Dubovac Castle, Karlovac, Croatia

It’s been a while since my last Discover Croatia post and it’s also been a long time since our last day trip as a family. But it’s completely different to travel with an active toddler than a baby. Needless to say, I found it easier to travel with a baby and now regret not travelling more with my son when he was younger. However, that doesn’t mean that we won’t travel with him anymore. At the moment with him running in all directions and me being pregnant again the most simplest of walks can be difficult. Nevertheless, this day trip was great and our boy was on his best behaviour and really enjoyed exploring Dubovac Castle.

So, let’s write about Dubovac Castle. This castle is situated on a hill overlooking the town of Karlovac which is halfway between the capital of Croatia Zagreb and its biggest seaport Rijeka. Dubovac Castle is a Renaissance castle with Gothic elements whose oldest parts date back to the 13th century. The name of the castle originates from the word for an oak tree in Croatian language since it was surrounded by a large oak trees forest. There’s still a lot of greenery around the castle but not a proper forest.

We didn’t leave early since this was a short drive for us. You can actually see Dubovac Castle from the motorway and then just follow the sign for it when you enter Karlovac. Be careful though, if you enter Dubovac in your car’s navigation then it wil lead you just to the neighbourhood Dubovac in Karlovac, not the actual castle. There’s a car park right in front of the castle (actually, you can park in front of the main entrance and behind the castle too). We parked behind the castle and then walked around it to the main entrance choosing not to take the steps leading right up to the entrance of the castle. There’s a viewing point across the castle but you get better views of Karlovac from the tallest tower of the castle Branič kula. You can enter the castle’s courtyard for free and you’ll find there the restaurant Kaštel and the toilets. On your left side is the ticket office/souvenir shop where you can buy the tickets for the castle’s tower and its upper levels. The entry is really cheap (less than one euro and a half) and supposedly the ticket is valid for a few other museums in Karlovac too. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).