The Waterfall Village | Rastoke, Croatia
The mystic waterfall village of Rastoke; quite simply put, it will take your breath away. It is one of the most beautiful and tranquil places you’ll ever see. Rastoke is a hidden gem that’s not too far from the world renown Plitvice Lakes National Park. Once you visit Rastoke, you probably won’t want to leave.
Something Unique, Something Different
Whichever way you turn, there’s a picturesque scene
You’ll hear the word “Slunj” a lot. The nomenclature can be ambiguous. Rastoke is a village in the town of Slunj which is situated in the mountainous part of Central Croatia and runs along the North-South route to the Adriatic Sea. Croatia may not be as popular as France, so you may not even know it existed. However, Croatia is one of the safest, friendliest, most naturally beautiful places in the world. It’s on my top 5 list of places to retire 😆
Welcome To Rastoke
The Most Peaceful Village In Europe
There are no hotels directly in the village. The closest larger establishment, that I know of, is Hotel Mirjana & Rastoke which is several minutes away by car. However, I highly recommend staying directly in the village using the AirBnB app, or similar.
Some of the absolute best hosts and stays I’ve ever had, arguably the best, are in Rastoke. I just keep coming back. Croatians are the friendliest people, did I already mention that? Well… they are 🙃.
Let The Sun Shine Down
The sounds, the views, the ambiance… life-changing
Years ago, I met a gentleman named Zlatko, yep, I still remember his name. Back then, we trekked across countries by trains, buses, subways, and taxis with huge backpacks We used the Eurail Pass, and we used it to its max 🤣. Often times, you have to work closely with hosts in other countries to coordinate transportation. It’s not like large cities, you cannot catch a taxi, Uber, or even bus most of the time.
First Rastoke Trip… Years Ago
On that first visit, we left Slovenia and terminated at the train station in Zagreb. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. We walked over a mile, with heavy backpacks, to the bus station. English wasn’t as prevalent. You had to decipher routes ahead of time, and back then, data on phones wasn’t accessible across countries as easily. After finding one person who spoke English, we finally found the correct bus. Croatian isn’t nearly as easy to pickup on the fly like Spanish, Italian, etc.
Pro tip: before you go, download offline Google Translate dictionaries for every country you plan to visit. You never know when data will cut. It happens, trust me 🤣
After a 2-hour bus ride that was pleasant, comfy, and was accompanied by crystal blue rivers out of the windows, we arrived nearby Rastoke. Zlatko was kind enough to pick all 3 of us up in his tiny car. He was so excited to show us around, and he gave us a tour of the main area before we even checked in. We got history, anecdotes, recommendations, and an all around great introduction.
We checked in to the apartment, which was a stunning 5-minute walk to the village center. The apartment was drastically more modern than anything we’d seen, starting in England and traveling through every country on the way to Croatia. Yep, Croatia and Slovenia are so modern that you’ll be confused by all the aged apartments you’ve stayed in along the way. Nothing can match the price for the quality.
This year, on our most recent visit at Apartment Bastaja, we were greeted by happy dogs, Marijana (our host) and her husband waving us in, and an at home-like environment that was filled with special care to make our stay so pleasant. Our lovely hosts even made us fresh crepes and wine from their personal vineyard. You got to love Croatia.
When you’re in Rastoke, there aren’t a lot of mainstream things to do, but that’s the appeal. Often times while backpacking, you traverse repetitive large cities throughout Europe. The best course of action is to stagger your events. Hit large cities, then span it with small towns in between. You’ll go from party mode to relax mode, reset, do it again. It’s the best cycle.
Each day was serene. You wake up with no planned schedule. You have a casual, yet beautiful, walk to the center. Grab breakfast, read a book, snap some photos, and listen to the sounds. You are parallel with huge waterfalls, endless greenery, tiny coves of rocks, intricate trickling waterways, and clear blue rivers. There is, what seems to be, an endless trail to hike through as well.
Fort Slovin Ruins
Begin your hike with an interesting piece of history
You can begin hikes by visiting ruins of what looks like a medieval entity, and you’d be right. These are the ruins of old Fort Slovin that was built during wars against the Turks, somewhere in the 12th century. Quick history: Fort Slovin was owned by the Frankopan family from the 15th century onwards. The town around it was later named Slunj. Ottoman wars in the 16th century left the town in shambles. It was then turned into an outpost for the Croation Military. In the 17th century, the town was rebuilt to modern Slunj. The fort is tiny, but it served a lot of purposes, or so it seems 🤔. For perspective, to this day, the population of Slunj is under 5,000.
Continuing on the hiking trail, you will walk along the river catching natural beauty for about 6 kilometers before the end of the village’s main area. At that point, you can circle back up a hill to the end of the village and grab lunch.
While parts are rural, and many lined with tiny cottages, there are areas to shop, eat, and get items that you need. It’s not completely isolated. Each time I go back, it also grows a little. They may have even more advanced things by the time I write this.
The large waterfalls at the center are likely where you’ll want to return to, time and time again. In the past couple of years, they’ve also added bright lights to accent the larger falls at night. Now you can enjoy them all hours of the day. Although, even without lights, the sound is amazing. In more recent years, they’ve even built switchback rails to get you closer. The plus side is that you always seem to have this place to yourself. There’s very little tourism. Shh… keep it a secret 🙃
When you get there, you’ll likely gaze at it from the street view. You’ll see a large grass area, tiny figurines, and small huts and cottages. This is the “Stari Mlin (Old Mill).” They used to mill corn here, or still may in areas. By the way, there are 22 water mills in Rastoke. Water flows from the Slunjcica River, over the waterfalls, and into the Korana River.
You pay something like 3 euros to enter (as of January 2023, Croatia uses the euro instead of the kuna for currency). I recommend going here because you’ll get some history but also much closer views of the water. You’ll also have the opportunity to capture more personal photos with a great waterfall backing.
You can stand atop the largest falls and peer downwards. You’ll walk through miniature gardens that are always labeled “super cute.” Don’t forget to see Snow White and her dwarves. You’ll encounter some unique artwork, and you can even venture down through a mini cave and onto the ground floor where the large falls terminate. Watch out for the tiny stairs 😏
There’s a restaurant situated right by the big falls and the old mill. You’ll be able to eat right on top of streams and listen to the ambiance while enjoying good food. It’s called Petro. While the owner is a bit odd, the servers are amazing. It has since changed some as well. I always eat outdoors, but you can dine inside the new covered area addition to get an indoor/outdoor hybrid vibe.
There’s another, much newer, option for eating. It’s located up on a hill, directly across from the big falls. It’s called Restoran Ambar and it’s extremely modern. You’ll get a distant view, but still a good one. The food is good, and the service is on point. Note that a lot of things can close earlier than you’re used to, so check times and go early.
Lastly, there’s a pitstop a short drive up the road. It’s called Restoran Pino. It is reminiscent of an upscale truck stop. However, we ate there to try something different. It ended up being delicious. If you have a car, you can check this place out too. Better yet, take it to go and eat by the falls.
Ultimately, you should treat this place like a surreal picnic. Grab some snacks, bring some board games, play around with photography, and simply marvel at the sites that many of us don’t get to normally see. Catch your breath, take in life, and reflect on how each day is a gift. Once you’ve had your fill of Rastoke, onward to Plitvice Lakes National Park!
As always, thanks Rastoke for amazing memories. Until next time 🙃
P.S. Happy Birthday Joey 😉
