Karlovac through the six senses
Karlovac is the town on four rivers, the town of encounters, the meeting place, the town of parks. It is the town in which you can swim in four rivers in a single day and accidentally meet old fiends as all the roads go through Karlovac, or you can have a cup of coffee in the peace and green shade of its many parks.
Today, the relentless race for the title of the best tourist destination means that a huge and merciless battle for tourist points is always on. Each individual is important, each overnight stay, the visitors’ spending, too, the destination rebranding is also important, while the marketing and PR agencies get more and more professional, specialising in ever more imaginative tourist campaigns.
In this lively patchwork of photos and advertisements, we sometimes forget that the ideal place for a tourist visit is the one where you are, whether these are the colourful streets of the world major cities, a small farm on the eastern coast of a tropical archipelago, or simply Karlovac. Wherever you are, you’ll also find what you’re looking for. Just like all the other towns and cities in the world, Karlovac is unique. Its little things and details hide both its past and its future. And if you look closely, you’ll discover its unusual story, veiled in the blue and green cloak of this moment. It’ll be a unique and special love.
You like and need numbers? Enter the historic centre of Karlovac, built in the shape of a six-pointed star, and let the five centuries flow through you, from the ancient swamp, to the cold walls of the Renaissance fortress, to the merry sounds of today’s clubs and cafes. Read between the lines at the Promenade, a unique pearl of the town’s landscaping heritage. Allow yourself to make the time stop and turn the numbers upside down. In summer, swim in all the four rivers in one day, just in two places. Impossible? Hmmm… Feel all the dimensions of Karlovac’s 3D parks. Count your steps in going around the star-shaped fort. Did you really need the 4321 steps? And while you’re at it, count the rivers, too, just to be on the safe side … You never know.
As a town, Karlovac developed from the fort, the six-pointed Star, and should be fully enjoyed through all the six senses. Your sight will be best activated from the Dubovac Castle, from where it can sail down the Kupa river, wander the parks, and dive deep among the historic facts. Your hearing will let you hear the silence of the streets at night, as well as the guitar sounds along the Korana banks. The nose is going to feel the freshness of a foggy daybreak, the smells of flowering lindens and the warm scents from the bakeries. Touch has mostly been neglected in the tourist offer, though it is so important: feel the heeling Korana waters, feel the tickling of the grass on your bare feet, the touch of the cold beer glass and the coldness of stone in the Karlovac fort. Also the precious hug by old friends in this town of encounters. The taste of ice-cream during the summer heat, the taste of sweet and salty home-made specialties or, simply, the taste of cold and clear water from a well. And if something’s still missing or you just want to boost your experience, turn on the sixth sense, too, that ‘something’, the je ne sais quoi, recognise the Karlovac X-factor in the feeling of being welcome here.
Stroll along the Karlovac streets. The town of this story has a very unique relationship with each of us, whether we were born in it, whether we’re just passing through. For even the smallest footprint in its soil is going to be indelible, both for Karlovac and for all those that have ever been in it. So make it a print with a smile.
