Rastoke
| Rastoke | |
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| Settlement | |
View of Rastoke
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 Rastoke
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| Coordinates: 45°07′16.55″N 15°35′15.52″E / 45.1212639°N 15.5876444°ECoordinates: 45°07′16.55″N 15°35′15.52″E / 45.1212639°N 15.5876444°E | |
| Country |
 Croatia
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| County | Karlovac County |
| Municipality | Slunj |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ivan Bogović (HDZ) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 65 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Area code(s) | 047 |
| Website | slunj.hr |
Rastoke [rastoke] is the historic center of the Croatian municipality of Slunj. This old part of Slunj is known for its well-preserved mills and the picturesque little waterfalls along the Slunjčica river, which flows into the river Korana at this place. The Korana river originates at Plitvice Lakes National Park.
At Rastoke, similar natural phenomena are occurring as at the Plitvice Lakes. This location is therefore often being referred to as "the Small Lakes of Plitvice". Both locations are interconnected by the Korana river. Rastoke is a place of autochthonous ecologic and ethnographic significance due to its symbiosis of natural and civilizational features.
The town of Slunj emerged around Rastoke and the branching of the Slunjčica and Korana rivers. The watermills erected at this place largely contributed to the economic development of Slunj as the center of the region of Kordun.
Rastoke as a place name has different meanings. The term generally refers to the branching of rivers. At Rastoke, the Slunjčica river (also called Slušnica by local people) splits into several river branches flowing across cascades and small waterfalls into the Korana river. Rastoke also refers to a certain kind of limestone called rastopina or rastok in the Croatian language. This stone, called travertine or tufa (Croatian sedra), is a product of permanent natural activities created by natural dissolution and sedimentation of calcium carbonate. The flowing water dissolves limestone into calcium carbonate. These particles in turn sediment along the cascades where the water is being stirred up. The quantity of carbon dioxide in the water plays a major role in this process of sedimentation. This effect slowly but permanently creates new rock along the river's cascades.
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Wikipedia