Kupa / Kolpa
Kolpa at Prelesje (Slovenia)
Kupa River watershed (interactive map)
Location
Countries	Croatia Slovenia
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Razloge, Gorski kotar, Croatia
• coordinates	45°29′28″N 14°41′20″E / 45.491°N 14.689°E / 45.491; 14.689
• elevation	313 metres (1,027 ft) [1]
Mouth
• location	Sava, Sisak, Croatia
• coordinates	45°27′36″N 16°24′08″E / 45.46000°N 16.40222°E / 45.46000; 16.40222
Length	297.4 km (185 mi) [2][3]
Basin size	10,226 km2 (3,948 sq mi) [2]
Discharge
• average	283 m3/s (10,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Sava→ Danube→ Black Sea

The Kupa (Croatian pronunciation: [kûpa]) or Kolpa (Slovene pronunciation: [ˈkóːlpa] or [ˈkóːwpa]; from Latin: Colapis in Roman times; Hungarian: Kulpa) river, a right tributary of the Sava, forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia. It is 297 kilometres (185 miles) long,^[2] with a length of 118 km (73 mi) serving as the border between Croatia and Slovenia^[1] and the rest located in Croatia.^[4]

The name Colapis, recorded in antiquity, is presumed to have come from the Proto-Indo-European roots *quel- 'turn, meander' and *ap- 'water', meaning 'meandering water'. An alternative interpretation is *(s)kel-/*skul- 'shiny, bright', meaning 'clear river'.^[5]

The Kupa originates in Croatia in the mountainous region of Gorski Kotar, northeast of Rijeka, in the area of Risnjak National Park. It flows a few kilometers eastwards, receives the small Čabranka River from the left, before reaching the Slovenian border.

It then continues eastwards between the White Carniola region in the north and Central Croatia in the south. The Kupa receives influx from the river Lahinja from the left in Primostek, passes Vrbovsko, and eventually detaches from the Slovenian border having passed Metlika.

It then reaches the city of Karlovac, where it receives influx from two other rivers from the right, Dobra and Korana (which in turn is joined by Mrežnica). The Kupa continues flowing to the east, where it merges with Glina from the right, it then passes through two small towns called Šišinec and Brkiševina, and then proceeds to the town of Sisak where it merges with Odra from the left and, after passing through Sisak town centre, flows into the Sava River.

Fairly unpolluted downstream to Karlovac, the upper Kupa is a popular place for bathing in summer. The section from Stari Trg down to Fučkovci since 2006 is part of the Slovenian Krajinski park Kolpa nature reserve.

The hydrological parameters of the Kupa are regularly monitored at Radenci, Kamanje, Karlovac, Jamnička Kiselica and Farkašić.^[6]

• Slovenian border barrier

• Šimunović, Petar (March 2013). "Predantički toponimi u današnjoj (i povijesnoj) Hrvatskoj" [Pre-Roman placenames in present-day (and historical) Croatia] (PDF). Folia onomastica Croatica (in Croatian) (22). Zagreb: Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: 147–214. Retrieved 18 January 2016.

• Babić, Marko (1985). "Sliv rijeke Kupe traži zaštitu" [The Basin of the River Kupa Seeks Protection]. Priroda: popularni časopis hrvatskog prirodoslovnog društva. Vol. 72, no. 8. p. 242. ISSN 0351-0662.
• Kekuš, Milan (1984). "Geomorfološke osobine doline Kupe između Karlovca i Siska" (PDF). Hrvatski geografski glasnik (in Croatian). 46 (1): 21–50. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kupa.

• source of Kupa pictures
• Panoramic of the source
• Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2010

v t e Hydrography of Croatia
Rivers	Black Sea Basin Bednja Bijela Bosut Česma Danube Dobra Drava Glina Glogovnica Ilova Karašica Karašica Korana Krapina Kupa Kupčina Lika Lonja Mrežnica Mura Odra Orljava Pakra Plitvica Sava Slunjčica Spačva Studva Sunja Sutla Trnava Una Vuka Adriatic Basin Bijela Boljunčica Cetina Dragonja Gacka Jadro Krka Mirna Neretva Ombla Raša Rječina Zrmanja
Lakes	Baćina Dubrava Krušćica Lovke Peruća Plitvice Prokljan Trakošćan Varaždin Vrana (Cres) Vrana (Dalmatia)
Valleys, estuaries, canyons, wetlands	Kopački Rit Lim Lonjsko Polje Neretva Delta Paklenica Spačva basin
Waterfalls	Galovački buk Skradinski buk Roški slap Štrbački buk Large waterfall (Plitvice)
Canals	Bobota Canal Danube-Sava Canal (proposed) Sava-Odra-Sava Canal
Adriatic Sea	Kvarner Gulf Bay of Bakar Bay of Mali Ston Novsko Ždrilo Split Channel Split Gates Gulf of Piran Brač Channel Hvar Channel Velebit Channel Vinodol Channel St. Anthony Channel Zavratnica

v t e Hydrography of Slovenia
Rivers	Bača Bolska Čabranka Dragonja Drava Dravinja Dreta Framski potok Gradaščica Hudinja Idrijca Iška Kamnik Bistrica Kerka Kokra Koritnica Krka Kolpa Krupa Lahinja Ledava Ljubljanica Ložnica Meža Mirna Mislinja Mura Nadiža Nevljica Oplotniščica Paka Pesnica Pivka Polskava Pšata Radulja Reka Rinža Rižana Sava Sava Bohinjka Sava Dolinka Savinja Soča Sora Sotla Ščavnica Temenica Triglav Bistrica Tržič Bistrica Vipava Voglajna
Streams	Aslivka Besnica Big Božna Borovniščica Črnec Davščica Dobličica Glinščica Kobilje Creek Logaščica Nadiža Obrh Rak Reka Tunjščica
Waterfalls	Javornik Falls Peričnik Falls Rinka Falls
Lakes	Black Lake in the Triglav Lakes Valley Lake Bled Lake Bohinj Lake Cerknica Lake Gradišče Lake Kreda Lake Palčje Lake Ptuj Lake Trboje Lake Žovnek Wild Lake
Wetlands	Ljubljana Marsh Sečovlje Saltworks Škocjan Caves
Sea	Adriatic Sea
River valleys	Log Koritnica Valley Logar Valley Radovna Valley Rak Škocjan Soča Valley Trenta Valley Triglav Lakes Valley Tuhinj Valley Upper Sava Valley Vipava Valley
Canyons and gorges	Bistrica Gorge Dovžan Gorge Hell Gorge Iška Gorge Ribnica Gorge Vintgar Gorge