Ogulin Castle and Đula's Abyss

About this place

Ogulin Castle is a stone castle in the town of Ogulin in Karlovac County, central Croatia, about 62 km east of Rijeka and 85 km southwest of Zagreb in a straight line. The town is known for its historic castle, called the Kula, and the nearby mountain of Klek. Ogulin's history goes back to the 15th century; it is first mentioned in a document issued by Bernardin Frankopan around 1500 marking the boundaries of a new castle. The town is linked to the legend of Đula, a girl who threw herself into the abyss of the river Dobra because of an unhappy love, and the abyss bears her name. The castle has round stone towers with dark conical roofs beside a long pale building with rows of windows, surrounded by walls and a round tower. Close by, the river Dobra disappears into a deep rocky abyss covered in green trees and then flows underground. Visitors walk around the castle and visit the local museum inside, then go to the edge of Đula's Abyss to see the river vanish into the rock. Hikers climb nearby Klek, and the town makes a good stop between Zagreb and the coast.