.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
About
Croatia is one of the European countries with the richest river flora and fauna, while the city of Karlovac, famous for its four rivers – Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra, is a perfect place to present the freshwater natural wealth. The beautiful modern aquarium is devoted to local freshwater life, enabling us to get to know our fishy friends better and understand just how rich in beauty and biodiversity the rivers, lakes and ponds are.The Aquatika opened in 2016 on the right bank of the Korana River. The complex was designed to display the course of a karst river and its various habitats. The design was based on the idea of dividing the river course into its upper, middle and lower sections. The structure is dug into the ground, and its exterior sides covered in an earthen embankment. The inspiration for the architecture was the historical town centre: the Karlovac star-shaped town, surrounded by earthen defensive embankments.
Dive below the surface
Aquatika spreads over 3.000 square meters that follow the course of a typical karst river, starting from the source in the square, and then descending to the basement floor with cave and swamp habitats. Throughout the journey, visitors can see more than 100 species of fish and as many as 40 endemic species distributed in 25 aquariums. The display offers a detailed, interesting, instructive, and exciting insight into the wonderful freshwater world. Visitors can thus experience the whole river course, from its source to its mouth, walking first through the Upper Course, then continue through the Middle Course and finally reach the Lower Course of the river, each with its specific habitat and fish species.Other habitats
The aquarium also comprises the cave system habitat with endemic fish species while the largest habitat in Aquatika presents the migratory fish species from the sturgeon family. You will also be acquainted with standing waters habitat, and another one that contains fish species which are not native to Croatia. The final habitat of the aquarium is dedicated to the karst phenomenon, explaining the creation of travertine waterfalls and the importance of conserving them.The Souvenir Shop
The souvenir shop at the end of the exhibition area, offers authentic souvenirs from the Karlovac region, handmade by local suppliers in limited editions exclusively for the aquarium. Local artists, potters, photographs, designers, craftsmen and artisans have all offered their most creative works for the aquarium visitors.Aquatika Surrounding
Aquatika is located in the vicinity of the Natura 2000 area. It is an ecological network made up of areas across the European Union inhabited by animal and plant species that are endangered, vulnerable or on the verge of extinction for various reasons. Therefore, the European Union has formed the ecological network Natura 2000, and all members of the European Union are obliged to protect such endangered habitats and animal species. About 20% of the EU's territory is included in this ecological network, making it the largest conservation system in the world.As part of the project ‘Encounter with the river’, a pedestrian and bicycle path and a lookout were built along the Korana river, which are part of the outdoor interpretation center, and are located in the immediate vicinity of Aquatika.
Comments