← Plitvice Lakes Marathon·1 night

Karlovac: The Star and Four Rivers

A town built in 1579 as a six-pointed star fort where four rivers meet, with an aquarium, a hilltop castle and a flat historic core.

Duration1 night
TransitNorthbound coach from the park towards Zagreb; check the current Arriva timetable
DepartsPlitvice Lakes National Park (Mukinje)

After the Plitvice Lakes Marathon: Karlovac

The Route: Mukinje → Karlovac (1 night) → Zagreb → Zagreb Airport Logistics: Coach north from the park to Karlovac, then coach to Zagreb and the airport. Karlovac sits on the road and rail corridor between Plitvice and the capital. Marathon Month: June Duration: 1 night

Mukinje ──(coach north, check timetable)──> Karlovac ──(coach)──> Zagreb bus station
                                                                          │
                                       Zagreb Airport (ZAG) ◄──(35-40 mins airport coach)

The Plitvice Lakes Marathon is run on a hilly road circuit from Mukinje, typically on a Sunday in early June. Karlovac suits the Monday after because it is flat, compact and sits on the road to the capital, which shortens the final leg to the airport.

June in Karlovac: the town sits at the junction of the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra rivers, and early summer is when the riverbanks are in use. Days are warm. Afternoon storms are possible. The city beach on the Kupa at Foginovo is a summer facility, so confirm that it is open for the date you are travelling.

Coaches run north from the park along the Zagreb corridor. Journey times and frequency change by season, so check the Arriva timetable at arriva.com.hr and buy the ticket for the departure that follows your hotel checkout. Luggage can travel in the hold.

Night One: Karlovac

Karlovac was laid out in 1579 as a fortress town in the shape of a six-pointed star, and the old centre, known as the Star (Zvijezda), still follows that plan. The streets inside it are level and mostly paved, which is the point of coming after a hilly marathon. A walk around the Star and its former moat takes about an hour at post-race pace, with benches in the squares.

Aquatika, the freshwater aquarium, tells the story of the four rivers and is entirely indoors, which suits a legs-up afternoon. Dubovac Castle, on a hill above the town, involves a climb, so leave it for a day when the quads have recovered or take a taxi to the top. The town also has Franciscan and Homeland War museums within the centre. Check the current opening hours and prices with the Karlovac tourist board before you go.

Accommodation in the centre is mostly in apartments. The tourist board lists Royal Rest Apartments Karlovac and Apartment Grof Janko, each about 1 km from the centre. That distance is a ten to fifteen minute flat walk. Book early for June weekends.

For eating, the cafés and restaurants around the squares inside the Star are the easy choice. Ask your host which place has the best local fish from the rivers on the day.

Getting to Zagreb Airport (ZAG)

Take the coach from Karlovac to Zagreb bus station, then the airport coach, which takes 35 to 40 minutes. Karlovac to Zagreb takes roughly an hour by road, so allow plenty of margin with an afternoon flight and confirm the current timetables at arriva.com.hr.