Plaški

Plaški occupies the broad Plaški polje at an elevation of 385 metres, where the landscapes of Lika, Kordun and Gorski kotar meet. The village lies about 25 kilometres southeast of Ogulin and has a station on the Zagreb–Split railway, making it one of the region’s smaller destinations that can still be reached by train. Its skyline is shaped by two distinctive churches: the Catholic parish church of St Anne, dating from 1807, and the former Orthodox episcopal cathedral, extensively remodelled in the early 20th century. Plaški served as an important seat of the Upper Karlovac Eparchy from the 18th century, which explains the surprisingly monumental Orthodox complex found in this rural setting. Ruins of the medieval stronghold of Plasi survive at Gradine above the surrounding field. Nearby, in the settlement of Jezero, the Sinjac karst spring provides a striking natural counterpoint; explorations have reached a depth of roughly 205 metres. A visit therefore combines the open landscape of Plaški polje, unusual ecclesiastical heritage and the karst waters beneath Mala Kapela.

Plaški has no tightly packed old town; instead, it stretches through a spacious karst field shaped by local waterways. The village is the administrative centre of its municipality, and its position between Ogulin and Mala Kapela historically connected it with the routes of the Military Frontier. The principal landmarks are St Anne’s Church and the former episcopal complex of the Presentation of the Virgin, remodelled in a Historicist scheme associated with architect Janko Holjac. The Orthodox church acquired Russian-inspired features in the early 20th century, an unusual architectural language in Croatia. Plaški is also the birthplace of writer Ulderiko Donadini, while the name of medieval Plasi survives through the ruined stronghold at Gradine.