Adrenaline Spectacle in Karlovac County – Quattro River Rally Kicks Off in Late March

The fifth edition of the attractive motorsport event, the Quattro River Rally, returns this spring to the roads of Karlovac County. The rally will take place ahead of Croatia’s biggest sporting spectacle – the WRC Croatia Rally. This year, new routes are expected, marking a further step forward in promoting the destination and raising road safety awareness.

The programme begins on Friday, March 27, 2026, with the opening of the service park at the Korana Sports and Recreation Centre (ŠRC Korana) in Karlovac and the arrival and registration of crews.

On Saturday, March 28, a shakedown will be held in Novigrad na Dobri from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., while the ceremonial start is scheduled for 2 p.m. in front of the Nikola Tesla Experience Center. After the start, crews will tackle the special stages Ščulac – Donje Bukovlje 1 (14:34), Lipa – Dubravčani 1 (15:02), Ščulac – Donje Bukovlje 2 (17:15) and Lipa – Dubravčani 2 (17:43), followed by a night stage in Karlovac at 19:51.

The competition continues on Sunday, March 29, with the stages Ozalj – Ribnik (8:57), Sračak – Ladešići 1 (9:30), Ozalj – Ribnik (11:51), Sračak – Ladešići 2 (12:24), regrouping in Ozalj at 13:14 and the final pass of the Ozalj – Ribnik stage at 13:52. The ceremonial finish will take place at 3:30 p.m., once again in front of the Nikola Tesla Experience Center, where the winners will be announced and the rally officially closed. All special stages will be closed to traffic one hour before the start of each stage.

Željko Magličić, President of the Rally Organising Committee, emphasised that this year’s edition introduces important novelties to the route.
“Each year we learn from previous editions and strive to raise the rally to a higher level. This year we decided to move away from the previous special stage concept. It was a risk, but we believe we have made a significant step forward. In addition to the four rivers, this year our route also includes four castles, or historic old towns. In this way, we further promote the cultural and historical heritage of Karlovac County and elevate the entire event to a new level,” Magličić stressed.

Karlovac County Prefect Martina Furdek Hajdin expressed her satisfaction that Karlovac County has strengthened its position on the global sporting map, especially thanking the organisers for their initiative and perseverance.
“This rally is not only about sport and adrenaline, but also a powerful tool for promoting our county and Croatia as a whole. It is particularly valuable that it takes place in the pre-season, as our goal is to attract visitors outside the main summer season. Our emergency medical services, firefighters, mountain rescue service and all those responsible for safety and traffic management have shown that we are professionals and welcoming hosts with big hearts. I believe this is why we have become an unavoidable destination for motor races over the years,” said the Prefect.

This year, the Quattro River Rally once again returns to the streets of Karlovac, making the event especially attractive to visitors and positioning it as an excellent overture to the upcoming events in the city.

“This rally is a story of Karlovac and Karlovac County. It is an adrenaline-fuelled and highly attractive sport. From the city administration level, we provide full support to this sporting event,” said the Mayor of Karlovac, Damir Mandić.

In conclusion, Željko Magličić highlighted that entries are already arriving from Karlovac as well as from the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and other European countries, clearly confirming that the Quattro River Rally has grown beyond local boundaries and continues to maintain a strong international character.