Spring of the Čabranka

The Čabranka takes its name from the town, and it begins almost in town. A fifteen-minute walk from the centre leads to the spot the local tourist trails mark as the source of the Čabranka: a cleft in the high rock walls of Veliki Obrh, at the far end of a deep, narrow side valley of the Kupa.

The walk is one of the easiest in Gorski kotar. A marked trail starts in central Čabar, behind the Zrinski castle, and follows a paved road before turning onto a short, well-signed forest path. It is graded 1 out of 5 for difficulty, so it suits families and anyone who wants a short outing from the castle. Close to the spring a footbridge crosses the water, and locals call it the Bridge of Love; couples cross it hand in hand.

The Čabranka is a short river, about 17.5 kilometres long, and for its whole course it is a border river between Croatia and Slovenia. It runs through a narrow, forested valley with many small waterfalls and rapids and joins the Kupa at Osilnica, on the Slovenian side. The cold, clean water holds plenty of salmonid fish, and the river is known for recreational fishing, as well as for kayaking and walking along its banks.

Its source has been a point of local pride for a long time. A Slovenian travel account from the years between the world wars describes the river rising in two places beneath the Obrh rocks and notes that the people of Čabar showed the spring to every visitor from outside. The landscape around it is classic Gorski kotar karst: grey limestone walls, beech and fir forest, moss and a constant sound of water.

There is no visitor infrastructure at the spring beyond the path and the bridge, and that is part of the appeal. Come in spring, when snowmelt swells the flow, or in summer for cool shade on a hot day, and wear shoes with grip, as the rocks near the water are wet. Fishing on the Čabranka requires a permit, which should be arranged locally before you cast a line.

The spring pairs naturally with the Zrinski castle in town, where the trail begins, and it gives a quick sense of why this remote corner of Croatia, at the edge of the country and surrounded by forest, has always been shaped by water.