1 towards Plitvice Lakes. The restaurant kitchen offers a rich assortment of food made from home-grown produce.
Above Rastoke, and below Napoleon’s Warehouse, is a restaurant called Ambar. Ambar offers traditional foodstuffs of the Slunj area, which combine homemade recipes and modern cooking techniques. Restaurant Ambar is the perfect place where you can enjoy excellent wines, delicious dishes and a unique view of Rastoke, Slunj and the surrounding rivers.
In the middle of Rastoke, in the rustic atmosphere of the bistro Kum, you can find a wide range of excellent pizzas. At the very entrance into the bistro, Kum will charm you with its ambient and attention to details.
At the heart of the miller community in Rastoke, near the playful waterfalls and green nature, there is a restaurant called Petro, which offers a large selection of outstanding dishes prepared in a traditional way. You can try trout from the river Slunjčica, homemade polenta from the Rastoke mills and desserts made according to our grandmothers’ recipes.
If you are a sweet tooth, search for pastry shop called Diva in the middle of Rastoke. It offers a rich assortment of desserts, drinks and beverages. In the pastry shop, you can find a wide range of cakes and cookies, as well as homemade sweet specialties such as strudel, orehnjača (traditional walnut cake), baklava and other desserts.
Bistro Centar offers delicious ćevapi prepared according to a traditional recipe. Located a couple of steps away from the town centre, the bistro offers an excellent selection of grilled food, pizza, lasagne and salads, alongside a rich assortment of drinks and beverages.
If you prefer fast food, visit bistro Kvart in Donje Taborište or bistro Deni and barbeque place Jure in Slunj town centre.