Slunj & Rastoke, Croatia

In Aug 2025, while we were based in Zagreb, Croatia for 1 month, we took a day trip to Slunj and Rastoke. Slunj is a small town in central Croatia, located midway between Zagreb and Plitvice Lakes. Rastoke is part of Slunj, specifically the old riverside quarter of the town and the main reason why tourists stop here. Our bus stopped in Slunj town centre and we had to walk 20 mins to Rastoke. Rastoke is a quaint village with streams, waterfalls and watermills, and is typically included as a stopover in many guided tours on the way to Plitvice Lakes. Rastoke is where the Slunjcica River flows into the Korana River, creating cascades, rapids and small lakes. It is sometimes called “ Little Plitvice”, as a result. We had lunch at Restaurant AMBAR which is located on the top of a hill overlooking Slunj and Rastoke. A historical building used to sit on the same site as the restaurant, but only the remnants of its outer walls still remain. After lunch, we walked down the hill to follow a circuitous route around the valley and along Korana river to reach the remains of the Old Town of Slunj. Then onwards to Slunj bus station to catch the bus back to Zagreb. Quite an eventful day and our last burst of fire before we leave Zagreb for Ljubljana the next day ! #slowtravel #europetravel #croatia #slunj #rastoke