Two different ways to explore come together in Smiljan: the Nikola Tesla Memorial Centre connects Tesla’s life story with local heritage and the surroundings that influenced his early ideas. The Krčmar Educational Trail starts at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and leads to the 773-metre-high summit of Krčmar. The themes thus range from biography and the history of technology to an educational route with a named starting point and destination.

Nikola Tesla and the Memorial Centre

The historic buildings of the Nikola Tesla Memorial Centre in Smiljan include Tesla’s birthplace and the Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul. In the birthplace, a permanent multimedia exhibition recounts his life story through images, text, and sound. A multimedia centre with an adjoining children’s playground is also part of the centre. The exhibition thus combines biographical content with the historic building. The wider setting of the memorial centre also encompasses Smiljan’s local heritage and the surroundings that influenced Tesla’s early ideas. The place itself is therefore part of the context of his life story.

The upper floor of the birthplace houses replicas of Tesla’s inventions. The centre also includes a replica of his experimental station in Colorado Springs. It illustrates experiments with high-frequency currents, wireless power transmission, and lightning, as well as the wireless transmission of information and energy. The replicas highlight different aspects: the birthplace focuses on individual inventions, while the experimental station focuses on the experiments and their themes of transmission and energy.

Churches and medieval heritage

The present-day Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was built in 1864. As a Catholic church, it is also the starting point of the Krčmar Educational Trail. The Church of the Apostles Peter and Paul, by contrast, is one of the historic buildings of the memorial centre. The two churches can thus be associated with different themes: the Carmelite church is linked to the educational trail and a year of construction, while the Apostles’ church is part of the Tesla Centre’s historic building collection.

The archaeological site of Čovini-Crikvine in Smiljan, near the hamlet of Čovini, offers another cultural-historical perspective. It is considered exceptionally important to the medieval history of Lika. Its historical period differs from that of Tesla’s biography: Čovini-Crikvine focuses on medieval heritage, while the memorial centre focuses on Tesla’s life and his connection to Smiljan. This adds a distinct connection to regional history.

The Krčmar Educational Trail

The Krčmar Educational Trail starts at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and leads to the 773-metre-high summit of Krčmar. The starting point and destination are clearly specified; the route connects a religious site as its starting point with a summit as its destination. This offers a different perspective from the biographical and cultural-historical themes of the memorial centre. As trail conditions can change, check them before setting out.

If you are choosing based on your interests, the distinction is clear: the memorial centre connects Tesla, his inventions, and local history; Čovini-Crikvine offers a medieval perspective; and the Krčmar Educational Trail leads from the church to the summit. This lets you choose the focus of your time in Smiljan.

Discover more destinations: Budak, Trnovac, Klanac, Ostrvica, Brušane, Gospić, Donje Pazariste, Bužim

For the broader travel overview: Općina Gospić.