Grof’s educational trail

Papuk is the largest mountain range in Slavonia, in eastern Croatia, and its forests, valleys and streams are protected as the Papuk Nature Park, which has also been recognised as a geopark. The best-known corner of the park is Jankovac, a forest area on the northern slopes, about fourteen kilometres from the town of Velika, where a small lake, a forest lodge and a famous waterfall lie in the middle of beech woods. Grof’s educational trail is the short, well-built walk through the Jankovac Forest Park that links these sights, and it is the easiest way for visitors to meet the mountain.

The trail takes its name from the Croatian word for count, grof, and it honours Count Janković, the noble owner of the Papuk estates in the 19th century, who loved the area, built paths and a hunting lodge here and helped to preserve its woods. The place name Jankovac itself comes from his family. His landscaping gave visitors access to the forest at a time when few people in the region had the chance to see it, and the trail continues that tradition. It is a little over two kilometres long, laid out with steps, wooden bridges and handrails in the steeper places, so that families and walkers of different ages can follow it without difficulty.

The route leads through mature forests of beech and oak, beside small lakes and streams, and to a viewpoint near Skakavac, a waterfall that drops in a long ribbon down a rocky wall and is one of the tallest in the region. Along the way, information boards explain the geology, plants, animals and history of the park, so the walk doubles as an outdoor classroom. Papuk is famous among geologists because its rocks span a huge range of ages and types, and the displays show how the mountain was formed, how water shaped the valleys and which animals and plants live in the woods. The trail has been praised for its design and visitor experience, and it has been a model for similar paths elsewhere.

Practical matters are simple. The trail is free and open during daylight hours, and the best seasons are spring, when the streams are full, and autumn, when the beech forest turns gold and copper. The surface can be slippery after rain, so wear shoes with grip, and bring water and a rain jacket, as the mountain weather can change quickly. A forest lodge and a small café at Jankovac provide refreshments in the season. For a longer outing, the nearby Rupnica geo-trail leads to volcanic rock formations known as the organ pipes, and a longer route runs from Velički grad to Lapjak, Jankovac, Jezerce and Duboka.

The trail suits families, school groups, walkers and anyone curious about nature. Allow about an hour and a half, including time at the waterfall.