See all the curated Geosites and POI's that the team at Papuk recommends☺. ©2025 Park Prirode Papuk ⁕ Oskar Brack
A state-of-the-art museum and visitor centre in Voćin (Croatia)―with exhibits and displays about the fascinating geology of the Papuk Park. On the web: https://geoinfocentar.com/ Monday • Closed Tue -> Fri • 08:00 to 18:00 Sat -> Sun • 10:00 to 18:00
maps.apple.comgeoinfocentar.comSmall but innovative (themed) museum in Velika that showcases the ancient Pannonian Sea's influence on the area, with insightful explanations. On the web: https://www.kucapanonskogmora.hr/en Mon -> Fri • 07:00 to 15:00 Sat -> Sun • Closed
maps.apple.comkucapanonskogmora.hrOne of the gems of Papuk―a unique kind of rock that was formed 85 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous, due to volcanic activities. When this lava cooled near the surface it crafted 'albite rhyolite'; a rare acidic rock that split into four- and five-sided columns. Some tiny crystals of 'zircon' and 'apatite' are locked in the rock and reveal its age, and link it to historical tectonic movements. Unlike typical basalt columns, rhyolite makes it a global rarity, and thus earning protection as Croatia's first geological monument in 1948. Today, it is the most iconic site in the Geo-/Nature Park.
Trešnjevica―convenienty located on the road towards Voćin―is a stunning place to experience Papuk's unique geology. You'll be able to find volcanic rocks like 'rhyolite', 'andesite', basalt or tuff, alongside some that cooled deep underground: granite and 'pegmatite'. A unique mix! Metamorphic rocks ('gneiss'/'migmatite') show that intense heat and pressure reshaped older rocks over time, and it has been cut in half by layers of volcanic basalt; offering evidence of volcanic activity in this region. So there is a timespan of hundreds of millions of years, from the Paleozoic to Tertiary periods. It's a window to the past, essentially.
On the D69-road towards Voćin lies the Čarugin Stone. It was formed 300 million years ago, and consists mostly of 'migmatite'―a rock that melted partially deep underground, and that gave it a swirled pattern. You'll also be able to spot gray gneiss, white feldspar crystals and quartz in the stone, but it is cut by so-called 'granite veins' of another era, due to the partially molten pieces that created cracks. But Čarugin is more: a local legend about a famous outlaw tells the story of robbed travellers on a nearby railway carrying workers' salaries.
Close to the Poljanska village lies the similarly-named Poljanska quarry where excavations take us back to 22 million years ago. It left rock-solid traces of a restless place, when a small lake became salty once it lost connection from the sea. Over time, it became more alkaline. Usually dolomite forms slowly, starting from limestone. But due to the lake's strange chemistry—which was uniquely rich in minerals—this time it was born in a blink of an eye, geologically speaking. But there's more: 'analcime', a rare mineral was formed when volcanic ash and the salty alkaline lake connected, truly rare!
The Jankovac waterfall—or Skakavac— drops nearly 30m, and creates special rock formations, one of the main types is 'tufa' (porous limestone). It is formed as mineral-rich water loses carbon dioxide and minerals settle. Natural mosses and algae help in this case. Tufa is still growing today, making it one of Papuk’s youngest rocks. Some layers are about 6,000 years old, showing the park’s recent geological activity.
Close to the village of Poljanska lies a site that used to be a shallow lake, a place that holds numerous time capsules―as leaves were covered by muddy sediment that turned into 'marlstone'. These historical capsules have been dated back to the Otnangian-period; 17 million years ago. Once opened they started to show a wide range of plant species, ranging from Eucalyptus to a early relative of modern-day cinnamon. It also served as crucial evidence that there once was a subtropical climate in Croatia ―nowadays impossible.
Close to Gornji Vrhovci, old geological layers spoil the secret of an ancient river delta. Where the river met the Pannonian Sea―sandstone, 'pelite' (fine claystone), and 'tuff': a volcanic ash rock, are found. On some places the deposits can reach a thickness of up to 350m, influenced by periodic sea connections. These deposits originate from the Ottnangian-Karpatian period, roughly 18 million years ago. Sand and gravel from the Papuk Hills are mixed with remains of molluscs, corals, and tiny 'foraminifera'; and this evidence proves it once was the coastline.
The Mrežari-area near Jankovac is a 'karst zone' formed about 237–246 million years ago with limestone and dolomite from the Middle Triassic era. These lay on top of older and more robust 'migmatites' and 'gneisses'. This combination created an important 'aquifer', where groundwater is trapped and flows through the carbonate layers. And because these underground water streams dissolve rocks, sinkholes appear, as well as massive underground caves. This area has, by far, the highest density of sinkholes in Papuk with several per square kilometer (km²). Mrežari is a crucial water reservoir due to the karst in the Earth's layers.
Situated near the Kutjevo vineyards lies the Vetovo quarry. It is unique due to 'amphibolite', a dark and tough rock that started to form from volcanic basalt. Within this quarry, it's been excavated since the mid-70s, to be used in road tarmac. You'll also see 'paragneiss'―a metamorphic rock with so-called 'banded layers' due to forces deep underground that took place >300 million years ago. To this day, this quarry is still active. With a bit of luck, you'd maybe even spot some rare 'garnets'―small red crystals that formed during metamorphic forces. And sometimes, the quarry walls will also reveal some rusty 'goethite'.
Close to Orahovica, a researchers-group discovered limestone and dolomites from the Middle Triassic era (237–246 million years ago) deposited in the shallow and warm water of the historic Tethys Ocean ―incredible evidence of previous marine life surrounding the Papuk Mountains. This Tethys Ocean once stretched across continents and was a tropical sea, with a flourishing marine ecosystem. One of its inhabitants was a small mollusk with a ribbed and spiral shell: an ammonite. Fossils of this mollusk helped date those limestone and dolomite discoveries.
Located on the edge of the Geopark lies the Lončarski vis Geosite―in the middle of an active quarry. It offers a good look on huge quantities of 'andesite'―a dark grey volcanic rock that formed when lava cools on the Earth's surface, usually near subduction zones. Andesite is a fine -grained rock that has tiny crystals of minerals like 'plagioclase' and 'pyroxene', giving it a uniquely speckled look. These volcanic rocks were created in the Miocene due to volcanic activities that happend simultaneously to the creation of the Pannonian Basin, so these rocks date back about 20 million years.
Close to the main entrance road towards the Park―so road №4253, researchers found Crinoid-remains; or more widely known as sea lilies due to their plant -like appearance. These so-called marine echinoderms lived on this planet since about ½ billion years, and covered much of the ocean floors during the Paleozoic. Intact findings are rare as their skeletons are bound by a soft tissue that start to disintegrate quickly after death. It is truly remarkable that this stone was found. And crinoids have also survived The Great Dying, 251 million years ago, when 96% of marine life was extinguished ―showing remarkable resilience. At the Papuk Nature Park, Middle Triassic crinoid fossils like the 'Pentacrinus' were found, dated to 240 million years.