March the 9th, 2026 – Lokvarsko jezero is home to much more than just pristine nature and beautiful vistas. There’s a submerged settlement hidden in the depths of Gorski Kotar’s largest lake, which still appears from time to time during dry periods.
As Putni kofer/Lana Mindoljevic writes, one of the most famous places in Gorski Kotar, the green heart of Croatia, is the truly beautiful Lokvarsko jezero. It has an irregular, oblong shape, is two and a half kilometres long, and the path that surrounds it stretches for 17 kilometres in total. It is also home to a secret that most excursionists who visit it, walk around it, enjoy a picnic or row on it, have absolutely no idea about.
Few realise that under the surface of this pristine water there is a spectacular attraction that only comes to the surface a few times a year during dry periods. This is the Emperor’s Bridge, which, together with the former settlement that stood there, was totally submerged during the construction of the dam and the formation of this artificial lake.
The Emperor’s Bridge was built back at the beginning of the 19th century and was part of a historic road built from 1803 to 1811 that connected Karlovac and Rijeka. It was one of the most modern roads in the entire monarchy, and the Emperor’s Bridge was one of its key engineering achievements. It was made of solid stone and was strong enough to withstand horse-drawn carriages, all kinds of military equipment and trade that took place during the reign of the famous Habsburg Monarchy.
Over time, this road began to lose its significance, but an even greater change occurred for the Emperor’s Bridge in the mid-20th century. Lokvarsko jezero is, in fact, totally artificial and was created by the construction of a dam for the needs of a hydroelectric power plant. Although today it looks perfectly integrated into the natural environment and seems as if it has always been a part of it, Gorski Kotar’s largest lake was actually created during work actions from 1952 to 1955. In honour of the young people who worked on it, over 25,000 of them to be more precise, it was once called the Youth Lake (Omladinsko jezero).
The construction of the dam submerged the former local settlement, part of the old road, and even the bridge itself. Families who lived there were relocated to nearby towns, and the old landscape was covered in water, the houses drowned forever. When the lake was drained to be cleaned out three years ago, these old houses, the outlines of the former settlement and a beautiful stone bridge all re-appeared, but everything was hidden from view again when the water was returned to the riverbed. The famous old bridge still occasionally appears in its full beauty when the water levels are low and during droughts.
Although it has been under water for more than half a century now, the bridge has preserved its shape to this day and attracts attention with its beautiful stone arches. When it is visible, the best view of the Emperor’s Bridge is from the eastern shore of the lake. When the temperatures begin to climb to dizzying heights once again in the summer and the water level drops, this historic structure will more than likely emerge from the depths of Gorski Kotar’s largest lake once again.
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