Karlobag is a picturesque coastal town situated at the foot of the southern Velebit mountain, on the border between continental and Mediterranean climates. Due to its location and natural beauty, it has been an important port, trade, and military center for centuries.
The history of Karlobag dates far back into the past. The Roman settlement, called Vegium, held military, transport, and commercial significance and existed until the 4th or 5th century, when residents fled to the island of Pag to escape the Goth invasion. Although the town was abandoned, its name persisted through a similarity to the island's name, becoming Bag. During the time of the Croatian King Zvonimir, this area belonged to the coastal parish within the Diocese of Rab. In 1251, Bag was mentioned under the name Scrissa and belonged to the ancient Croatian Tugomirić clan. The Princes of Krbava, the Kurjaković family, who controlled nearly the entire Velebit Channel, took over Bag in 1322, and on November 2, 1387, granted the town city privileges.
15th and 16th Centuries
In the 1470s, Bag fell under the rule of King Matthias Corvinus, remaining in his possession until 1493, when it came under the authority of Ivan Karlović of Krbava. The Ottomans attacked Bag in 1525, leaving the town severely devastated and burned, with the population exiled or enslaved. The town was rebuilt in 1574, and in 1580, it was mentioned for the first time as Karlobag, indicating Archduke Charles's contributions to its restoration.
17th and 18th Centuries
In 1683, Prince Jerko Rukavina of Ražanac, together with Prince Dujam Kovačević of Vinjerac, led a group of Croats known as Bunjevci to Bag (modern-day Karlobag). A few years later, in 1686, they resettled the Bunjevci in Lika. The path they took to lead their people was through the Baške Oštarije pass, settling in four villages: Brušane, Trnovac, Smiljan, and Bužim. After the liberation of Lika from Ottoman rule, Karlobag came under Austrian authority, which further fortified it and commissioned the construction of a Capuchin monastery and church in 1710. Karlobag received its Statute in 1757, gaining city status, while in 1785, Emperor Joseph II (son of Maria Theresa) granted it Free Port status, initiating its transition out of the Military Frontier.
CIRCULAR – From the Imperial-Royal Governorate in Inner Austria.
After His Imperial-Royal Majesty was pleased to decide on April 1 of this year that the city of Karlobag be declared a free port, and that it be granted all those customs privileges enjoyed by other free seaports in the Austrian and Hungarian Littoral, this supreme decision is hereby made known to all.
Graz, April 9, 1785.
Franz Anton Count von Khevenhüller, Governor.
Johann Michael von Breinl
This document represents a historical turning point for Karlobag. By being proclaimed a free port, the city was relieved of the burden of high customs and trade duties, becoming a key economic center. This imperial decision was not merely an administrative act but a visionary move aimed at the flourish of trade and the strategic strengthening of the Adriatic coast within the Habsburg Monarchy. The same status was already held by Trieste (1719), Rijeka (1719), and Senj (1719).
Document sourced from the collection of the Austrian National Library (ÖNB) in Vienna, for educational and illustrative purposes only.
19th and 20th Centuries
From 1809, Karlobag was under French rule, and in 1814, it was returned to Austria.
In the mid-19th century, specifically in 1858, according to the Austrian Imperial Resolution No. 742, a decision was made to completely decommission the port battery (city defense cannons) in Karlobag, whereby the city lost its former direct fortification significance. The battery was located in front of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo, as visible in the image further below.
Official Imperial Resolution 742 from 1858 – Imperial Resolution of Franz Joseph I.
Resolution No. 742
The port batteries in Rijeka (Fiume) and Karlobag (Carlopago), as well as the old fortifications in Šibenik (Sebenico), Korčula (Curzola), and Great and Small Ston (Stagno grande u. piccolo), are to be completely abandoned.
All fortifications at Prirovac (Priano) and Mali Lošinj (Lussin piccolo), the port battery in Kraljevica (Porto Re), both batteries in Senj (Zengg), the two coastal batteries in Split (Spalato), the Bragion tower (Thurm) in Korčula, as well as both coastal batteries Lapad and Canta located near Dubrovnik (Ragusa), are to be disarmed; otherwise, they are to be left in their current state, with the suspension of all maintenance costs.
Regarding the handling of materials from those parts of the fortifications that are either completely abandoned or merely disarmed, the Imperial-Royal Ministry of War will, after further agreement with my Minister of Finance, determine and implement appropriate measures.
Vienna, August 13, 1858.
For Karlobag, this document represents official "demilitarization," marking the moment the city ceased to be a military fortress and began transforming into an exclusively civil settlement and port. By abandoning military facilities, the focus shifted to trade and maritime affairs. At that time, Karlobag was the main link between Lika and the sea (via the old Terezijanska road). The end of military status meant the city could expand and develop without military restrictions. The document explicitly mentions the "avoidance of all maintenance costs." This meant the state would no longer provide funds for the repair of old walls and fortifications in Karlobag, which eventually led to these structures either collapsing or being used by locals as building material for new houses. Although Karlobag remained under the Military Frontier for some time longer, this document was a clear sign of military withdrawal. It paved the way for its later inclusion in the Lika-Krbava County (1886) and full civil administration.
Document sourced from the collection of the Austrian State Archives in Vienna, for educational and illustrative purposes only.
Adapted from the book "The Church in the Velebit Podgorje in the Past and Present" by Mile Bogović. Used for educational and informative purposes.
This process culminated in 1881 with the abolition of the Military Frontier, through which Karlobag passed under civil authority. Based on the Law on the Organization of Counties from 1886, the Lika-Krbava County was established with its seat in Gospić, holding its first session on November 22 of that year. Karlobag then became part of the Gospić district, as part of one of the geographically largest Croatian counties, which comprised nine districts: Gospić, Otočac, Donji Lapac, Korenica, Perušić, Udbina, Gračac, Brinje, and Senj.
In 1894, the port, breakwater, and pier in Karlobag were renovated, with a steamship arriving daily. During this period, the forestry building was constructed, and the elementary school was founded in 1875. During World War I, the town was ravaged by the Spanish flu, and with the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, it further impoverished. Seeking development through tourism, the public city beach was built in 1920.
In 1924, the Lika-Krbava County ceased to exist when a new administrative division (the introduction of Oblasts) rendered it non-functional as such.
During the Allied bombing in 1944, the Church of St. Charles Borromeo was heavily damaged, and in 1958 its remains were removed, except for the protected bell tower. Karlobag became part of the Gospić municipality in 1962, the road to Gospić was repaired in 1968, and in 1985, Hotel Zagreb was built, becoming a carrier of tourist development. Today, Karlobag, along with surrounding settlements—Ribarica, Cesarica, Lukovo Šugarje, Barić Draga, and Baške Oštarije—is developing as a tourist center, particularly attractive for its untouched nature and clean sea.
A special place in local history during the 19th century is held by General Anton Freiherr Mollinary von Monte Pastello, who played a key role in the planning and construction of the port, the Senj–Karlobag road, and other infrastructure projects.
Today, Karlobag preserves its historical spirit through old postcards, stone houses, and the scent of the sea that connects the past and the present.
