Plaski – a magnificent Francopan fortress

On the north-western elevation above Cloak head, named Gradina (635 m.a.s.l.), there are the ruins of the medieval fortified town of Plaški. Until the wars with the Ottomans and the settlement of a new population in the 17th century, the fortified town and settlement in the valley bore the name Plasi. The old Croatian word plase meant a spacious fertile field. And that's exactly what Plaščanska dolina is like, which stretches north of Plaška glava.

fortress Plaški
Remains of Plaški fort

The hill of Gradin with the remains of the Plaški fortress is a favorite destination for mountaineers and hikers. The hiking trail to the top of the mountain, which also touches Gradina, has been marked by the Mountaineering Society "Cloak Heads". The trail starts in the village of Vera, near the waterfall and the lake. At first, it climbs gently, and after entering the forest, a somewhat steeper ascent follows. It will take you about an hour to walk from the village to the remains of the medieval city.

The Plašča estate was since 1193 in the possession of the princes of Krk, later known as Frankopani. The fortified town of Plasi perished in the battles with the Ottomans during the 16th century. It was abandoned in 1592. Even after more than four centuries, its remains point to a once spacious and solid fortress. When you climb Gradina, you will certainly be impressed by the central round tower, with walls about 1,4 meters thick. Part of the surrounding towers and walls have been preserved, and the fan-shaped walls of the suburbs and the foundations of the church can be seen.

fortress Plaški
Remains of Plaški fort

The area of ​​the medieval fortress-town of Plaški is overgrown with Bjelogorica forest, which obscures the view of the surroundings. However, you can enjoy the views if you continue your walk towards the highest peak of the mountain, Plaška glava (795 m.a.s.l.). From the western viewpoint of Strmac, the views shoot towards Plaščansko polje and to the "sleeping giant" - the Klek mountain. And from the southeast of Vršek you can see the Blaćansko polje, with the occasional lake, the villages of Lička Jesenica and Saborsko, and the mountain Lička Plješivica.

///PLAŠKI – a magnificent and forgotten Francopan fortress

The magnificent spiritual temple in Plaško

It rises in the center of Plaški Cathedral Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Take the time to visit this magnificent and beautiful church surrounded by greenery and other buildings significant for the history of Plaka. The church is the center of the religious life of Orthodox Christians, whose ancestors immigrated to the Plašća Valley in the 17th century from regions under the rule of the Turkish Empire, from Lika and Bosnia. 

Plaški church
Cathedral Church of the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God in Plaško

Since 1721, Plaski has been the seat of the Eparchy of Upper Karlovac, which includes the area of ​​Lika, Gorski kotar, Kordun and Banovina. From 1755 to 1763, Bishop Danilo Jakšić had a church built in the new diocesan seat, on the site of the former wooden parish church, which was called the Cathedral of the Mantle, and the bishop's palace.

The court is no longer there, but the church has survived despite various adversities. It has been renovated, upgraded and stylistically changed several times. The renovation in the Russian style with historicist touches, carried out from 1903 to 1907, is the most responsible for its present appearance. The interior has mostly retained its baroque expression, and is enriched with a sumptuous iconostasis. In the last decade, the church, as a valuable cultural asset, has been repaired and renovated again. The most demanding was the restoration of the impressive bell tower, 37 meters high.

Plaški church
Cathedral Church of the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God in Plaško

Walk to a slight elevation, only about a hundred meters east of the Cathedral. There was the center of a medieval settlement, with an early Christian parish church. After the military campaigns of the Ottomans, its bell tower was converted into a defensive tower in 1663 by Petar Zrinski, later Croatian ban. Those buildings no longer exist, but buildings from the middle of the 20th century stand out, especially the architecturally interesting "Ostrogović House" and the Dom kulture. Go down to the bridge on the Dretulja river, enjoying the view of its rapids and the surrounding reeds.

On the hot sinkhole with crets and reeds

Dragonfly is a karst sinkhole with only seven kilometers of flow that hides various interesting things. It also receives most of its water from the sinkholes, Jaruga and Stajnica, which flow on the southwest side of Mala Kapela. Their waters flow along the western edge of Plaščanska dolina. The most generous source is Vrelo Dretulje, under the hill Markanov vrh covered with conifers. Its water is clear, fresh, fast and cold.

nightingale
Dragonfly

Vrelo Dretulje is only two kilometers away from Plaški. You can get to it by motor vehicle or bicycle, but you can also walk along the "white road". You'll know that you're within reach when you see the water pump. The water bursts to the surface under pressure, immediately forming a river. Its bed was blocked by a small dam, which created the spring lake. Next to the dam are the ruins of a mill, and once upon a time the power of the water powered the sawmills.

Thanks to the members of the Association of recreationists, mountaineers and hikers "Little Chapel", there is a rest area next to the spring. There you can have a snack and a drink of clean cold water. Already from its source, the Dretulja flows along spacious meadows, creating wet habitats - reed beds and alkaline bogs. The river is special both for its meandering bed and for only one larger tributary, the Vrnjika, which it receives in Plaško. The preserved habitat of the upper stream is abundant with plant and animal species.

nightingale
Dragonfly

If you have experience in kayaking, go down the Dretulja in summer from the source to the bridge and the fish farm in Plaško. You will enjoy observing the banks covered with reeds and the whitish sandy bottom, covered in places with "carpets" of aquatic plants. Downstream from Plaški, the flow of the river is obstructed by thick willows. Dretulja sinks in the southeast of Plaščanska dolina in several separate sinkholes. After emerging from the underground, it appears partly as the river Mrežnica (Eastern or Primišljanska), and partly as the stream Rudnica.

The deep "mountain eyes" of Lake Sinjac

One of the jewels of the Plaščan Valley is Lake Sinjac in the hamlet of Jezero, near the road that leads from Plaška to the Plitvice Lakes. There is one lake for high water levels, and four separate lakes for drought. Strong streams flow out of deep karst pits. Combined, they form the Tuk river, a sinkhole only 2,5 kilometers long. At the beginning of its course are the remains of an ancient minica.

Lake Sinjac
Lake Sinjac

The four "mountain eyes" are named after the old Slavic word that refers to brown, because the surface of the water illuminated by the sun's rays will turn gray. The surrounding residents did not swim in the ponds, due to the cold water and lush freshwater vegetation. They also passed on the legend that an entire oxcart once sank there. They said that a thirsty ox pulled towards the water and rushed into the lake with a cart full of wood. One ox surfaced, and the other, together with the cart, disappeared into the depths.

That it was a real event from 1936., divers proved 66 years later, finding the cart at a depth of 42 meters. Research dives in Sinjac began in 1984. Under the leadership of the Society for Research and Recording of Karst Phenomena from Zagreb (DISKF, later Dinaridi - DISKF), in addition to Croatians, top foreign speleologists participated in them. In the lake Sinjac 1, they gradually descended to as much as 203 meters, but that is not its final depth.

Lake Sinjac
Lake Sinjac

Sinjac is the third most deeply explored karst spring in Croatia and one of the deepest in the world. It is also special because of the world's only underground freshwater sponge, which lives only in the underground of the Ogulin-Plaščan plain and northwestern Lika. You will also find interesting information, drawings and photos about the exploration of Sinjac on the information board, which was created in 2023 and placed near the lake by members of the association Dinaridi - DISKF and the Mountaineering Society "Plaške glave".

Co-author: Goran Majetić
Photo source: Tomislav Beronić


STELLA AUREA – Stories about Frankopans

Order the book STELLA AUREA – Stories about Frankopans by Tomislav Beronić.
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