October the 4th, 2026 – Munjara in Ozalj is a Croatian hydro power plant that looks just like a castle. It has been in function since 1908 and still produces electricity.
When you think of industrial facilities, it’s more than likely that your first associations are “grey, unattractive, boring and a bit ugly”. That’s true in most cases, but not in all. Putni kofer writes that a pleasant surprise awaits you in Ozalj, a beautiful town built on a cliff above the magical River Kupa, located just 17 kilometres from Karlovac. Right there stands the most beautiful example of industrial architecture – the magnificent hydroelectric power plant “Munjara”, which is also the oldest hydroelectric power plant in the whole of continental Croatia. And to make things even better, it still produces electricity to this very day.
construction took just 15 months
This beauty looks like a real castle, proudly standing in the middle of the river – more precisely on its natural waterfall – and from it there is also a magnificent view of the stone structure of the Old Town of Ozalj. The legendary “Munjara” was put into operation way back in 1908 in order to supply neighbouring Karlovac with lighting. Its construction lasted only 15 months, which is an impressive fact even for today’s times. It was built according to the designs of civil engineer Valerijan Rieszner, and its impressive historicist appearance is the work of the famous Austrian architect Hermann Bollé, who participated in the urban design of Zagreb and who, among other things, restored and built the Mirogoj cemetery complex and the building of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in the capital.
it was the brainchild of the one and only nikola tesla
The Ozalj hydroelectric plant truly looks spectacular, just like a stone neoclassical palace with crown-like battlements and harmonious arcades, surrounded by tall spruces… And did you know that our greatest inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla lobbied as early as 1892 for the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the Korana or the Kupa? His vision was realised in 1908, when Karlovac finally got public electric lighting. As a reminder, Šibenik was the first to receive it in 1895, while Zagreb was electrified in the autumn of 1907. In the years that followed, the “Munjara” hydroelectric power plant significantly contributed to the industrial development of Ozalj, Karlovac and Duga Resa. This facility of great historical significance is a protected cultural asset under the supervision of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, and after 118 years of existence and with more than 5,000 hours of operation per year, it continues to produce electricity today.
time moved on, but munjara remains
Initially, “Munjara”, with its two Francis turbines, served only for the public lighting of the city of Karlovac, and consumption was free! But when the development of the entire Ozalj region began to be encouraged after the Second World War, demand for electricity also increased, so in 1948 construction of a second hydroelectric power plant began on the left bank of the Kupa. However, the beautiful “Munjara”, you will likely agree, is impossible to surpass. This striking building can be visited with a guided tour by the plant’s expert staff, and all details about registration and visiting can be found here.
