Gornji Budački: History and Nature

When looking for hotels in Gornji Budački, the history of the place, named cultural buildings and its connection to nature through Brebornica help put the destination in context. At its heart are a partisan school established in 1942 and an ecological network area that extends partly into Gornji Budački.

The Partisan School and Local History

The Partizanska oficirska škola Glavnog štaba Hrvatske began operating in Gornji Budački on 21 February 1942. It was intended for commanders of partisan units from Lika, Kordun, Banija, Gorski kotar and the Croatian Littoral. The school is considered the first military school of the Yugoslav People’s Liberation War and was established in Gornji Budački. By November 1942, 360 graduates had completed the lower-level course and 44 the higher-level course.

The biography of Vladimir Matijević also connects the place name with a broader historical narrative: he was born in 1854 in the Gornji Budački area near Karlovac. Matijević co-founded the Serbian Bank in Zagreb, helped organize Serbian agricultural cooperatives and founded the Privrednik association in 1897. Thus, alongside military education, the historical perspective also encompasses finance, agriculture and the founding of associations.

Cultural Buildings and Natural Areas

The built heritage includes the ethnological building at Gornji Budački 13, the memorial buildings Zgrada GŠ and Zgrada Oficirske škole, Kuća Rade Peurače at Gornji Budački 12, Kuća Matijević at Gornji Budački 5, and another memorial building at Gornji Budački 9. The selection therefore includes an ethnological building, explicitly named memorial buildings and houses with their own names.

The Brebornica ecological network area lies mostly in the settlement of Brebornica and extends partly into Gornji Budački. The 2023–2032 management plan identifies two target species for the area: the Adriatic lizard orchid and the stone crayfish. These species represent different aspects of conservation, from plant life to crustaceans.

Connections and Historical Context

Gornji Budački is listed as a stop on County Line 65. The line connects Karlovac, Tušilović, Krnjak and Gornji Skrad. Check the current timetable before travelling, as route details may change. Historically, a road ran through Gornji Budački north to a church known as “Nova Czerkva.” In older records, the place also appears under the name “Ober Budachky.”

More Topics in the Wider Destination of Općina Krnjak

The wider destination of Općina Krnjak includes other distinct nature and cultural topics. The area around Jopićeva Pećina is designated for the conservation of species and habitat types; it is also important for the protection of the stone crayfish (Autropotamobius torrentium). The protected cave is almost seven kilometres long, its lower level contains an underground river, and it is closed to the public. Jopićeva Pećina is also historically and archaeologically significant. The cave and its surroundings provide a habitat for populations of four bat species: the long-fingered bat (Myotis capaccinii), Geoffroy’s bat (Myotis emarginatus), the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros).

Another regional feature is the historic Zmajsko-Frankopanska educational hiking trail. It begins in the village of Vujaškovići in Općina Krnjak and ends at the Old Frankopan Town of Skrad on the Korana. Opened on 21 December 2024, the trail is 1.3 km long and offers views of the landscapes of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

The monastery complex of Bogorodice Trojeručice in Donji Budački is also part of the wider destination of Općina Krnjak. The monastery was founded in 2007. The complex includes the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and a chapel dedicated to Bogorodica Trojeručica; the church dates from 1700.

Discover more destinations: Krnjak

To the wider travel overview: Općina Krnjak.