Things to do in Karlovac

Aquatika Freshwater Aquarium Karlovac

Muzej Domovinskog rata Karlovac - Turanj

The museum covers a large area and is one of the larger museums in Croatia. It features rich and interesting exhibits and is a great place to learn about history.

Foginovo kupalište

Zorin Dom

Karlovac center

Sports hall Mladost

Historical Grain Boat

Nikola Tesla Experience Center Karlovac

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Saint Mark's Basilica

Saint Mark's Basilica is located in Saint Mark's Square, adjacent to the Doge's Palace. The basilica was first built in 828, and after the old church was destroyed by fire, reconstruction began in the 11th century. It was originally used to house the relics of Saint Mark and later stored various treasures brought back during the Crusades, making it an art repository with a rich collection. The church is primarily Byzantine in style, blending various architectural and decorative elements from Romanesque to Renaissance. Its facade features five Romanesque doors with diamond-shaped arches, topped with Oriental and Gothic spires, along with marble statues, reliefs, and floral motifs. The massive dome and dazzling mosaics are its most striking features. The church consists of five large domed main halls and two cloister-style vestibules, forming a giant Greek cross in its overall layout. The design of the five domes was inspired by the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, making it a highly representative Byzantine-style structure. In front of the church stand three flagpoles, symbolizing the three regions of Cyprus, Crete, and Morea that Venice controlled during its peak, bearing witness to the city's past glory. At the top center of the church stands a statue of Saint Mark holding the Gospel of Mark, with the winged lion symbolizing Saint Mark beneath it.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area

Doge's Palace

The Doge's Palace, adjacent to St. Mark's Basilica and facing the lagoon, was the political hub of the former Republic of Venice: serving as the residence of successive doges and housing legislative, administrative, and judicial bodies such as the Great Council, the Senate, and the Council of Ten. Originally built in the 9th century as a castle-like defensive structure, its current Gothic main body was constructed from the 14th century onward, suffering multiple fires over time. After two consecutive fires in the 1570s, architect Andrea Palladio proposed a neoclassical redesign, but the republic ultimately restored it to its original Gothic form, creating this masterpiece of delicate Venetian Gothic architecture. Since 1923, it has operated as a museum, with ceiling and wall paintings by Venetian School masters like Tintoretto and Veronese adorning its halls. The two facades facing St. Mark's Square and the lagoon are the signature features of this building: geometric patterns formed by white and rose-colored stone, with a massive solid upper wall adorned with flamboyant spires and traceried windows. Below, the two-tiered arcades and loggias appear light and airy—this unconventional "top-heavy, bottom-light" proportion is precisely what distinguishes Venetian Gothic style. The original medieval capitals and statues replaced during the facade's major restoration now have a dedicated exhibition area. The visit generally follows a fixed route. First, enter the inner courtyard: the north side is adjacent to St. Mark's Basilica, where you can look up and see the church's domes; on both sides of the Giant's Staircase in the courtyard stand the statues of Mars and Neptune sculpted by Sansovino, symbolizing the republic's power on land and at sea; embedded in the walls of the second-floor corridor are several lion-headed anonymous denunciation boxes, where reports were once dropped directly into the lion's mouth, and standing in the corridor, you can also overlook St. Mark's Square and the lagoon. The bronze cistern in the center of the courtyard is exquisitely decorated—fresh water was scarce in Venice, and the whole city relied on rainwater filtered into underground wells for use; it is said that water sellers used to come here specifically to draw water for sale. Then, go upstairs along the Golden Staircase: the staircase is named for its gilded stucco decorations, and at the entrance stand the statues of Hercules, who slew the serpent, and Atlas, who carried the earth on his shoulders; in the past, it was reserved only for nobles and VIPs. Upstairs, the rooms are lined one after another—the Four Doors Room, the Anticollegio, the Sala del Collegio, and finally the Great Council Chamber—with paintings and sculptures covering everything from the ceilings to the walls. In the Great Council Chamber, Tintoretto's massive "Paradise," inspired by Dante's "Divine Comedy: Paradiso," occupies almost the entire side wall; its sheer scale makes it one of the largest oil paintings on canvas, with layers of heavenly figures filling the composition. Another room is lined with world maps, featuring celestial and terrestrial globes on display. The latter part of the itinerary leads first through the armory, which houses medieval weapons and armor, then descends into the dim, underground prison cells, and finally crosses the Bridge of Sighs, built around 1600, to reach the New Prison on the opposite bank—a facility considered one of the earliest buildings in Europe designed specifically as a prison, with its name derived from the sighs of prisoners as they crossed the bridge.