© Zoran Jelača / CNTB
The bucolic Zagorje region provides rural escapades right on Zagreb's doorstep. The landscape of itsy villages squirreled between verdantly forested hills, vineyards and cornfields, and medieval castles was made for easygoing road trips and presents a relaxed foil to the bustling Mediterranean south. A trip here is blissfully crowd-free, although less so on summer weekends when day-tripping families from the capital debunk en masse to storm the area.
The Zagorje region begins north of Mt Medvednica (1035m), near Zagreb, and extends west to the Slovenian border, and as far north as Varaždin, a showcase of baroque architecture. Whether you want to feast on hearty cuisine at rustic restaurants, get a taste of village life or tour ancient castles, with Zagorje you’re in for an offbeat treat.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Zagorje.
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This baroque church, built in 1761, is one of Zagorje's most important pilgrimage sites and is well worth the uphill walk from the centre. Outside, the surrounding arcade is festooned with painted scenes depicting miracles and granted prayers that local worshippers attributed to the Virgin Mary. Inside, the church is a triumphant dazzle of baroque frescos painted by Antun Lerchinger with ornate altars and its original 18th-century organ still in place.
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This castle, 80km northwest of Zagreb, is worth a visit for its well-presented museum and attractive grounds. The exact origin of its construction is unknown, but the first official mention dates to 1334. Not many of the castle’s original Romanesque features were retained when it was restored in neo-Gothic style in the mid-19th century; the 215-acre castle grounds were landscaped into a romantic English-style park with exotic trees and an artificial lake.
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As you approach the pentagonal hilltop castle of Veliki Tabor, 57km northwest of Zagreb, what unfolds is a pleasing panorama of hills, cornfields, vineyards and forests. The Croatian aristocracy began building fortified castles in the region – to stave off the Turkish threat – in the 16th century. Veliki Tabor Castle, built on the grounds of an earlier medieval structure, dates from this period with the four semicircular towers added later.
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Nestled in the Sutla River valley near the Slovenian border, the village of Kumrovec has been transformed into an open-air ethnographic museum. A re-creation of a 19th-century village, the Staro Selo Museum features 40 restored houses and barns made of pressed earth and wood. The village was also the birthplace of Josip Broz Tito, the former president of Yugoslavia. His house is now a museum containing original furniture, letters from foreign leaders and memorabilia, with a life-sized bronze sculpture outside.
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Those with kids should make a beeline to this brilliant museum which explores the history of the universe, earth and humanity, as well as highlighting the story of Krapina's famous 1899 Neanderthal fossil-bone find through a series of fun, colourful and high-tech exhibits. Everything from the big bang to Neanderthal daily life, their demise and the rise of Homo sapiens is covered, with interesting displays on how the excavation site was found, too.
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This whitewashed fortress, a gem of medieval defensive architecture housed inside the Stari Grad (Old Town), is surrounded by a manicured park. Construction began in the 14th century, with the present Gothic-Renaissance structure dating back to the 16th century, when it was the regional fortification against the Turks.
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This 17th-century baroque church at the heart of town was built in 1630 by the noble Erdödy brothers. The adjacent Franciscan monastery has two restored sarcophagi of the Erdödy family, elaborate findings from the baroque era, hidden in the crypt. Make arrangements to see them through the tourist office.
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A 10-minute stroll west of Stari Grad takes you to this serene horticultural masterpiece, designed in 1905 by Viennese architect Hermann Helmer. Meander amid tombstones, avenues, promenades and over 7000 trees, including magnolia, beech and birch.
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This former Jesuit church, located southeast of Trg Kralja Tomislava, was built in 1646. The facade is distinguished by an early baroque portal bearing the coat of arms of the noble Drašković family. Occupying the central nave is the altar, which has elaborate engravings and a gilded painting of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Famous for its great acoustics, the cathedral is the site of concerts during the Varaždin Baroque Evenings festival.