Have You Ever Visited the Star-Shaped Croatian City?

September the 3rd, 2025 – It’s well known for being the city on four rivers in the continental part of the country, but it’s actually the only star-shaped Croatian city.

As Putni kofer/Antonio Ivcevic writes, at first glance, Karlovac looks like any other Central European city. It’s adorned with wide green promenades, squares and rivers that shape its daily rhythm. However, what makes it special is hidden in the very heart of this city. There’s a historical core whose shape surprises and delights every visitor – because it’s actually a six-pointed star.

karlovac – the star-shaped croatian city

The Karlovac Star was created way back in the 16th century as a military fortress, becoming the foundation of a city that grew and developed over the centuries, while preserving its unusual geometric identity. Today, this shape is best seen from the air, but the story of the “Karlovac Star” is most felt when you step into its streets and immerse yourself in the history that still thrives among them. The history of Karlovac truly hides numerous interesting facts, and it is precisely for this reason that it’s worth exploring the city on four rivers, which is said to be one of the most special in all of Croatia.

When the Ottoman Empire’s marauding forces were rapidly approaching the Croatian borders back during the second half of the 16th century, the Habsburgs decided to construct a new defensive fortress. Thus, on July the 13th, 1579, under the leadership of Archduke Charles of Habsburg, the foundation stone for Karlovac was laid. It transformed it into a fortress city designed according to the rules of Renaissance fortification architecture. The conceptual author was military engineer Martin Gambon, and the result was a six-pointed star surrounded by deep moats filled with water.

Over time, these moats lost their defensive function and turned into parks. Today, they extend like a green ring around the very core. Their depth creates the impression of a three-dimensional landscape, which is why city guides used to picturesquely call them “3D parks”. They now feature promenades, playgrounds and quiet corners where the noise of brutal military campaigns used to ring out.

the city with a precise birthday

It’s very rare for a city to know the exact date of its foundation, but Karlovac has this privilege. Its “birthday” is celebrated on July the 13th, the day when construction of the star-shaped Croatian city (and fortress) first began. From that moment on, the city developed as a strategic military point, but also as a commercial and cultural centre. It was named after its founder, Archduke Karl, and soon became a meeting place for all kinds of different cultures, religions, languages, nationalities and crafts.

Some of the most important sights of the city are located right inside the star. On Ban Josip Jelačić Square is the famous city well, and right next to it is the Church of the Holy Trinity. Just a few steps away stands the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, and the entire area is guarded by the City Museum building, which is considered the oldest building still standing in all of Karlovac.

The star also hides the oldest Music School in Croatia, founded in 1804, which is also one of the oldest in all of Europe. The narrow streets are reminiscent of the city’s former problem of fires, because they served precisely to prevent the spread of fire from house to house. Walking along them, you can still feel the spirit of the times in which safety was just as important as trade and culture.

a city of rivers

Today, Karlovac is also known as the city of rivers. The Dobra, Korana, Kupa and Mrežnica rivers shape its identity just as strongly as the Karlovac star does. In addition, it is inextricably linked to brewing traditions, which is why many people also know it as the Croatian city of beer. Its promenades, bridges and river courses connect this amazing historical story with modern life, and the star itself has remained the symbol of the city and its most recognisable sign throughout the centuries.

Karlovac is not just a random tangle of streets and squares, but a carefully designed urban work, and it being the only star-shaped Croatian city attests to exactly that. Born out of dire military need, shaped to defend and protect, it has grown over time into a city of culture, knowledge and peaceful everyday life. Today, seen from the air, it looks like a perfectly drawn geometric pattern, while in its streets and parks you discover a warm, living story… The story of a city that grew from a star fortress into one of the most special and recognisable places in Croatia.

All four of Karlovac’s rivers are woven into the very identity of the city and the lives of its inhabitants, and it’s been that way for countless centuries. You can swim freely and safely in all four, but the Korana River has the most beautiful river swimming area in this part of Europe, Foginovo, where Karlovac’s residents and their guests have been swimming for over one hundred years now.