Netretić is a small village perched on a hill above the Pokuplje region, between two rivers, the Kupa and the Dobra, and nestled between two historic roads, the Lujzijana and the Karolina. Known as the "second gateway to Croatia," it’s where paths diverge toward the coast, Slovenia, and inland Croatia. Imagine the old coaches that once traveled along the Lujzijana as you sit on the edge of this historic road leading toward Senj, running your fingers over the miles etched into its stone borders.

Starting from Vukova Gorica, the journey welcomes you with all three Prilišće villages—Gornje, Srednje, and Donje. Here, you can check if the Kupa River still flows downstream, or, if you're less inclined to humor, pay your respects to the old parish and the half-millennium-old chapel of St. Leonard. Continue through Ladešići, take a swim in the Kupa, and wave to your Slovenian neighbors across the water—they’re good neighbors. When you reach the center of Netretić, you might feel uncertain which road to take next. Don’t worry; all roads here lead somewhere interesting.

Visit the estate and manor in Mali Modruš Potok—you might even decide to retire there. See if “Wine Hill” lives up to its name and whether “Bare Hill” is truly bare. Have you never found your way to Piščetke? Let it draw you in. You've been to Hawaii but not to Piščetke? Why not? You might shiver a bit in Mrzljaki and wait for darkness to fall in Mračin. Wrap up your journey in Završje. And don’t worry; all roads lead somewhere.

For a grand finale, head to Novigrad na Dobri, a little village quite literally on the Dobra River. The old stone bridge with its arches spanning the clear river below will refresh your mind and cool your weary feet. In the late afternoon, as the sun dips toward the horizon, the long shadows of the towers of old Novigrad Castle play a throne room of shadows, casting shapes of the noble Frankopan family, whose spirits still seem to live in the ancient fortress.

This isn’t Novigrad in Istria or Novigrad Dalmatinski—this is Novigrad na Dobri, with its historic castle overlooking the stone bridge and a reflection of history mirrored on the river's surface.