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Vrbovsko (Врбовско) is a town in western Croatia, situated at the far east of the mountainous region of Gorski Kotar in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County; on its 280 square kilometers area, Vrbovsko features 60 settlements and a total of 3876 inhabitants. The town of Vrbovsko itself has a population of 1257. The Kamačnik canyon is its main source of tourism.
The geographical position of Vrbovsko that places it along the transit lines halfway between Zagreb and Rijeka is of extreme importance. Good rail and highway connections provide for quick access to Vrbovsko.
The Kamačnik canyon is nearby.
After the Turkish invasion, Vrbovsko was eventually incorporated into the Austrian Military Frontier.
In 1710, the Sv. Antona chapel was built.
The construction of the in 1732 raised its economic importance significantly.
In 1765, it was removed from the Military Frontier.
In 1755–1756, original parish church Sv. Ivana Nepomuka, dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk,
In 1780, Maurice Benyovszky received permission from the emperor to found a society to support the transport of goods along the Karolina road. Such societies already existed in Vrbovsko, Fužine and Karlovac.
In 1785, it was declared a royal free city, and was granted a city magistrate and court.
The canonical visitation of the Vrbovsko parish by bishop Aldrago Antonio de Piccardi occurred on 17 July 1789.
The canonical visitation of the Vrbovsko parish by bishop Ivan Krstitelj Ježić occurred on 10 July 1796 while Gabrijel Vukšić was parish priest in Vrbovsko. A 3 folio list drawn up by Vukšić survives in the archive of the Archdiocese of Senj.
In 1843, beginning with the 16th November issue of , there was a proposal in the Hungarian press to build a wagonway through the Jozefina then up to Vrbovsko and from there along the Lujzijana, but because of the steep grade from Brod na Kupi to Rijeka, they changed the plan for the wagonway to be drawn to Senj instead of Rijeka, only for the protest of both Rijeka and Karlovac to kill the plan altogether.
On 21 February 1852 by a decree of the Ban of Croatia and Slavonia, Josip Jelačić, a Chamber of Commerce and Industry () was to be founded in Rijeka with jurisdiction over Vrbovsko. It was founded, and began to function on the 11th of March that year.
In 1860–1879, Matija Mažuranić wrote a 62 folio manuscript today titled Writings on the Building of Roads in Gorski Kotar and Lika (), today with signature Croatia-Zagreb manuscript 6424.
In 1887, Sv. Ivana Nepomuka was demolished because of its state, the new church being finished in 1895, only to be demolished in 1901 and rebuilt again in 1904 as the present building, in Neo-Gothic style.
The DVD Vrbovsko was founded in 1890. Like most volunteer fire departments in the region, it has taken on a larger societal role than its city counterparts, to the point of having its own brass band. Today the DVD Vrbovsko is one of the components of the VZ grada Vrbovsko. The current VZ commander is Mario Mužević, and the DVD commander is Dalibor Mareković.
In 1900, the cemetery chapel Gospe Karmelske, dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was built in 1900.
On 13 April 1941, Ante Pavelić passed through Vrbovsko on his way to Zagreb, awaited by a number of Ustaše who cheered him on. Along with Ravna Gora and Mrkopalj, Vrbovsko was one of the only places in Gorski Kotar that already had Ustaše.
In May, the Ustaše began arresting prominent Serbian men in Vrbovsko, focusing on known or suspected JRZ and Chetnik members or sympathisers.
From 28 May through 1 June, about numerous arrests were made in Ogulin, Vrbovsko and the surrounding areas. Most were arrested at the market or returning from it. The arrested were then held in the Ogulin castle. This was in connection with a visit of Lovre Sušić to Ogulin, ostensibly for his security. Few survived this arrest.
On 3 June, an Ustaša rally was held in Vrbovsko, attended by 3000, concurrent with a 12,000 strong rally in Ogulin.
On 1 July, Pavelić founded the with its seat in Ogulin, by merging Ogulin with Slunj, Vrbovsko and Delnice.
In July, when the deportations of Serbs to accommodate the Slovenes of the population exchange commenced, the logornik in Vrbovsko informed his superiors that all the Serbs were in Moravice apart from two retired Serbs gunmen in Severin na Kupi. For the temporary accommodation of Slovenes in Vrbovsko, the barracks for railway construction were offered for the housing of 150 people, the Vatrogasni dom for 100 people, the Narodni dom for 50 people and the depot of the match factory for 50 people.
On 4–5 June, rebels carried out a number of minor thefts in the Vrbovsko area.
At 5:00 on 19 June, the train tracks between Hrvatske Moravice and Vrbovsko were disassembled. When an Italian military patrol happened upon the tracks, it was attacked with a machine gun from the forest, which killed one soldier. The attack on the patrol was then repelled.
When the German and Italian Zones of Influence were revised on 24 June 1942, Vrbovsko fell in , administered civilly by Croatia but militarily by Italy.
On 30 August 2012, a leak in Vrbovsko forced a water shutoff in the town.
Vrbovsko was hit by the 2014 Dinaric ice storm. From 31 January to 2 February 2014, while S and SW geostrophic wind dominated, freezing rain fell on Gorski Kotar, glazing the entire region. It wrecked roofs, power lines an forests, causing power loss for about 14,000 households households in Gorski Kotar, or about 80% of its population. Because of power lines falling on the A6, the highway was closed in of Rijeka between Bosiljevo and Kikovica, and between Kikovica and Delnice in the direction of Zagreb. It took about 10 days to restore essential infrastructure to the region, and within months electricity was back in most of its former range, but at a cost of about 84.4 million Croatian kuna to HEP, whose Elektroprimorje Rijeka branch was responsible for restoring electricity in most of the affected area. At the time it was the largest peacetime damage since the Secession from Yugoslavia, even without counting the forestry losses. Thanks to relatively mild ice accumulation (SPIA 4), the Šumarija Vrbovsko fared well relative to western forestry branches, losing mainly diseased and very poorly anchored trees. Clearing blocked forestry roads and forest paths would take years, and thanks to the declining population some were never cleared. A dedicated winter service base of the Komunalac Vrbovsko was set up in Vrbovsko to assist with repairs; alongside the local volunteer firefighters and Luko d.o.o. they had been doing most of the initial work in clearing the roads. Most of Vrbovsko's municipal area was left without electricity, and because of that loss of electricity the pumps for water supply stopped working, including the one at Ribnjak in Gladi, leaving 85% of town residents without tap water as well. During the day of the 3rd, HEP restored power to Ribnjak with an engine–generator, and in the evening electricity was restored to most of Vrbovsko itself. Some remained without power for 5 days.
On 12 December 2017, a severe wind hit Vrbovsko, leaving its elementary school without a roof and blocking traffic in the area.
On 8 June 2018, the Lovnik water storage unit was found to have a coliform bacteria concentration of 391/100ml, while the Hambarište water storage unit had a concentration of 570/100ml, and both Escherichia coli and Enterococcus bacteria were present. The same day, hail up to in diameter fell on the territory of Vrbovsko, although worse fell in Blaževci, Štefanci and in White Carniola.
In 2021, the old Mance house was reconstructed, an infant day care centre was added to the kindergaten "Bambi" in Vrbovsko and a recycling yard was built.
In late 2021, a new water tank Senjsko II was installed
In 2023, many of Vrbovsko's yet-unpaved streets were asphalted: Jelovac, Gladi – Mlinari, Dragovići, Komlenići, Kovačevići toward Zelići, and Gvozdeni.
Parish priests:
In 2011, 60.1% of the population were Croats and 35.2% were Serbs.
In 1870, Vrbovsko općina had 324 houses and 2427 people.
By early 1919, 8234 people had emigrated from Delnice Kotar to the United States and 1121 to other countries.
In 1835, the part of Vrbovsko in the Military Frontier belonged to Ogulin. In that part, there were 36 houses, with a population of 338.
In 1870, Vrbovsko proper had 188 houses and 1346 people.
In 1870, Vrbovsko općina, in Delnice podžupanija, had 324 houses, with a population of 2427. Its 5 villages were encompassed by a single porezna obćina for taxation purposes. Their parish was also Vrbovsko, excepting Hajdini whose Eastern Orthodox parish was Komorske Moravice.
In 1890, the općina of Vrbovsko, with an area of , belonged to the kotar of Vrbovsko, with an area of and its own court and electoral district, in the županija of Modruš-Rieka (Ogulin court and financial board). In Vrbovsko općina, there were 373 houses (409 in 1910), with a population of 2480: 1143 male and 1337 female; 2142 in 1910. The majority were Serbo-Croatian speakers, but 24 spoke German language, 23 Slovene language, 18 Hungarian, 5 Czech language, 1 Hungarian, 1 German language and 8 spoke other languages. The majority were Catholic, but 235 were Eastern Orthodox, 10 Jewish, 6 Protestant and 1 Eastern Catholic. Its 5 villages and 20 hamlets were encompassed for taxation purposes by a single porezna općina, under the Delnice office. In the Vrbovsko kotar, there were a total of 3060 houses, with a population of 19,307. Its 115 villages were divided into 32 porezne oćine. The kotar had 2 markets, one being in Vrbovsko and the other in Ravna Gora. Vrbovsko kotar was divided into 5 općine. Besides itself: Bosiljevo, Komorske Moravice, Ravna gora and Severin.
In 1910, the općina had 4 resident soldiers. Militarily, Vrbovsko fell under the and 26th Landsturm Infantry Brigade, both at Karlovac.
In 1890, Vrbovsko itself had 63 houses and 442 people. The hamlets surrounding it were: Amerika or Tominkina Draga (8 houses, 39 people), Bakarska Draga (11 houses, 68 people), Blažev Brieg (2 houses, 11 people), Dobra (15 houses, 127 people), Jelovac (4 houses, 21 people), Kalajčin Potok (7 houses, 31 people), Klajner Brdo (13 houses, 100 people), Lisičev Brieg (2 houses, 19 people), Mrzle Drage (3 houses, 25 people), Podhrzač (2 houses, 17 people), Podkraj (3 houses, 12 people), Rožman Brdo (12 houses, 64 people), Senjsko (83 houses, 566 people), Skakavac (5 houses, 39 people). These townspeople and villagers were under Komorske Moravice Orthodox and Vrbovsko Catholic parishes, and Vrbovsko school, tax and administrative districts. Vrbovsko had 3 schools and Senjsko had 1. Vrbovsko had a post office, a telegraph, a train station, a gendarmerie and a financial guard.
In November 2023, the Government of the Republic of Croatia decided to declare an end to mandatory bilingualism in Vrbovsko on the basis of the 2021 census, which showed the Serbian population fraction had fallen below the required one third, at 32.38%. While this did impact funding, the existence of guarantees at the municipal level prevented any change.
In the first 11 months of 2018 there were 10,849 overnight stays in the township, a 34% increase from 2017 and 130% from 2016. This growth trend stopped in 2019 with only 9794 overnight stays (only 9% of Gorski Kotar's count for that year), followed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 45% of overnight stays in 2018 were from within the Republic of Croatia, 16% from Germany, 7% each from the Netherlands and Slovenia, 3.2% from the USA, 2.5% each from BiH and Belgium, followed by the UK, France, Hungary and so on. For comparison, in 2014 there were only 5802 overnight stays from a total of 1306 visitors, of which 61% were domestic.
Tourism was hit hard by the internal travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia, which caused the local branch of the National Tourist Board, the Turistička zajednica Grada Vrbovsko, founded in 1993, to close its office. But the Turistička zajednica Gorskog kotara ( TZGK) was founded to cover that region later in 2020. The TZGK is headquartered in Delnice, but its president alternates annually between the mayors and općinski načelnici of its constituent towns and minicipalities, including the mayor of Vrbovsko.
In February 2014, the TZGV website was translated into German and in 2015 the "Moj Gost" system was introduced to allow for online registration of guests to take over the previous system of physically handing in documents to the police in Vrbovsko.
The farmers' market in Vrbovsko fell out of use for a time, but was resurrected on 12 May 2020, to be held every second Tuesday of the month.
A large, international pumpkin festival () has been held annually in Vrbovsko since 2005, founded by Gani Ramadani, an Albanian people from North Macedonia who moved to Tuk but was told pumpkins would not do well in the climate. The 2024 edition involved 136 stands and over 1000 visitors. The award for the heaviest pumpkin has gone to:
The success of the festival spawned a secondary local competition in November beginning in 2020, in which residents decorate their lawn with pumpkins.
In 1877, the nearest were in Karlovac (opened August 1872), Kraljevica (opened March 1873, bankrupt 1878), Senj (opened March 1873), Bakar (opened July 1876) and Ogulin (opened August 1876). The nearest were in Zagreb (the Croatian Discount Bank, founded November 1868, and the Zagreb Commercial Bank, founded March 1873). existed in Karlovac and Jastrebarsko (opened 1875).
At the 1920 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Constitutional Assembly election in Modruš-Rijeka County, Vrbovsko voted mainly for the Communist Party.
| + Results at the polls in Vrbovsko | |||||||||||
| 1920 | I | 395 | 173 | 2 | 28 | 83 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 42 |
| II | 441 | 182 | 1 | 141 | 5 | 3 | 32 | ||||
At the time, Vrbovsko was divided into 5 općine: Bosiljevo, Vrbovsko, Ravna Gora, Severin na Kupi and Srpske Moravice.
In 1997, Vrbovsko was upgraded from a municipality () with a municipal president () to a city () with a mayor ().
As of its foundation on 3 March 2008, it is the seat of a encompassing Jablan, Poljana, Vujnovići, Hambarište, Tuk, Stubica, Hajdine and Presika. There are 9 local committees under Vrbovsko: Vrbovsko itself, Srpske Moravice, Gomirje, Ljubošina, Lukovdol, Plemenitaš, Severin na Kupi, Jablan and Jadrč-Osojnik.
Mayors of Vrbovsko:
In 2020, the option of dividing Vrbovsko into 4 municipality () was being considered: Vrbovsko, Moravice, Gomirje and Severin na Kupi/Lukovdol.
In 1910, the kotar court of Vrbovsko encompassed an area of , the same as its kotar, with a population of 17,090. Vrbovsko had its own cadastral jurisdiction, but its business court was in Ogulin.
On 27 January, the city celebrates the city key handover ().
In February, Carnival is celebrated in the town, culminating in the participation of its delegations in the Rijeka Carnival.
The city celebrates March 14 as its "City Day" ().
In 2000, the an annual mushroom festival Gljivarijada has been held. The Gljivarijada expanded into multiple kettle cooking competitions hosted from late May to early July collectively called "KotlićFest", which together with other events added later became "Super dani vani". It begins with a competition between alpinists, then firefighters, then photographers and it ends in July with the main mushroom goulash competition. The Gljivarijada involves two main awards.
The award for most mushroom hunting (since 2000):
The award for best tasting mushroom goulash (since 2004):
In September, the Dom kulture in Vrbovsko hosts a wine, honey, cheese and bread festival. The first edition was held on 20 September 2014.
Throughout December, many events take place as part of "Joyful December" (). Since 2009, the Udruga žena "Senjsko" has hosted a "Vrbovsko Winter Evening" ().
There is a fast food restaurant in Vrbovsko, Nina.;
The "Gorski Kotar Bike Tour", held annually since 2012, sometimes involves Vrbovsko, such as in 2014, and in 2018 when the first leg began and ended in Kamačnik and passed through Vrboovsko, as with the third leg of 2022.
Vrbovsko has a post office, an infirmary, the elementary school "Gorana Kovačića", an Udaljeni pretplatnički stupanj (as does Senjsko).
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