Welcome to sancti Mauri de Bozilo, to the home of Croatian nobility, welcome to Bosiljevo! From the shade of the oldest trees, situated on the edge of a cliff, on the line that divides reality from fairytale, the magnificent castle of the historic Bosiljevo castle wishes you a warm welcome. It stands there proudly, in spite of all the terrible wars and great disturbances, as a testament to the reputation and brilliance of the generations of the Frankopan family and all the people of Bosiljevo.
While being as attractive as many other famous castles mentioned in poems and songs and pictured in old postcards, the old Bosiljevo castle certainly remembers better days, its golden era of court balls, the richness of its library, as well as a kind of unusual curse that seems to be hovering above it even today. The dragons that were once the castle’s keepers are long gone. During windy nights you can hear the sounds of cello from the central tower and the rustling of silky ball gowns on the stony staircase. You will understand all this only if you take the magnificent staircase in search of the remaining secrets hidden in the stone edifice.
Bosiljevo is not only an exit on the highway towards the sea. This little village between the Kupa and the Dobra rivers was the birthplace of Ana Katarina Zrinski, an important 17th century author and the most educated woman of her time. Some people are born way before their time and their tragic fates should always remind us that history is life’s teacher, which we sometimes tend to forget. On the stone staircase of this old castle you will understand why.
Bosiljevo is not only an old castle, either, and if you are interested in history, in its vicinity you will find a lot of inspiration for a trip back to the past. If you happen to be around the castle just to pick mushrooms or chestnuts in the woods on the surrounding hills, try to remember that you are not the first nor the last to enjoy the richness of everything nature has to offer. Mind your step so that you don’t accidentally step into a stream or so that you don’t end up in the darkness of yet another still undiscovered cave. With a bit of luck, in one of them you might find the dragon that used to guard the old castle.
And at the end of your adventure, go to a village called Beč (Vienna in Croatian). Not the Vienna in Austria. Bosiljevo has its own Vienna. You can relax there and taste some homemade local food. Also, don’t forget to tag ‘location Beč’ on your smartphone.
