Karlovac was built from scratch in 1579 as defence against the Ottoman Empire.
It was founded as a six-pointed star fortress built on the Zrinski estate near the old town of Dubovac at the confluence of the Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra rivers. The unique star shape can still be seen around the town. It was originally known as Karlstadt, after Archduke Charles II of Austria, upon whose orders construction began on July 13, 1579.

Meanwhile, the fort was becoming too crowded for the city's expanding population and the Military Frontier government could not allow for its further growth. On December 6, 1693 the city received some limited self-government.

The town blossomed in the 18th and 19th centuries with the development of roads to the seaside and waterways along the Kupa River.

Today, Karlovac is the modern administrative centre of Karlovac county, with a population over 50 000 inhabitants.

Karlovac