The Zrinski Castle is a monument par excellence. In 1651 in Brod na Kupi, Petar Zrinski built his palace, probably at the site of an earlier, 15th-century Frankopan castle. Due to more intense exploitation of natural resources, he transferred administration and judiciary from their earlier centres in Vinodol (Hreljin, Bribir, Ledenice) to Brod na Kupi. Today, the castle is a simple three-storey masonry structure with a hipped roof. It seems that in the beginning, the third floor was built from wood. On the ground floor, connected with Kupica and a nearby cavern through an underground tunnel, the original layout has been preserved, while the first and the second floor underwent reconstruction at a later date. This attractive and valuable building serves as both a fortification and an abode, making it a court-palace with special value. In terms of defence capabilities, the castle was equipped with loopholes on all façades, with a box-machicolation on the last floor, which was a walled structure with an opening through which hot lead, oil and rocks were dropped on enemies trying to break through.

Today, the Zrinski Castle hosts the “Wilderness with a Sea View” permanent exhibition of the Natural History Museum and a Routes of the Frankopans Interpretation Centre, where you can find out more about the rich fauna of Gorski Kotar and the Frankopan family’s history in the region.