Visit Kraljevica – the town of master shipbuilders and captivating heritage tales. Situated just twenty
kilometers from Rijeka, at the mouth of the Bakar Bay, Kraljevica offers a colorful blend of cultural
heritage and the natural beauty of Kvarner. Right at the entrance to the town, you will be welcomed
by two castles, which have been watching over Kraljevica and its people for centuries. The Old Town
of Zrinski Castle and the New Kraljevica Castle were built in the 17th and 18th century. They contain
stories as elusive as history itself – traces of light and sorrow whose fragments are woven into the
tapestry of memories.

Who were their owners? Who built and maintained them? What did they hope for?
Step further into the Old Town of Zrinski Castle and you’ll find an ancient well bearing the initials of
Count Petar Zrinski engraved on its crown: C.P.A.Z.1651. Countless footsteps have passed through its
Lower and Upper Castle and the Church of St. Nicholas: nobles, soldiers, laborers, sailors, the sick,
doctors, students… Today, the castle houses the city administration and public library.

In summertime, the heart of this baroque castle – the Zrinski Square – becomes a stage,
transforming its own walls into living creators of a new culture with people of Kraljevica as the main
protagonists.

The goal of the Zrinski Square revitalization project is to reconstruct and furnish the castle’s inner
courtyard (atrium). The castle, located in the center of Kraljevica, dates back to the 15th century, and
was reconstructed in the 17th century. Although it has changed owners and purposes throughout its
long and turbulent history, it is still relatively well preserved. Its renovation and adaptation will enrich
the tourist offering of Kraljevica and the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The project also aims to
consolidate the cultural and tourism offer through the protection and revitalization of cultural
heritage, as most cultural and tourism-related activities will be carried out in this place. The ultimate
objective is to prolong the tourist season, increase employment and repurpose the unused heritage.