Slunj the best tourist village in the world

Croatia has the best tourist village in the world! Last year, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which promotes responsible and sustainable development of tourism, awarded that title to Slunj - a small town in Karlovac County, which has just over 4,000 inhabitants.

Let us remind you that  Slunj received this prestigious award in extremely strong competition from 260 applications from as many as 60 countries from all over the world. After extensive evaluation through 9 very detailed criteria, Slunj was declared the best tourist village in the world. This recognition is for excellence in the field of sustainable and socially responsible business in all aspects, which is ultimately most evident in the tourism sector of the city of Slunj.

The decision of the UNWTO was made after extensive evaluation through nine very detailed criteria; cultural and natural resources, promotion and preservation of cultural assets, economic sustainability, management, environmental sustainability, social sustainability, infrastructure and connectivity, tourism potential and development and health and safety!

Despite the fact that Slunj has the status of a city, it is important to note that all cities with less than 15,000 inhabitants could apply for the competition.

Slunj with Rastoke and mills, Koran and Slunjčica, with its beautiful and preserved natural and historical heritage, with many interesting contents and events, deservedly won the world competition. The Slunjčica River, although only 6.5 kilometers long and despite its short course, has created some of the most spectacular landscapes in Croatia, and its flow into the Korana River is accompanied by a natural concert of 23 waterfalls and many rapids where the water simply celebrates life in Rastoke. The very name of this small place located next to Slunj indicates how the water melts here, and many call it "Plitvice in miniature", partly because Rastoke is about 30 kilometers from the world-famous national park, and partly because the geological composition of the falls is identical to that on Plitvice, as well as vegetation and typical karst phenomena such as tufa deposits or underground water.

Also, in 2018, the city of Slunj was declared the second most hospitable city according to Booking.com, one of the largest digital travel platforms. Five years later, the town of Slunj receives the prestigious title of one of the Best Tourist Villages according to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Two world awards in the hands of a small continental town in the heart of Croatia, we can be proud!

  Vedran Božičević (Tourist Board Slunj)