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 Gospic
GOSPIC, a town in the central part of Lika, situated
on a drained plateau near the Novcica river; elevation 656 m; population
9,025. The town was first mentioned in 1692; from 1733 it developed
as a new, planned seat of the Regiment of Lika. Later it became
the seat of the Regiment of Krajina and in the 1880s the centre
of the County of Lika and Krbava. It is the administrative, cultural,
educational and medical centre of Lika. Its economic basis is rather
poor (metal-working plants, battery industry, agricultural combine,
building contractors, textile industry, etc.). In terms of functionality
and gravitation, it is limited to the basin of Lika and Gracac;
however, the intersection of the main road (M5) and regional roads
over the Velebit pass of Vrata renders Gospic a very favourable
geographical and communicational position. It is also located on
the railroad Zagreb - Split.
The town was established in the 17th century, at
the time of the Military Border, as the centre of the Lika headquarters
and the brigade headquarters of the Regiment of Lika and Otocac.
Among the structures, the most prominent are the tower of Aga Senkovic,
army barracks from 1767 and the late Baroque parish church of St.
Mary from 1780. The church bears a memorial tablet, dedicated to
those who fell in the battle of Bilaj in 1809 (R. Franges-Mihanovic).
In the chapel of St. John Nepomuk are three paintings from the 18th-19th
century. On the cemetery is The Bust of a Woman with Ducats, a work
by Ivan Rendic, from 1907 (tombstone of Lovro Pavelic) and on the
square a monument dedicated to Nikola Tesla, made by F. Krsinic
(1981). In Gospic there is also the Museum of Lika, opened in 1958,
with archaeological, ethnographic, historical (recent history) and
art collections. Dominant are archaeological finds (Iapodian culture,
Roman coins found in Licki Ribnik). Within the Museum is also the
regional collection "Nikola Tesla's Birth-house" in the
village of Smiljan.
Gospic, the administrative centre of the Lika -
Senj County, has no major tourist function today. However, it is
interesting that Dragutin Franic, a professor from Gospic, wrote
an extensive book under the title The Plitvice Lakes and Their Surroundings
as early as 1910, and predicted the importance of tourism for this
region. The new role of the town, its function in transit traffic,
the importance of the Plitvice Lakes on one side and of Baske Ostarije
on the other, recreational opportunities, hunting tourism, home-made
products (cheese, milk, kid's meat, potatoes, cabbage) of unquestionable
ecological origin and climatic conditions point to a soon tourist
revalorization.
Gospic is the starting point of several routes
toward Velebit (Gospic - Ostarije, 27 km; Gospic - Pazariste - Stirovaca
- Veliki Alan, 60 km), and the vicinity of Hotel Velebno in Baske
Ostarije provides excellent opportunities for winter and ski tourism.
Tourism:
Pension/Restaurant
"Lipovac" - Eugena Kvaternika 27 - HR 51304 GEROVO
Pension/Restaurant
"Bijela ruza" - Ivana Gorana Kovacica 16 - HR 51314 RAVNA
GORA
Hotel
"Zeleni vir" - J. Blazenica-Blaza 1- HR - 51311 SKRAD
Hotel
"Crni lug" - National Park Risnjak - HR - 51311 Crni lug
HOC
"Bjelolasica" - Savska 41 - HR - 10000 ZAGREB
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