„Ruzica City“ Orahovica
Difficulty
Hard
The city of Ružica is located in the forest of the Papuk Nature Park, which is also the only Geopark in Croatia. Visitors have access to an educational trail that starts at the city picnic area "Jezero", and offers a wealth of information and interesting facts about flora, fauna, and geological heritage. "Ružica" as a royal estate was first mentioned in the 14th century, and today it is known as the largest medieval noble town and fortification complex in the Republic of Croatia. The most significant is magnificent, but also well-fortified palace on two levels, next to which the court chapel leans, while on the west and east sides the palace is framed by various working and living rooms. The central part of the "Ružica city" has a courtyard with a porch, through which all other parts of the palace were accessed. The court chapel was built in the Gothic style and is one of the largest chapels in the fortified towns of medieval Slavonia, and is special as a type of church-fortress with loopholes for defense. After the expulsion of the Turks in 1687, the fort ceased to serve its purpose, at the beginning of the 18th century, the Orahovac estate changed a number of owners, but "Ružica city" was no longer restored. Today, the cultural property of the Republic of Croatia is protected as a monument of zero categories and an unavoidable destination for excursionists and visitors from all over the region. Superstitious story tellers made up stories about how the big city was built and how it got its name, so the Legends of the "Ružica city" were created.