Contacts: info@bestofzagreb.com, +385 98 968 1827, Skype: bestofzagreb
Culture and History walk in Zagreb, Croatia

Culture and History walk in Zagreb, Croatia

Best of Zagreb’s walking and sightseeing tours for a real Zagreb experience

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia

Central Europe – Mediterranean Europe – South-East Europe

Povijest Hrvata, photo Nataša Novak
Zagreb, Croatia, Ivan Meštrović The History of the Croats

Culture, History & Arts

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is a cultural and artistic center of the region. We love to stroll the old streets and courtyards of Gradec (the Upper Town), drink coffee or beer in Tkalciceva Street, buy the produce on farmer’s markets, chat with friends on the Flower Square and comment the recent cultural and social events. Take this guided culture & history walking tour and meet the city with your local guide. Depending on the day of your arrival and sightseeingwe can make some changes to the itinerary.

      Culture and History walk, around 1,5h-2h : 17 EUR per person for a minimum of 2 people

 This walking tour lasts around 2 hours, and depends also on your request.

Due tu earthquakes of 2020 many museums and churches are still closed for visits.

Recommendations:

The Upper Town has seven museums, all very popular among the citizens of Zagreb and all top museums in their fields.

  • We recommend to visit The Atelier Mestrovic. The artist’s family house is the location of his museum, a charming place in Mletacka St.
  • The Museum of Naive Art with colorful canvases stands beside the Greek-catholic church.
  • Few steps to the south, on the corner is the immensely popular Museum of Broken Relationships.
  • Next to the beautiful St. Catherine’s Church there is a Klovic Gallery – recently with extraordinary guest exhibitions!

Don’t miss the popular and beautiful spots in the Lower Town if you are into discovering art and culture:

  • the ModernGallery with a rich collection of Croatian artists throughout history,
  • the MimaraMuseum with a choice of top international classical art, and
  • the Home of the Croatian Association of Artist located in the Mestrovic Pavilion, few minutes walk from the Zrinjevac Park
  • the MSU or the Museum of Contemporary Art in New Zagreb.

If interested in a cultural and historical tour of contact us at info (at) bestofzagreb . com

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13th century Stone Gate, the entrance to Gradec, the Upper Town
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Stairs around the Upper Town

We organize privately guided tours daily on request and periodically we offer open group tours. Follow us through our website or social networks and book your sightseeing tour with us at info at bestofzagreb . com

Discovering Zagreb

How to discover a new destination? The best way to do it is by doing a guided tour – through your guide (a local) you can meet other locals on your way through Zagreb. Guided tours are very popular and we promote them because good information is hard to find. The dynamics of the tour can be arranged, whether you prefer to walk around (so you don’t miss the attractions) or to listen to the story of Zagreb.

Regenerate in Zumberak

Regenerate in Zumberak

Relax & recharge your batteries for three days on the family estate Klanfar in Žumberak

DURATION: THREE DAYS (Two overnights)

STARTING POINT: the place of your arrival in Zagreb (On request: the pick up can be arranged from the place of your arrival in Croatia)

WHEN: 2015 / 2016

ABOUT THE TOUR:

This tour is offered through our website www.bestofzagreb.com and our travel agency Netragom.

Read the presentation of Zumberak Mountain in our blog section.

Žumberak hills are one of the regions of continental Croatia that we would like to promote for your holidays. For the Zagrebians it’s one of the most popular hiking and weekend destinations, and for foreign travellers it’s a popular spot to stay for several days or even weeks. Žumberak is full of marked hiking trails, dense forest, hidden streams and waterfalls.

The price for 2-3 persons: 1512 Kunas (199 EUR) per person
The price of 4-8 persons: 1345 Kunas (177 EUR) per person

Book by e-mail at info (at) bestofzagreb.com or through the contact form below!

We suggest the following program:

1st day: Introduction, presentation

After an organized transfer to Zumberak, you will be greeted with a smile of course, but also with a traditional snack of the Žumberak region and grown by the family Klanfar. Through the stories and tastes of Žumberak you will have your first introduction of the region. Then you will head to the field – the first will be more theory than practice, more presentation of the produce, of sustainable development and management. At dinner you will enjoy the tastes of the traditional Žumberak and spend the night in the rooms of the family estate Klanfar.

2nd day: Education/Learning

After a good night sleep and the home made breakfast you will be ready for you second day in Žumberak. You will spend your second day mostly on the field to see and learn about organic production, transplantation, weeding, harvesting and other activities in the field that are the basics of the sustainable farming. For lunch we will visit the ponds Vrabac where you will enjoy in the specialties of the freshly caught trout. After lunch we continue with our activities in filed, and in the evening you will enjoy the freshly picked produce for dinner.

3rd day: Relaxation

After breakfast we will present the products of Žumberak and the region. You will have a free day for walks or hiking or just relaxing (bowling filed is near the house). For lunch we will offer you a delicacy of the Žumberak region. Your stay in Žumberak and the Klanfar family estate ends after lunch, but we hope to see you back soon.

Bonus! We offer you a guided sightseeing tour of Zagreb on the first or last day if you book this tour.

The above mentioned prices include:
Transfer from Zagreb to Zumberak (a sightseeing tour of Zagreb is possible before we head to Zumberak)
the 1st day: presentation, dinner and overnight,
2nd day: breakfast, dinner and a program at the family estate Klanfar, the lunch in the restaurant Vrabac,
the 3rd day: breakfast, lunch and a short program at the family estate Klanfar, tasting of specialties of the Klanfar family.
Transfer from the family estate back to Zagreb (airport, railway station or other address in Zagreb, and sightseeing tour of Zagreb if you haven’t done it on arrival).

The price does not include:
Drinks during you stay at the family estate Klanfar neither in the restaurant Vrabac.

Single travelers or groups of more than 8 people – please contact us by e-mail for an offer.

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NOTICE: if you have a problem while driving up and down the hills and on serpentines, you should consider taking a medication before the trip.

By paying to the agency Netragom the sum mentioned in our detailed offer you recognize you have read and accepted the General terms and conditions and the Cancellation policy that we send to every customer upon request. We strongly recommend to take a full coverage of your travel through a Travel Insurance Package. Contact us if interested in booking with us.

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Zumberak Mountain

Zumberak Mountain

Popular destinations around Zagreb – Žumberak

One of the most popular destinations among the citizens of Zagreb for one day – full day trip are the Žumberak-Samobor hills. The natural beauty of the hills and peaks like Okić (495 m) south of Samobor, Oštrc (753 m) and Japetić (871) are on regular itineraries of Zagrebian mountaineers. The central point of the region is a small town of Samobor. Now, the Samobor hills and Plesivica are populated enough, with well-known wine roads and tourist itineraries. We offer hear a discovery and a visit to the central part of the Žumberak Mountain filled with dense forests, hidden streams, little picturesque villages and family farms.

Žumberak Mountain is the central part of the Žumberak-Samobor hills.

Zumberak Mountain is one of the least populated areas in Croatia, with a constant emigration during the last one hundred years. But this is not the downside, this is actually its best comparative advantage! And although the emigration left the region nearly abandoned, the Žumberak Mountain with the Samobor hills and Plešivica are all three the most popular excursion destinations of the Zagrebians.

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Here you can read a short presentation of the Žumberak Mountain written by the local resident, M. Goran Klanfar.

The massif of Žumberak follows the Croatian – Slovenian border. It’s located in the western part of central Croatia and belongs mostly to the Zagreb County. The biggest part of Žumberak massif consists of the Žumberak Mountain spreading 40 km NE-SW. In the North the steep slope ends in the Krka valley, in the South a mild slope ends in the Karlovačko pokuplje, in the East it descends in mild slopes to the Sava valley and in the West it passes into the Kočevska plateau. The highest peak of Žumberak Sv. Gera (1181 m) is in the West.

The massif of Žumberak has the characteristics of three different regions: sub-alpine, Pannonian and Mediterranean which is manifested in the flora, fauna and relief. From the geological point of view there are karst and alpine terrains.

Karst terrain is predominant in most part of the central Žumberak Mountain and is composed of carbonate rocks – the tufa rocks that was extracted from the streams to be used as a building material for houses and farm buildings. This was the most popular building material in the central Žumberak region between Sošice and Gornja Vas, and partially in the Samobor part of Žumberak Mountain.

The Alpine terrain is found in the northern part of Žumberak (Samobor part of the Žumberak massif) and its characteristic is the dolomite rocks and indented relief.

Archeological remains discovered in Žumberak indicate that there was a mining activity in the area (copper, iron, lead). Today the silica sand mining is predominant for the production of glass and building stone.

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NATURE PARK ŽUMBERAK-SAMOBOR HILLS

Žumberak spreads through three climate regions: continental, alpine and Mediterranean. Those influences overlap so in Žumberak you can find plants from the Mediterranean area like oregano and St. John’s Wort, plants from the alpine area like thyme – the citrus variety which usually grows above 800 m above sea level in the Alps, and the plants typical for the continental Croatia: hellebore, snowdrop and 30 types of orchid.

PILASTER OR PILLAR – Saint’s Pillar

It’s not known when the pillar was built, but it’s probably from the 17th century when New Town of Žumberak (Novi Grad Žumberak) was built. The name “pilaster” just like the kaikavian dialect variety of the word – Pil (Croatian Zagorje, Međimurje) means the same thing – column – and in particular church column or saint’s column.

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These types of constructions are linked to the Alps, Slovenia to Carinthia and East Tirol. The pillar in Žumberak is the easternmost object of the group of four-sided alpine pillars – tabernacle. There are three stories of the pillar: the first one tells us about building such monuments on important crossroads to mark the exact orientation to the north-east-west-south, the second story tells us that the pillars were built for protection against disease (plague, cholera) and against evil (statues, paintings-icons inside the pillars), but the origin of the pillar is not known – whether it’s profane or sacral. The third story tells us about the pillory which served to punish offenders during the Military Frontier in Croatia, allegedly four people were walled up alive in the pillar according to the legend that should be checked and proved.

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The houses in Žumberak are built mostly in stone or wood, or the combination of both: the cellar in stone, and the living area in wood. Unfortunately not one house has been preserved with straw roof, but we can still see the clay rooster on the crest of the roof, a relic from the period of Turkish incursions when the Ottoman Empire exerted great influence on this region that was part of the Military Frontier until 1884. In nearly every old garden you can find, and even in some new ones, a lily – the symbol that beauty knows no hate or intolerance.

The road that leads through Žumberak today was built in the 18th century under the supervision of Nikolaus Ritter von Weymann (monument in Žamarije). They used a part of an old Roman road that went through Žumberak in the direction of Germania.

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In Žumberak – the name for the mountain, for the municipality and for the village – there were two towns: Old town Gradina (Stari grad Gradina) and Sichelburg – Shumberk or Uskočka regiment, which was demolished in 1947. Only a part of the western wall was preserved.

In Žumberak two ceremonies are held in the Catholic Church: Roman Catholic or western ceremony and Greek Catholic or eastern ceremony. Or as said by the reverend Pajić: in Žumberak we breathe in both lungs.

During the 15th and the 16th century Žumberak was devastated to the point that today’s inhabitants of Žumberak are the descendants of immigrants. Every village has its specificities regarding the origin of its inhabitants and we can hear that in the diversity of dialects and languages: Bosnian, the sto-dialect, the “I” dialect of Croatian language.

Nearly every village in Žumberak has a sacral building: if it’s not the church then it’s a chapel, if there is not enough space for a chapel, then there is a simple crucifix.

The inhabitants of Žumberak are very introverted people, self-sufficient, but if the traveler gets stuck in Žumberak, help will be given in a second, and they will show their cordiality and hospitality instead of the highland harshness.

The central part of Žumberak is rich in water, the estimation is that there were around 150 mills, today only several are preserved, and the mill in Čunkova draga of the noble family Medven is a representative example of the construction of mills.

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Zagreb Top Attractions!

Zagreb Top Attractions!

Discover Zagreb with your local guide!

This essential and short  Zagreb walking tour will take you along the most important sights of Croatia’s capital like the Dolac famer’s market (until 1 pm), the oldest part of Zagreb on Kaptol hill, through the animated and gorgeous Tkalciceva street, the medieval Stone Gate and through the Upper Town. This is our recommendation if you do not have much time or just want to go through the itinerary quickly, not to get lost and not to miss important things 🙂

Duration 1-1,5 hours. Starts from the Ban Jelačić Square.

The visit of Dolac market is possible only until 1 pm.

Book a  privately guided walking tour with Samia, your local guide:

  • small groups of minimum 5 people : 65 EUR
    medium size groups (6-20 people) : 90 EUR
    large groups (20+ people): 120 EUR

The best way to discover Zagreb is by doing a guided tour. With the local guide you can meet other locals, get necessary information through Q&A and visit top sightseeing places on your way through Zagreb.

Zagreb guided tours are very popular and we promote them because good information is hard to find. The dynamics of the tour can be arranged, whether you prefer to walk around (so you don’t miss the attractions) or to listen to the story of Zagreb.

 

Book your Zagreb Walk now!

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If you have a limited time, then don’t hesitate to contact us for this beautiful classical walking tour of Zagreb at info (at) bestofzagreb . com

 

L’excursion à Zagorje

L’excursion à Zagorje

Zagorje et Zagreb ont des liens étroits, étant donné que Zagorje était la coulisse de l’aristocratie de Zagreb. Certains nobles très riches et influents, les autres pas si riches, mais la plupart d’entre eux avaient leurs châteaux et propriétés dans cette région. En savoir plus sur le Zagorje vert dans notre Blog.

Le nom officiel de la région est le Zagorje Croate, mais en fait en le vois comme le Zagorje Vert. Au cours de la visite de Zagorje nous vous emmenons à travers les destinations les plus importantes de cette région colorée. Zagorje et Zagreb ont des liens étroits, étant donné que Zagorje était la coulisse de l’aristocratie de Zagreb. Certains nobles très riches, les autres influents, mais pas si riches, la plupart d’entre eux avaient leurs châteaux et propriétés dans cette région.

Lors de notre visite, nous allons visiter le Trakošćan, le château des contes de fées de Zagorje vert. La visite des chambres et de l’intérieur du château dure environ une heure. Après la visite du château, nous allons faire une promenade autour du lac Trakošćan entouré par une forêt sombre.

Nous continuons ensuite vers Krapina pour visiter le Musée de Neandertal. La petite ville de Krapina est le centre régional célèbre pour les découvertes de restes humains de l’âge de pierre (plus de 125 000 ans). Mais le musée est populaire en raison de la façon particulière de présenter l’évolution humaine.

Après le déjeuner, nous ferons une visite de Veliki Tabor, le plus beau château en Croatie. L’intérieur est autant beau que l’extérieur.

L’itinéraire nous emmène ensuite à travers les collines colorées vers Kumrovec. Tito, l’homme qui symbolisait l’ex-Yougoslavie, un des fondateur du bloc des non-alignés du XXe siècle a passé son enfance dans cette région pittoresque. Dans ce village ethno (la visite est une option), vous verrez aussi comment les paysans de Zagorje vivaient pendant les périodes historiques, avant le grand saut dans le développement de la société dans le 20e siècle.

Retour à Zagreb.

 

Zagreb cathedral

Zagreb cathedral

Cathedral
Zagreb Cathedral

The cathedral as you can see it today, well we had another strong earthquake March 22nd 2020, and the cathedral was damaged. Read here about its history.

Huge reconstruction works from late 19th and beginning of the 20th century, after the earthquake of November 9th 1880 (6.3 on Richter scale) created the cathedral as we new it until 2020.

But this beautiful building stands on the site with a very layered past.

The construction works on this cathedral started in the 13th century.

Historical context

The cathedral stands on the spot where according to old documents the first bishopric was founded in 1094. by the Hungarian king. Don’t let this information confuse you. The Hungarian king Ladislav was travelling through Croatia, he was in fact conquering what he thought was his rightful inheritance after the death of the Croatian king Dmitar Zvonimir. This ancient history is very interesting. The laws of the church back then were saying that a bishopric can be founded only where a substantial number of people lived. So in a village or a small town a parish church and a priest would suffice. That’s why a generally accepted opinion is that there was a substantial settlement around the hill where the bishopric was founded, and also next to it, where the Dolac farmer’s market is located today. After the foundation of the bishopric the French Benedictine monks arrive with manuscript church books.

Dolac Farmers Market

There are no written documents about these events, as after the first cathedral was built in the beginning of the 12th century, Croatia was hit by a Mongolian invasion at the beginning of the 13th century. And they destroyed everything that stood in their way, including the first cathedral.

Fearing for the treasuries the bishop with his staff saved himself, the treasuries and documents on the island of Rab on the Adriatic Coast. He left the treasures there after he returned to Zagreb thinking on going to get them back when the danger of new attacks passes. But historical events turned in such a way that Zagreb never got back those founding documents and treasuries. The island of Rab was occupied by the Venetians within a couple of years, and Rab and Zagreb found themselves in two different countries. The legends say that all the treasures were then transported to Venice, to Venetian archives. But some of our French visitors tell us then, that Napoleon then took and transferred many of Venetians oldest and greatest wealth to France. Our professors tell us to dig and search the old archives and second-hand bookstores wherever we are in the world. You never know where and when you can find something.

Here is a little more about this oldest, almost mythological period of Zagreb’s past. Once you get to the period when there are no written documents, what is left are legends and myths. There are many theories about the name of Zagreb, but one that is very popular among the monks in Kaptol and the cathedral is about an old monastery that was standing where the cathedral is today. It was the monastery with Italian monks dedicated to St. Gabriel, before the bishopric was founded, so prior to 1094. From then through the centuries this name changed from St. Gabriele to the Italian form Zagabria, or Croatian form Zagreb.

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So in the second part of the 13th century we begin building a new church. This was during the episcopate of the bishop Timothy. From this period we still have the main apse, the north and the south apse, probably a part of the naves, and the sacristy which is completely preserved from this period. The frescoes in the sacristy are from Timothy’s period and one frescoes in the south nave of the cathedral. By the end of the 15th century the cathedral was mostly finished, the roof and most of the equipment was made of wood, therefore susceptible to fire. kula_1070258

But the 15th century the more and more frequent Ottoman incursions have sown
fear among the residents of Kaptol (and citizens of the neighboring Upper Town), and they decide first to fortify the city of Kaptol at the end of the 15th century and
by 1520 to fortify the cathedral. Those 16th century renaissance defense walls still stand and the north part of the walls is completely authentic from that period. The period of the Ottoman rule has changed in such a way these lands that we witnessed the consequence of these changes throughout the 20th century.

By the 18th century the cathedral has 31 altars and a magnificent Baroque pulpit from 1695. (Still in the cathedral today). Today you can still see in the cathedral
only three of the baroque altars the Last Supper and St. Luke’s altars stand one opposite the other, both closest to the main altar. And the altar of the Virgin Mary transferred from St. Stephan’s chapel into the cathedral.

Huge reconstruction works were undertaken after the earthquake in 1880. The general opinion was that Zagreb deserves a rich representative church, so the bishop Strossmayer, the greatest benefactor of Croatian arts and culture of the 19th century has prompted the idea and the project was given to the Viennese architect Friedrich Schmidt, then the most important neo-gothic architect in Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. His pupil Herman Bollé carried the works, became independent very quickly and changed the project.

European and Global context

During the period of late Croatian kingdom and the beginning of Zagreb France was governed by the House of Capet. Russia begins its history as Kievan Rus’, that’s the period of the last Croatian kings and the beginning of Zagreb.

Interestingly, during the Ottoman conquest of South-East Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, on the other side of the world in the same time the Conquista by Cortes and the conquistadors was in full swing with the siege of Mexico City that same year 1520. when Kaptol and the Zagreb cathedral were fortified for protection.

Late 15th and beginning of the 16th century when many parts of South-East Europe become Ottoman territory Russia is under the rule of Ivan III the Great ending the dominance of the Golden Horde. The same Golden Horde that passed through Croatia in the first part of the 13th century initiating the establishment of the town Gric (the Upper Town).

In France Francis I (François Ier) is king of France. And Europe sees the blossom of Renaissance art with Michelangelo, Leonardo and many Croatian renaissance authors from Dubrovnik to Zadar, as the Croatian coast was never part of the Ottoman Empire.

Let’s leave the rest of the story and the description to your visit to Zagreb and Croatia.

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Running in Zagreb

Running in Zagreb

And around Zagreb Sava half-marathon

Yesterday on my walking-running routine I ran into a marathon runners. It was the Sava half-marathon run on April 4th on the banks of the Sava River. There was 718 runners registered, and it was a fantastic view of the runners running along the bank of the river. See the detail about the Sava half-marathon.

We have several interesting races in Zagreb. In September traditionally many people join the Terry Fox Run. It’s a humanitarian action to collect money for Cancer research on September 20th 2015. It will be the 10th anniversary race. Join even if you are not a runner, you can walk, roller skate or ride a bike. Terry Fox run is organized next to the Sava embankments – on the Jarun Lake.

On October 11th we have the Zagreb Marathon – run in the city, it’s a big event for all fans of running and the city center is closed to traffic. See detail on Zagreb Marathon page.

If you want to experience the Plitvice Lakes in a new way you can do it by running the Marathon around it.  –> Here is the correction to the previously published dates: The Plitvice Marathon is on June 7th, check the correct page link of the Plitvice Marathon.

For all of you runners check this page for a running calendar in Croatia. Here are my highlights for those who want to mix running with the pleasure of discovering new destinations (the texts are usually simple with announcements so please use Google translate for better understanding, it’s worth it):

Paklenica trail on May 2nd 2015 – What is Paklenica? Reade about Paklenica National Park

Risnjak trail on July 18th 2015 Read about the Risnjak Trail and Risnjak National Park.

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A Trip to Green Zagorje

A Trip to Green Zagorje

Privately guided  tour

Zagorje and Zagreb have strong connections, as Zagorje was the backstage of Zagreb aristocracy. Some very rich and influential, others not so rich, most of them had their estates and castles in this region. Read more about the Green Zagorje in our Blog.

DURATION: around 8-10 hours

ABOUT THE TRIP TO ZAGORJE:

The locals refer to this region as Green Zagorje, officialy it’s called Croatian Zagorje. During the tour of Zagorje we will take you through the most important destinations of this colorful region. Zagorje and Zagreb have strong connections, as Zagorje was the backstage of Zagreb aristocracy. Some very rich and influential, others not so rich, most of them had their estates and castles in this region.

Recommended itinerary:

During our tour we will visit the fancy Trakošćan, the fairytale castle of the Green Zagorje. The visit of the castle’s historical rooms and interior lasts for approximately one hour. After the visit of the castle we will take a walk around the Trakošćan Lake surrounded by the dark forest.

We then continue to Krapina to visit the Krapine Neanderthal Museum. The little town of Krapina is the regional center famous for the findings of human remains from the Stone Age, 125 000 years ago. But the museum is immensely popular because of its special way to present the human evolution.

After driving up and down the Zagorje hills we will stop for lunch in one of the regional inns. The Basic tour for a group of up to 8 people doesn’t have the lunch included in the price in order to have more freedom in choosing the right local meal. With our suggestions and recommendations of course. The prices can vary from 10 eur  to 20 eur or more depending on your choice.

After lunch we will make a visit of Veliki Tabor, the most beautiful castle in Croatia. The interior is as much beautiful as the exterior.

The itinerary takes us then through the colorful hills towards Kumrovec. Tito, the man who symbolized the socialist ex-Yugoslavia and the global non-aligned bloc spent his childhood in this picturesque region. In this ethno village (the visit is optional) you will also see how the peasants of Zagorje lived during historical times, before the big leap in the development of society in the 20th century.

The one day trip to Zagorje ends here. We will drive you back to your accommodation in Zagreb late in the afternoon.

NOTICE: if you have a problem while driving up and down the hills and on serpentines, you should consider taking a medication before the trip.

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Загреб, столица Хорватии

Загреб, столица Хорватии

Загреб – основная прогулка

У вас нет времени познакомиться со столицей Хорватии более детально, но хотите все таки прогулять через самые интересные точки? Предагаем Быструю прогулку через историческое сердце хорватской столицы, Загреба:

Быстрая прогулка черея исторический центр города (Центральная полщадь Бан Елачич, Верхний город и каптол, рынок Долац) максимальной длительности 1,5 час

225 кун (30 EUR) до два человека, три и больше 115 Кун (15 EUR) по человеку.

Группы больше 8 человек – 750 кун.

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The Green Zagorje

The Green Zagorje

The gentle green landscapes with hills, fields and valleys, rivers and streams, lakes, ponds and hot springs – this is the Croatian Zagorje. Situated south of the baroque picturesque city of Varazdin, north of Zagreb, i.e. on the “other side” of the Medvednica Mountain.

The popular song from Zagorje describes the region’s selfawarenss as Green: “Lepe ti je, lepe ti je, Zagorje zelene, Zagorje zelene” “pretty is our region, the green Zagorje”. To explain the beautiful green landscapes people here like the legends about the Green George (popular St. Georges, or in Croatian Sveti Yura).

Zagorje, Gupceva Lipa
Gupceva Lipa, the Inn next to the Linden tree where Matija Gubec gathered peasants for the first revolt in the 16th century

There are several things to know that are important when you hear us, Croatians, talk about Zagorje: Green, hot (thermal waters), revolt, Tito and – food.

Three men marked the history of Croatia and thanks to them the mentality of the people here were formed. Those three men were born in Croatian Zagorje: Tito, the most famous lifelong president of the ex-Yougoslavia. Then Matija Gubec, a peasant from Stubica (pronounced Stubitsa), a serf from the 16th century who organized the first jacquerie, a peasant revolt with a tragic outcome, but mythological legacy. And the third Franjo Tudjman, the first president of the independent post-Yugoslavia Croatia.

The mix of beautiful natural landscapes and the rich historical heritage makes this region a very popular destination for excursions and tours. After Dalmatia the Croatian Zagorje has the biggest quantity of historical monuments – from the beginning of time until the contemporary period. The most famous item from outer space – the meteorite – is kept in a museum in Vienna.

Croatia Castles Veliki Tabor
Veliki Tabor Castle, Zagorje region

 

The most popular sites among the visitors are the Krapina Neanderthal Museum (museum about the human evolution), two beautiful castles: the fancy Trakoscan and the authentic medieval Veliki Tabor, and the ethno village Kumrovec – where Marshal Tito was born. Along with those mandatory tourist sites, we like to mention the ruins of ancient cities like Cesargrad or Grebengrad, the religious heritage with a mix of the gothic and baroque styles you can see in many little provincial churches and some of them are a real work of art like the baroque church of St. Mary of Snow in Belec, Trški Vrh in Krapina or St. Georges chapel in Purga Lepoglavska to mention just three of them.

Zagorje is particularly popular for its rich and quality thermal sources or spas: Stubicke Toplice, Tuheljske Toplice, Krapinske Toplice or Terme Jezercica. Other thermal sources are waiting for investors and renovation.

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