SECRET TIP UNDISCOVERED PART OF CROATIA

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”

“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.

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

Return to the hotel, dinner, overnight.

The main feature of the eastern part of Croatia – Slavonia – are lowlands with large areas of cultivation. From this plain, which was once the bottom of the Pannonian Sea, mountains rise almost a thousand meters above sea level. One of these mountains is Papuk – the most beautiful mountain in Slavonia.

Moderately difficult hiking trail (approx. 1 hour), followed by lunch.

Stupnički Dvori – hotel, winery and restaurant built in the spirit of tradition and local architecture.
In the afternoon we have an organized tour of vineyards, cellars, wine shops and most importantly an attractive tasting of the best Croatian wines.

Accommodation in the hotel, dinner, overnight.

In 1994, the village of Čigoč was declared the first European stork village.
In summer, the stork population is larger than the human population of the village.

Lonjsko Polje Nature Park: Get to know the largest Croatian floodplain of the Danube basin and the traditional architecture of this area.

Lunch at “Tradicije Čigoč”, autochthonous ambience with traditional Croatian delicacies.

Čigoč – Sisak 30 minutes, 28 km

Sightseeing of the city of Sisak. Sisak is one of the largest industrial towns in Croatian history thanks to its oil refinery, iron industry, river port, mill and bakery. Sisak is one of the oldest settlements in central Croatia.
The second sightseeing point is the Museum of the City of Sisak.

The second sightseeing point is the “Stari grad (Old Town)”, a 16th-century fortress under which the Battle of Sisak took place on June 22, 1593. The fortress is a zero category monument.

Short coffee break in the restaurant near the fortress and we continue our trip to the town of Karlovac (1h 40 min, 90 km).

Hotel accommodation, free time, dinner, overnight.

So it is logical that our next visit point is the Aquatika – freshwater aquarium.
This aquarium contains the largest and most attractive species of fish. The large aquarium shows fish from the sturgeon family: sturgeon, Russian sturgeon, white sturgeon…
Sturgeons are one of the oldest species of fish, dating back to the time of the dinosaurs.

Karlovac – Zagreb 1 h, 56 km

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.

Then lunch in the city center and free time.

Zagreb – Tuheljske Toplice 1 h, 55 km

Terme Tuhelj Spa Hotel is located next to a thermal spring in the mountainous region of Hrvatsko Zagorje, 40 km from Zagreb. Numerous indoor and outdoor pools, saunas and steam baths are available on site.

Hotel accommodation, possibility of swimming, dinner, overnight stay.

The morning tour takes us to Klanjec, only 7 km from Tuheljske Toplice.

The monumental building of the Franciscan monastery in Klanjec has been an insider tip for many years. The tomb of the Erdödy family, precious sarcophagi from the 17th century, is located in the crypt of the monastery and is open to the public. The sarcophagi are the work of Viennese masters and were made in the early Baroque style.

A short tour of the town follows and then return to the hotel.

Just a few meters from the hotel is the “Restaurant Dvorac (Castle) Mihanovic”. With unique dishes, top wines from local winemakers and a special ambience, you will learn the history of the gastronomic beauty of Hrvatsko Zagorje.

Krapina or more precisely Krapina Neanderthal Museum is one of the most modern museum projects in Croatia and in this part of Europe. An interesting story about the life and culture of the Neanderthals in Krapina, a variety of multimedia and other content, and most importantly, special architecture awaits you. The new museum is connected to the site of prehistoric man, Krapina on Hušnjakovo Hill, by well-groomed hiking trails.

Around noon departure to Germany.