Meet the locals of northern Croatia

Picture a green, fertile region in the northernmost reaches of Croatia. Spread between the broad blue arteries of the Mura and the Drava rivers, the landscape ranges from rolling green hills carpeted with vineyards to extraordinary habitats of riparian forest that range alongside riverbanks that form part of the Mura-Drava-Danube UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This is Međimurje.   

The region is rich in traditional culture and heritage – its popevka folksongs, for example, are included on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Add a genuinely warm welcome, accompanied by delicious local cuisine, and you have some understanding of what makes it so special. Croatia’s northernmost county embraced greener tourism long ago, and both slow travel and the preservation of traditional local heritage are synonymous with any visit.

“The exceptional value of the soil, the slopes and the orientation of our vineyards and orchards yield fruits year after year, from which we offer our guests premium wines and fruit juices.”

“The entire estate and the rural holiday home itself are infused with and guided by biodynamic principles of cultivation, design and sustainability. Biodynamics on our estate is both a way of thinking and living.”

“Arriving at our adrenaline park is a meeting with the primal spirit of the forest. It’s a test of one’s abilities and limits. You can also enjoy a gourmet touch by trying dishes that are the original symbols of Međimurje.”

1. Listen to folk songs

Međimurska popevka is a traditional form of folksong that has been passed down from one generation to another, and it is deeply rooted in local culture and identity. Tinged with melancholy and rich in melody, these songs are performed solo or as part of an ensemble, either at home or in a range of social settings. They are part of the collective experience of growing up and living in this region of Croatia. You can hear popevka performed at the annual Međimurska Popevka Festival in Nedelišće, just outside Čakovec. 

2. Support local artisans

The presence of so many traditional crafts in Međimurje means there are plenty of evocative souvenirs. In doing so, you can support local artisans. Among these are licitari – ‘gingerbread’ decorations – along with traditional local pottery, bobbin lace, wooden toys, painted Easter eggs with colourful designs on a black background, medenjaci (the edible, undecorated counterpart to licitari), handmade Christmas decorations and Nativity scenes.

3. Visit the museums

Visit the Treasury of Međimurje, a museum showcasing the region’s rich history, traditional culture and heritage. This is housed in the Zrinski Castle in Čakovec, a fortified Renaissance palace, rebuilt in Baroque style in the 18th century, which has been beautifully restored. Elsewhere, the Med Dvemi Vodami Visitor Center in the village of Križovec introduces the landscapes, nature and habitats of the Mura and Drava rivers.

The region of Hrvatsko Zagorje neighbours Međimurje and is home to several heritage crafts, including makers of traditional gingerbread and wooden toys. Both these skills are inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage and are linked to the town of Marija Bistrica, a major place of pilgrimage. These items were often bought by pilgrims as small souvenirs for their families back home.

“I was ten years old when my father started teaching me,” said Stjepan Mikuš, a wooden toymaker in the village of Laz Stubički, near Marija Bistrica. “From that moment on, I never wanted to do anything else.”

In his workshop, the air was thick with the smell of sawdust. He was filing down the rough edges of what gradually turned into a small wooden horse. Mikuš has been making these toys for around 50 years.

“It’s an authentic local tradition, and it’s something I want to see continue and help to preserve,” Mikuš explained to me.

Later, the horse will be painted in bright colours, then it will have wheels attached so that it can be pulled along. It’s not unusual for these stages to involve the whole family working alongside each other. Danijel Hajnić, a maker of wooden toys in the village of Tugonica, works with his parents and his wife Marijana. And Brankica Šćuric, a gingerbread maker in Marija Bistrica, told me that her children have always helped her out at work, allowing them to learn the process of gingerbread craftsmanship from an early age.

This sense of heritage and the value these crafts hold as a part of local identity show how important it is to keep them alive. It is a sentiment that is deeply rooted in Zagorje.

Gordana Mahmet Habazin, a third-generation traditional gingerbread maker in Marija Bistrica, told me: “I began making gingerbread because I wanted to continue the family tradition. For me, it’s a way of life – it’s an important part of who I am.”