Okic

          My favorite, the most beautiful, most visited... the one and only Okić

Okić, view from NW

If you travel by highway (or by old road)  Zagreb-Karlovac and halfway between Zagreb and Jastrebarsko look towards west, you’ll notice odd looking conical hill, standing there alone, separated from the Plješivica ridge. It’s flat top is not a wonder of nature but work of human hands – these are the ruins of small castle Okić (read: Okich), a seat of famous count Ivan of Okić, and later counts Babonić, Frankopan and Erdödy.

Okić, view from NE

Okić, view from the north

Okić was built at the top of the cave, on a hill 499 m of height, leaving the impression of being coalesced with the rock what makes it one of our most picturesque castles. 

Okić, view from NW

With its superior strategic position, it overlooks wide area – the view from it spans over Posavina (river Sava basin), Pokuplje (river Kupa basin), Zagreb and part of Zagorje county. At clear day, Okić is visible even from the foot of mount Ivanščica, far at north, which made it possible to communicate via fire signals. 

view of Zagreb and Medvednica

view from Okić (Medvednica, Zagorje county and mont Ivanščica far at north)

Due to all that, since long ago it has been a special attraction and frequent target of many hikers and climbers while rocks at the south side of the hill have been popular practice spot of Zagreb’s alpinists. Early as 1843, Dragojla Jarnević (1812-1875) has climbed up to Okić through the rocks what is considered to be the first climb in the history of Croatian alpinism. 

Dragojla Jarnović

In 1978, a mountain hut has been built at the foot of Okić, and few years ago a road that leads to it was paved in full length, what made it even more popular resort.

mountain hut at the foot of Okić

It takes around a 10’ hike from the hut to the castle, by somewhat steep path partly cut into rocks.

the path at the beginning

the first part of the path (before the entrance/gatehouse)

The castle consists of 4 separated parts: entrance part, cistern, chapel and residential area. When approaching the castle, the first thing you reach is, of course, the entrance  (sort of a gatehouse) where a very prolonged, rectangular object stands. It is divided in two parts of which eastern one might have had upper storey. Legend has it that ground floor was in a function of stables and stalls while the upper one served as a guard-tower. 

entrance/gatehouse, western part

entrance/gatehouse, eastern part

We countinue to follow the path which now turns into a very narrow one cut into rocks.

the path between the entrance and residential part

the path between the entrance and residential part

Next structure along the path is a cistern that was misinterpreted in the past as a tower. Unfortunately, even nowadays this mistake appears in some articles when authors don’t consult newer and more detailed literature. The cistern is, with its western part, almost completely cut into the slope of the hill. At the top, remains of a promenade surrounded by a wall are still visible – besides from grabbing the water, it could also be used as a guarding spot for additional supervision of the entrance.

the cistern

From the cistern, the path continues towards the chapel where it sharply turns left and enters the castle at the approximately same spot where castle gate once stood. 

view of the chapel from the approach path

The chapel itself is a stand-alone building, separated from the rest of the castle, and is built at a small, separated ridge that dictated its irregular shape of prolonged rectangle with a round apse. It was probably built at the end of the Romanesque period (beginning of the 13^th ct. and before the Mongol invasion in 1242).

the chapel (apse) at summertime

the chapel (apse) at wintertime

interior of the chapel (view from the apse) 
and castle's north wall

The residential part of the castle occupies the entire plateau at the top of the hill. The contour of the rock has dictated its prolongated shape. The wall curtain encloses small inner bailey (courtyard) at whose western part a palace is situated (due to its tower-like shape, palace could also serve as a keep).  

palace, north wall, holes for wooden beams (flooring)

palace, north wall

Okić especially stands out among other castles with well preserved Romanesque walls: south and west walls are preserved in full height while the north one is partly preserved. These walls, with thickness of only around 80 cm, are the thinnest among Croatian castles but, after the Mongol invasion, they were thickened up to c160 cm.

Romanesque south wall (courtyard side)

south wall, outer side

Okić stands in company of a very few castles in continental Croatia that were mentioned before the 13^th ct. The oldest record of its name we find in a 1193 document by which Kalan, the bishop of Pecs, in the name of Hungarian-Croatian rulers the Arpads, issues a muniment which defines that the church of Zagreb and  its bishop Dominic are entitled to receive denary (tax in the amount of 1/10 of an income). Some older authors, e.g. Ivan Kukuljević and Emil Laszowski, speculate that some kind of a fort existed at this location as early as in period of Croatian national rulers (9-11^th ct). 

north wall, eastern part

north wall, western part

The first known possessor of Okić is count Jaroslav of Okić, as recorded in 1217 document. At that time, Okić estate reaches the area of Blato by the banks of Sava (SW edge of Zagreb, between quarter Lanište and highway entrance Lučko). His son Ivan (John) gained fame in 1242 during the Mongol invasion and in 1251 was rewarded by the king with a land to build a castle (Lipovec near Samobor) for the future protection of the area. Ivan has also defeated Czech king Otokar and recaptured castle Samobor which, at that moment and by a decision of king Ladislav IV, has passed into his possession. At the beginning of the 14^th ct. Ivan II of Okić is mentioned and he was, according to historical documents, a son of Ivan and the last count of Okić. But already in 1293. Okić is in the possession of count Radoslav Babonić. Babonić family loses the castle in the 1^st half of the 14^th ct. when it is in the possession of the king.  In 1416, Okić is purchased by Nikola Krčki Frankopan and this famous family holds it until 1470 when Martin Frankopan gives it away to the king. In 1493 the esate is purchased by noble family Bakač- Erdödy which remains in the possesion of the castle until 1922 and the death of Stjepan. the last of Erdödy. The castle itself was abandoned around the end of the 16^th ct., after the Erdödy have started the construction of renaissance fort in Kerestinec, SW of Zagreb.

SW part of the castle and view of Plješivica

Through centuries, in numerous historical documents, Okić was mentioned under many different name variations: Ochlylich, Ochinz, Achus, Ochus, Okiz, Oklych, Ochlytz, Ochytz… Many discussions have been held concerning the etimology of its name: I. Kukuljević argues that the name “Oklich” derives from the word “oklinak” (cleared area at the top or at the foot of a hill) while Ivan Mažuranić thinks that the name comes from the word “okol” (term for different types of fences) which can also signify military camp so its original name would be “Ok(o)lich”, as it is written in some of the oldest documents.

Okić, wintertime

So, if you find yourself in this part of the world and have some spare time,  do go and visit Okić, and I'm sure you won't regret it. :-)))

View Okić in a larger map