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A town in the region of Pokuplje, near the confluence of the Kupa, the Mreznica, the Korana and the Dobra rivers, 55 km southwest of Zagreb.

Karlovac was named after the founder of the fortress and the burg, the Styrian Archduke Karl II Habsburg, the commander of the Croatian Military Border. The construction of Karlovac started on 13th of July, 1579, according to an Italian model (N. Angelini), on the estate of the noble family Zrinski. The shape of a six-pointed star, divided into 24 almost regular blocks with the quadrangular pattern of streets, was based in the spirit of Renaissance conception of the defence and residential space.

Karlovac developed around the Renaissance-style fortified town in the 16th century, between the Kupa and the Korana rivers. The only remains of the fortifications are moats, while the remains of the former old town include ten-odd nice and regular streets with valuable Baroque structures and the central square.

Karlovac suffered much damage during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995). The southern sections of the city were close to the front lines between the Republic of Croatia and the rebel Serbs, and the neighborhoods of Turanj, Kamensko as well as parts of Mekušje, Mala Švarča and Logorište were devastated by shelling. The city center, the city hall and numerous other buildings were also damaged.

Karlovac's main industry is now its beer "Karlovačko".