Driving Glina to Rastoke: Curves, forests, views
The roughly one-hour drive between Glina and Rastoke takes you through forests and villages and is one of the more thrilling drives in central Croatia. It’s twisty and technical, but mainstream and popular and ends in one of our best-looking villages.
72 km
Distance
1 hour
Drive time
Medium to good
Surface
Medium to heavy
Traffic
Road Metrics
Twist factor 🌀
High, a lot of corners of varying difficulty and speed.
Season🚦
Avoid peak summer if you+re interested in spirited driving.
Vibes 🛣️
Fast, secluded, but popular.
Safety ⚠️
Can be tricky if there’s a lot of traffic.
This is one of the more interesting popular roads in Croatia because a part of it is actually a section of the so-called Old Road between Zagreb and Split, built way before we had a national highway system. The road was popular for its numerous restaurants, bars and other stops, as well as for being dangerous and extremely crowded during peak season. Fortunately, that has since changed, and I enjoy driving it every time I am traveling to the coast.
After leaving Glina, the road becomes surprisingly twisty and fast, which is somewhat unexpected. The scenery is interesting, and there aren’t all that many large villages and towns to pass, making it relatively safe for spirited driving. There are dozens of high-speed corners, fast elevation changes and several long stretches, combined to make this one feel like a mini rally stage, and not a popular route. The road even has a very real hairpin turn which can be both fun and dangerous if you miscalculate.
This route ends at Rastoke, a village known for its waterfalls where I always stop and ret when traveling to the coast. Rastoke is known as the gateway to the Plitvice Lakes, and is a tiny village just ahead of Slunj that has waterfalls, holiday houses, a bar and a pizza place. When there, stop at Vodena Ovca bar: its terrace overlooks the large viaduct over the river, and you’re sitting on top of a waterfall! Before starting, make sure to plan your drive accordingly!
Fun facts
This section of road is very popular with both locals aiming to avoid the crowded highways and tourists trying to travel away from the beaten path.
Recommended stops
Rastoke: Known as the “Little Plitvice,” Rastoke is famous for its waterfalls and old wooden houses. It has many holiday homes that can be rented out, but is mostly known as the gateway to the Plitvice Lakes. You can literally park your car next to the river and walk straight into the village.
Route Overview
Road conditions
Weather and wind
The road is a much more interesting way to get from the continental Croatia to the coast, but its surface is not always perfect and there’s usually traffic. Still, it’s very amusing and interesting to drive when conditions are good.
Definitely yes, Rastoke is a very relaxed, laid-back and interesting place and it’s literally on the side of the road. You can eat, drink, swim and have a good time while taking a break from the road.
