Rastoke waterfall village
If you are searching a really magical destination in Croatia, Rastoke village will blow you away. Rastoke, a watermill pearl of the Slunj area, created by a whim of nature where the green and blue Slunjčica river flows over the travertine barriers into the Korana river, thereby creating a multitude of waterfalls, rapids, small lakes and cascades.
For thousands of years, the Korana and Slunjčica rivers resisted the laws of nature and, as a result of that battle, they carved an immense natural wealth for the man in the limestone plateau. Just in that dissolved terrain, elevations in the form of water flows and waterfalls, man created the Rastoke settlement.
According to records, the settlement has an ambient value and an authentic construction heritage dating back to the 17th century, however, it is believed that it had existed even earlier.
Among other things, Rastoke witness of the impressive harmony between the nature and human achievements whereby the power of the water was used as the main and only mill drive. This is the first time that primitive machines were not powered by human or animal power. Apart from grinding wheat, the power of the water was used to wash the laundry. Long before the washing machine was invented, laundry in Rastoke was ‘basketed’ (‘košalo’) in baskets beside the mills. Baskets were deep wooden barrels with drilled holes in which water tossed and turned the laundry until it was entirely clean.
The largest number of settlements was built at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century and, due to the extraordinary natural beauties and history, in 1962 Rastoke were put on the State Administration List for the Protection of Cultural and Historic Heritage. In Rastoke at that point, there were 22 water mills, 4 fulling mills, 7 baskets for rinsing whites and colored laundry and 28 houses with appertaining farm buildings.
Due to the harmonious construction, historic and ethnographic heritage, in 1969 Rastoke were entered in the Register of Immovable Cultural Monuments at the Regional Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Zagreb.
There are many things to see and visit in Slunj, where the turquoise and blue colors 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.
Walking through Rastoke 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 center 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.
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.
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.
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 honor 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.
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 and the circular promenade, which passes by the birth house of the Slunj Olympian and the Frankopan fortress. 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.
The river Slunjčica is a natural habitat of a rare species called creeping celery (Apium repens). 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.
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 demilitarization of the Military Frontier, urbanistic development of Slunj outside the old town center, 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, theater and library in the town center. 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.
Slunj is a small town, hospitable and warm, suitable for all the people who like to enjoy the beauties of nature, spend time in fresh air, listen to stories from intriguing and rich history and savour the specialties prepared by a fusion of modern and home cooking. Here you can meet the power of the river Slunjčica, observe it feed into the river Korana, listen to snippets about the Napoleon Warehouse or a story about an Olympian who had lived here. You can take a walk around Rastoke, where the famous movie about Winnetou was filmed. The promenade is 2.5 kilometres long and it is ideal for physical activity, during which you can clear your mind and body, alongside burning some calories.
Nature plays a key role to many interesting things that Slunj has to offer!
Due to the special architectonic appearance of the settlement, mills and their functions, Rastoke as a rural complex was protected in 1969 as a cultural heritage site. It was entered into the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites belonging to the Regional Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage Sites in Zagreb. In 2008 it was entered as a cultural and historic rural complex into the registry of Cultural Heritage Sites of Croatia.
What is so special about this place? The appearance and specificity of this place is attributed to the river Slunjčica, which cascades through a number of waterfalls into the river Korana. There are 23 waterfalls in total, of which the most famous are Hrvoje, Vilina Kosa and Buk. In order to harness the natural force of water to start a millstone, mills are built directly on waterfalls, whose height is no less than 4 or 5 meters. Imagine this, in 1967 there were 22 mills at work in Rastoke, of which 20 milled grain such as corn, rye, barley, wheat, millet and others. Today you can still hear the sound of a millstone in the house of the Jareb family, which is also a traditional house with the mills on the ground floor. All the houses in Rastoke are built in a similar way; square two-storey houses with a distinctive ganjak (a wooden balcony), which extends along one side of the house. In Rastoke, you will experience the power of nature and history, in addition to the power of future, which teaches us to turn back to nature.
For the local people, the river Korana represents the perfect place for spending summer afternoons and has the most beloved beach site. For those who like to spend their day in nature, the Korana river valley is surrounded by a forest called Jelvik, whose paths will lead you to a spring of fresh water. The river Korana is a typical karstic river of central Croatia with a diverse flow. It is 134 kilometres long, it meanders, plunges over waterfalls, slowly cascades, disappears under the ground in order to reappear on the surface. It springs under Sastavci and Great Waterfall in Plitvice Lakes. Its downstream flow towards Karlovac forms a natural border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It flows northwards and flows into the river Kupa near Karlovac.
The Jelvik forest is only a couple of minutes of walking away from Rastoke. It is a pine forest, which was planted at the end of the 19th century, during the ranger Lakanac’s time. Before that, the area had been a gmajna (a common grassland), which the Rastoke locals used for cattle pasture. This magnificent forest offers silence, privacy and places for isolation all year long. Many people who had walked through it cannot decide if it is more beautiful during the summer months when it offers a shade from heat or during the winter months when it is clothed in white raiment. The path to the forest will lead you to the Napoleon’s Warehouse, which is a landmark.
The warehouse, a place where you can see one of the most gorgeous sunsets in the Slunj area, is a large stone building. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century (1809 – 1813) during the time of French administration over the Slunj area, which was a border region of the French Empire. It consisted of 3 storeys and a practical mansard and it was used as a storage for grain. This stone building is located near the Slunj fortress, on the slopes above the river Slunjčica and Rastoke. Today, it is one of the rare buildings in Slunj which was not damaged in the war, but rather from slow decay.
When you are in Slunj, you will see the Frankopan legacy, a fortress, the Old Town Slunj. It is located on a rock elevation on a peninsula around which the river Slunjčica bends and it is believed it was built in the 14th century. During the 15th century, the Frankopan family of Slunj owned it until 1572, when their line died out. The most famous members are George, who was a participant of Parliament of Cetin, and Francis, who was a Croatian viceroy. The Slunj fortress, known amongst the locals as Gradina, is a testament to continuous war suffering and desolation, but at the same time, a place of resistance and defence against the Ottoman Empire.
One of three special bridges at destination Slunj-Rastoke is the Moćan bridge, which is the first wooden bridge of the Slunj area and it has always served as an important connection between the Slunj fortress (Gradina) on the right bank and the settlement on the left bank of the river Slunjčica. Throughout history it changed its appearance and there used to be a guard house in the middle of the bridge. Today’s appearance is the result of reconstruction done in the 20th century and it got its name from an old Slunj family, who has its mill by the bridge on the left bank of the river Slunjčica, the Moćan family. This place amazes with its gorgeous view of the river Slunjčica, the old part of Slunj, Gradina and mills so it is not surprising that it is the newlyweds’ favourite photographing destination. Because of that, it got its new name – The Newlyweds Bridge.
The name of this location on the river Slunjčica is connected to the hydroelectric power plant, which had been built on this place, but it was destroyed in the World War II. Because of its scenery, the river Slunjčica was protected in 1964 in the category of significant landscape. It encompasses the whole flow of the river Slunjčica and 1 kilometre of the River Korana (downstream from the bridge). The most instrumental people for building the former hydroelectric power plant on the river Slunjčica were a professor of physics and mathematics Mile Cindrić from Kremen near Slunj, who was also the creator of several electric gadgets for school education, and his Ukrainian friend Gabrijel Kompanec, who was designer and builder, alongside the county administrator at the time, Josip Neralić. The power plant was owned by the Slunj County and it worked under the name County Hydroelectric Power Plant Slunj. The power plant was finished in 1928 and the first electric light bulb in Slunj was lit on Trinity Sunday of the same year. The power plant committed to constant delivery of electric power during the night and during the day, only on cloudy days or days when the sunlight was weak. The power plant was destroyed in January of 1943 during the war. Today it serves as a headquarters for the Fishing Club Slunjčica in Slunj.
In the year 1726, next to a demolished Franciscan monastery, the parish church of Holy Trinity was built.
A single nave Franciscan church of Saint Benedict from the 15th century, which had been reconstructed and upgraded several times, served as its core. In 1583, the oldest sacred item – the statue of Saint Mary of Slunj – was transported to Trsat. On the left and right side of the church, side-chapels have been added so that the church seems to be triple nave now. The church received baroque elements and adapted to the needs of the Slunj locals. In the Croatian War of Independence, the church was first set on fire and then fired upon by missiles.
The church has always been an important social and spiritual point for the local citizens. Today the Holy Trinity Church is the most notable sacral object in the Slunj area, where you can see statues made by sculptor Josip Turkanj, who donated statues Way of the Cross, the Holy Family Pieta and George Frankopan of Slunj to the church in 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.
Rastoke is the perfect destination for travelers looking to escape the crowds and immerse themselves in the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Croatia. Its close proximity to Plitvice Lakes makes it an ideal day trip, but those who take the time to stay a little longer will be rewarded with a deeper connection to this enchanting village.
Whether you're a history buff, a nature enthusiast, or simply someone seeking a peaceful retreat, Rastoke offers something for everyone. Its unique blend of waterfalls, historic mills, and traditional Croatian hospitality make it a place that captures the heart and leaves a lasting impression.
So, the next time you plan a trip to Croatia, make sure to add Rastoke to your itinerary. This hidden gem near Plitvice Lakes is a destination that deserves to be discovered, appreciated, and cherished by all who visit. Rastoke waterfall village is a Hidden Paradise and the Home of Fairies
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