Castles and palaces of the Croatian continent, Slavonia and Zagorje

Arrival in Varaždin in the afternoon, accommodation in the hotel, early dinner
Evening Tour of Varaždin, Croatian “Vienna”.

The city of Varaždin is located in the northwestern part of Croatia on the right bank of the Drava River.
Varaždin reveals itself to the guest as a rare urban pearl. To this day, Varaždin has retained some important features of Croatian “Vienna” as a city of baroque, music and flowers.
The biggest attraction of Varaždin is the fortress called “Stari grad” – Old Town.

As the operetta “Countess Mariza” by Emmerich Kálmán ​says”: “Come to Varaždin”

The legend of the Varaždin fire.

“Đurđevački pesci” (The Sands of Đurđevac) “Croatia’s Sahara” lies on the right bank of the Drava River, there stretches a whole belt of low undulating hills called “Đurđevac Sand”. The sand forms desert reliefs here – dunes!

We continue with a tour of the city of Đurđevac and the fortress “Stari grad”.
Learn about the legend of the “picokima (roosters)”.

Lunch in the restaurant “Pivnica Stari grad (beer garden in the old town)”

Đurđevac – Osijek 2 h 30 min, 163 km

Hotel accommodation, free time, dinner, overnight.

Osijek is located in the east of Croatia. It lies in the plain on the right bank of the river Drava.
Osijek is the greenest city in Croatia. The most important monument of the city is the fortress, the baroque historical core of the city from the time of the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy.

Then a short walk, boat trip and visit to the Tikveš hunting lodge.

Historical piquancy: the Habsburg ruling family, the Karadjordjevic ruling family, President Tito

Continue to the ethno village of Karanac to the restaurant “Baranjska kuća”. In the “Ulica zaboravljenog vremena” ( open air museum with ethnic collection of Slavonian handcrafts) there will be a tasting of local brandies and liqueurs.

For lunch we visit a special location “Pointers Goldberg” where traditional delicacies await us.

Return to Osijek and visit the “Tvrđa (Fortress)” in the afternoon, a baroque city-fortress from the 18th century.

Story about “Becarine”
The Legend of General von Beckers
The history of the cannons from the fortress

There is a wine tasting at the end of the tour.

Return to the hotel, dinner, overnight.

Vukovar, “where the Danube kisses the sky”. A city with a turbulent history from prehistory to the Homeland War.
Let’s get to know the most important parts of this city with a little walk.
This is followed by a visit to the Museum of Vučedol Cultures.

Visit to Eltz Castle. Eltz is the name of a famous German noble family.

Stories and piquancy from the noble Eltz family.

Vukovar – Ilok 40 min, 36 km

Ilok, the easternmost town in Croatia.
Let’s briefly get acquainted with the turbulent history of the city, the centuries-old crossroads of many civilizations. The Danube was the border of European civilizations, East and West.

The Legend of St. Ivan Kapistran

Visit to the museum – the castle of the Odescalchi family.

Let’s discover how the Italian noble family Odescalcchi came to the east of the Habsburg monarchy.
Then guided tour through one of the oldest wine cellars in Europe, wine tasting and lunch.

The history of Traminer wine
The story of how the wine archive survived the Homeland War

In the immediate vicinity is the Principovac viewpoint, where we can have afternoon coffee with a fantastic panorama.

Return to Osijek, dinner, overnight stay.

The first known written source of Valpovo dates back to 1332, and Valpovo Fortress named “castrum i oppidum Walpo” was first mentioned in historical sources in 1438. Today, parts of this medieval fortress have been preserved and incorporated into Prandau-Normann Castle.

Tour of the castle and the legend of the white lady.

Hilleprand Castle of Prandau / Mailáth in Donji Miholjac is only half an hour’s drive away.
Castle tour and various stories and piquancy about the noble family.

Lunch and return to Osijek, free afternoon, dinner and overnight.

Đakovo is located in the heart of the geographical region of Slavonia in eastern Croatia. Đakovo is an episcopal town that attracts attention with its monumental cathedral. Pope John XXIII, walking through Đakovo, proclaimed Đakovo Cathedral “the most beautiful church between Venice and Constantinople”.
Đakovo – Zagreb 2 h 30 min, 240 km

Lunch in the city center, individually.

The Croatian capital Zagreb.
Today’s Zagreb arose from two mediaeval settlements that developed over the centuries on two neighbouring hills, the diocese founded by Kaptol and Gradec, a free royal town. Both settlements were surrounded by solid walls and towers, the remains of which have survived to this day.
Let’s take a walk and get to know these two parts of the city and let’s visit the Zagreb Cathedral.

Legends about the Bloody Bridge, Grič and Kaptol
Coprnjički ceh (Witches Zech)
The legend of the name of the city of Zagreb and the fountain Maduševac

Zagreb – Trakošćan 1 h 30 min, 84 km
Hotel accommodation, possibility of swimming, dinner, overnight stay.

In the extreme part of the north-western territory of Hrvatsko Zagorje, near the town of Desinić on a beautiful hill, there is the fortified castle of Veliki Tabor, which according to UNESCO belongs to the highest category of monuments.
The impressive picture that the castle offers us from all sides, as well as the interior of the castle, leave a lasting impression on the visitor.

The Legend of Veronika Desimić (unhappy love of two young people)

Lunch at a farm, traditional dishes.

Free afternoon, swimming or hiking along Trakošćan Castle.
Dinner and overnight stay.

Legend about the origin of the name of Trakošćan Castle
Stories and trivia about the noble Draškivić family

Around noon departure to Germany.