Dobóc

Dobóc (Dubovec) is located near Károlyváros (Karlovac) in Croatia, it is the old castle of the new city: Stari Grad Dubovac. The Croatian name of the city tells us that the area was covered by oak forests. The castle was defending the road going along the Kupa River; the Croatian road system was following the ancient Roman roads. You can find the remains of the St. Michael Church near the castle.

Once there was a guard tower on the slope leading to the castle`s gate. The name of Dobovác first appeared in clerical documents in 1339, the place had belonged to the Dubovác Clan. At the end of the 14th century, the castle was given to the Czudar brothers (one of them was Imre, the Bishop of Eger) of Onód by the Hungarian King Lajos the Great.  It was in their hand in 1415 and 1416 according to a document. Next to the castle, an agricultural town has developed. Its church was dedicated to St. Michael and it belonged to the Chief Dean of Podgorje. 

Then, the Csupor family of Monoszló took their place in the 15th century. The Blagaji family was the next owner. Bán (Duke) István (Stephen) Frangepán got the castle in 1442. Their family line of Veglia owned it until Katalin Frangepán and Miklós (Nikola) Zrínyi got married in 1544 and it has gone to the Zrínyi family. (István Frangepán, the elder brother of Katalin Frangepán had gifted the castle in 1550 to his cousins, the Zrínyi counts, though.)

The Turks endangered the area, especially in 1511, 1522, and 1540 but the settlement was saved because of its castle. Due to the construction of the Fort of Karlovac (Károlyváros), the last Turk raid was in 1578. When the Castle of Károlyváros (Karlovac) was built, the Habsburg king bought the castle in 1582 from György Zrínyi for 14,000 Gold Forints, and Dubovác was placed under the command of Karlovac Castle.

After the unsuccessful Frangepán-Zrínyi conspiracy against the king in 1671, Dubovác was regarded more and more as part of Karlovac Castle, particularly during the command of General J. Herberstein. You can read more about the Zrínyi / Zrinski family here:

https://www.hungarianottomanwars.com/essays/the-zrinyi-family-and-the-habsburgs/

Then, the old castle was used as a storage building in the 18th century, and similarly, it was functioning as a gunpowder storage building in the 19th century. Today there is a hotel and a museum in it and there are historical festivals each summer.

Enjoy the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noDeYpHpBAc

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Here are a few more pictures of Dobóc castle: