Kupjak Mountain Park and surroundings – an adventure weekend for kids and adults

The accommodation has the option of sleeping, breakfast, and dinner (we, of course, decided to have everything). We stayed in an apartment of about 40 square meters that is located next to the main building. It consists of a kitchen, a bedroom, a gallery, and a fireplace with a fire (which we tried despite the fact that it was not cold – but the atmosphere is too brilliant to be missed). All this surrounds a beautiful view of nature and a park (what is Liv without a park?). Next to the apartment is the main house, inside which there are five more rooms (the total capacity is about 18 people). All this includes another cool option, which is the possibility of a self-service fridge with juices, beer, wine, etc.

The refrigerator works on the principle of trust – you take whatever you want, you “declare” it when you leave, and then you pay how much you took! I really like that trust and the homely atmosphere that radiate through the house. Everything is so pleasant, comfortable, and friendly that it is completely impossible not to return there!

There is also an adorable conference room for 40 people, which makes it ideal for a small team building event (especially in winter when the toboggan run is also open, so the party is even easier to move outdoors). Don’t say you’ve outgrown sledding – I haven’t and I never will! If you share my wish, know that it can be crowded in the winter. Namely, the owners tell us that during the tobogganing season, as many as 600,700 people visit the toboggan during one weekend. I’m not surprised because the place is great!

The toboggan run is currently being renovated to make it even safer for all ages, so we will definitely be back with snow. He wasn’t there yet this weekend, so we enjoyed other adventures and the (always) beautiful view that accompanied them. We decided to explore the surroundings of Kupjak and find more content for children and adults. There was no shortage of them – and we are sharing them with you!

LabZab discount code in the Kupjak mountain park

We wouldn’t be us if we didn’t make sure that you are as well as we are! On this behalf, we would like to thank the hosts of the Kupjak mountain park who decided to give you a discount on their, as we said, ingenious accommodations! From January 1, 2023, until March 31, 2023, you can get a 10% discount on overnight stays, provided that you stay a minimum of two nights. When booking, you only need to mention the code LabZab10, and that’s it! In the contact form on their website, – mountain park Kupjak, you will find a box with a discount code. Use it and have fun, like us! We are very happy about the cooperation with the Kupjak Mountain Park, to which we are definitely returning!

P.S. Tourist allowance and breakfast are not included in the discount.

You’re welcome!

In search of even more untouched nature, we went for a walk in the nearby Kamačnik canyon. It wasn’t our first time there, but we were happy to come back because the walk is brilliant. It is a walk through nature, which is fantastic at any time of the year. At the same time, the trail is not demanding for smaller kids like Liv (nor for adults out of shape). In the canyon, there is also a special Pan’s Trail for kids, where various children’s stations with fun props and smart entertainment await them. The walk itself doesn’t last long, or it doesn’t have to last long, it depends on what pace you walk at and where you get stuck along the way. We have already visited everything before, so this time we were short – which does not mean that the walk was not sweet!

Ivana’s fairytale house

After breakfast in Gorski Park Kupjak, the plan was to visit nearby Ogulin and Ivana’s fairytale house there. Of course, we are talking about a house dedicated to the creativity of our genius, Ivana Brlić – Mažuranić. It is located in the ancient Frankopan castle and looks great – but I still recommend it more if you have slightly older kids. Although she walked around the space with interest, Liv is still too young to understand the whole point, but a real adventure awaits the older ones! The Magic Mirror, the Secret Chamber, the Domestic Hearth, and the Creative Room are some of the points that await children, but also us adults who want a good fairy tale. Of course, there is also a library of fairy tales – which Liv arrives at as soon as she learns to read!

Native Museum Ogulin

Next to Ivana’s fairytale house is the Ogulin Native Museum. There we walked through the history of the town of Ogulin, and it was the same as in Ivan’s fairy tale house. So: a nice walk, very interesting museum material, a well-organized area…but still, everything is still “too big” for Liv. I give the same advice as before: definitely go with the older kids, and walk with the younger ones until they grow up a bit!

Đulin’s abyss

From the world of fairy tales and museums, we headed towards the nearby Đula’s abyss (it is already clear to you that everything is “nearby”, which is a great thing because in a short time you can visit several locations, from which one literally leads you to another). We peeked into Đula’s abyss and walked through the beautiful nature that surrounds it. I was also delighted by the exhibits for the STEM fairy tale, which were placed next to Đula’s abyss. I am glad that this project was launched, which I consider to be a great idea. When Liv is a little older, we will use the walk to tell her the legend about the unfortunate Đula, after whom the abyss got its name – and until then, she will be content with the legend about the dragon that met us at Šmitovo Lake!

Šmitovo lake

We went to Šmitovo Lake on a recommendation because we heard that it is a special experience. It really is, so now I recommend it to you too! The lake has a fairy-tale emerald color, is surrounded by mystical nature, and at a certain angle has a characteristic heart shape. It consists of two connected lakes, Small and Large. Water flows into the Small Lake through a series of cracks in the Rupećnica abyss and then spreads into the Big Lake. The place is perfect for a rest, a picnic, or a walk – it relaxes us adults and invites the kids to a crazy adventure! Liv quickly took the bait through a local legend we told her on a walk around the lake, which I also advise you to do if you are taking the kids.

During the walk, their story will be even more tense, which Liv confirms for us firsthand! She was completely enthralled by the story: once upon a time, many centuries ago, a dragon lived in Lake Šmitovo. He wasn’t very friendly. There was fear and trembling in the whole area! Once, he kidnapped a girl from the village and took her to his cave by the lake. All the villagers cried for the girl, but none dared fight the dragon to save her and bring her home. The villagers’ cry was heard by the knight Juraj who happened to be passing by their village. When he heard what happened, he decided to save the girl and defeat the dangerous dragon forever. Knight Juraj slept by the lake, from which the dragon came out in the morning. He became very angry at the sight of the knight and began to belch his terrible fire. A dangerous and protracted fight followed, in which the knight managed to win. He tackled the dragon with his sharp spear and rescued the frightened girl from the cave. But the legend says another important thing: Juraj’s fight with the dragon was so fierce that the knight’s horse’s hoof remained imprinted in the stone next to the lake. That print is no longer visible because it was covered by water over the years: but apart from it, the legend remains, with which we end this adventure!

All in all…

I’m a big fan of everything – accommodation, surroundings, and entertainment! A great weekend for young and old, to which we will definitely return in the winter. And if you need even more adrenaline, know that it is also nearby. Namely, next to the Kupjak Mountain Park is the famous adrenaline park Kupjak. We didn’t visit it because it wasn’t open yet, so it’s waiting for us on the next tour. Although they are next to each other, you should know that the Kupjak adrenaline park is not part of the Kupjak Mountain Park, and they do not share the same owners – so don’t be “confused” that one goes with the other! Another thing is that they have great pastures – so you can visit both!