The Anzić Villa – Karlovac’s mountaineering and expeditionist collection
The Anzić Villa, an old mansion on a hilltop just outside the town, overlooking the whole of Karlovac, contains a bountiful collection of mountaineering equipment, climbing implements, as well as the memorabilia connected to the great and world-famous Karlovac explorers, the Seljan brothers.
Karlovac is well-known as the town on four rivers and the town of parks, but also as the town of explorers. Nobody knows why it had such an inspiring effect on the development of the adventurous spirit, but the fact remains that in the second half of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century Karlovac became a starting point for exploratory expeditions to Africa and South America. It all started with Jakov Šašel’s journey through Egypt and Sudan, continued with Dragutin Lerman’s exploration of Congo with Janko Mikić and Napoleon Lukšić, while the story of Karlovac explorers was crowned by brothers Mirko and Stjepan Seljan’s exploration of Ethiopia and South America.
A whole century has passed since then, but the spirit of adventure is still alive in Karlovac, manifested through Mladen Kuka’s vision. Mr. Kuka has founded the Seljan Brothers Centre for Expeditions, Research and Culture, devised and prepared the mountaineering-recreational Seljan Brothers Trail, in 1998 organised the expedition ‘In the Footsteps of the Seljan Brothers in South America’, renovated the Anzić Villa and arranged the Karlovac mountaineering and expeditionist collection.
The Seljan Brothers Trail starts in front of the Seljan family house in Karlovac, goes past the first Croatian alpinist Dragojla Jarnević’s house and past the Dubovac Castle, ending at the Anzić Villa, which preserves the memories of famous achievements by Croatian mountaineers, alpinists and speleologists, but also of the unforgettable Karlovac explorers, whose desire for exploration of the unknown and the spark for adventure keeps up the great tradition.
