From a Castle to a Castle...

Publisher: Tourist Board of the City of Varaždin, Tourist Board of Trakošćan – Municipality of Bednja For the publisher: Branka Tropp, Alen Sajko Photography: Mario Novak, Miljenko Hegedić (Old Burgh) Texts by: Volga Vukelja Dawe, Marija Grah Translation and language editting: Volga Vukelja Dawe Graphic design: Tanja Bunjevac Tisak: Zrinski d.d. Čakovec

Tourist Board of the City of Varaždin Tourist Information Centre www.tourism-varazdin.hr tel./fax +385 (0)42 210987, 210985, 201005 HR-42 000 Varaždin, I. Padovca 3 The project is supported by Ministry of Tourism of Republic Croatia and National Tourism Board.

The gateways to a dream Castles are the gateways to a dream. It may be a dream woven into history, but a dream nevertheless. Walking through their corridors and halls filled with finery and riches, peeking into the darkest of hidden dungeons and secret passages, it is so easy to be carried away on a cloud of imagination to the world of damsels in distress and knights in shining armour. And it takes but little effort to hear the clash of swords and the sounds of trumpets, but also the sweet song of the lutes, and – and then tour is over and we are again on our way to the gateway, only this time it takes us into reality.

For that is what exists in between castles – reality. People living their everyday lives: working, building, loving, hoping and yes, from time to time, dreaming. And that is the journey we would like to take you for.

A bit of this and a bit of that. And a lot of good time.

In the north-western part of the historical core of the city of Varaždin lies one of its best know picture postcards – the Old Burgh. On the outside it is an unconquerable medieval fortification, but inside it is an aristocratic palace of the Renaissance style. The Old Burgh underwent continual expansion between the 13th and the 19th century. In the 16th century the owners, the Ungnadi family, brought in Domenico de Lalia, an Italian Renaissance builder who carried out restructuring works that turned the Old Burgh into a “Waserburg”. The entire castle was surrounded by defensive walls, and the motes bellow them were filled with waters brought in from the nearby River Drava. In the following centuries the Old Burgh had become an unconquerable bastion of the Kingdom of Croatia. Protecting its inner sanctum with motes, bulwarks, guns and troops, the Old Burgh also ensure prosperity as for its owners, so for the city of Varaždin. Of all the numerous owners the Burgh belonged to through the centuries, the Counts of Erdödy had the longest tenure, and since they were the heritable governors of the Varaždin County in 1763 their family coat of arms was approved by the Empress Maria Theresa as the official

coat of of It

has

to this day. of

Varaždin

bought

the

arms County.

remained

so

In 1923 the City the

Burgh

and

by 1925 several of its rooms were already housing a permanent exhibition. Today the Old Burgh houses the City Museum, a must for every visitor to this charming city. Initially the museum holdings comprised mostly the objects donated by the prominent families and individuals of Varaždin. With the passage of time the museum collections grew both in size and variety, and now this is an institution which consists of six specialized departments: Archaeology, History, Cultural history, Ethnography, Entomology and the Gallery of Old and Modern Masters. Having been turned to a lush promenade the medieval bulwarks and motes are now serving a much more pleasant occupation for the citizens of Varaždin and their guests, but have still retained their protective role – nowadays protecting from the ever more intruding traffic and hubbub of daily life.

The Old Burgh of Varaždin

Tradition of goat farming in the Moravec family goes back some twenty years.

For two generations now they 100

have white

been goats

tending of

the

Saanen breed. With time the range of goat milk products at the OPG Moravec (OPG - Family Agricultural Homestead) has extended and now, in addition to milk, includes cheeses: semi-hard, smoked, with herbs, spreads with and without spices, feta cheese, curd cheese and yoghurt.

Numerous awards and acknowledgements they have received are the result of a systematic investment into knowledge, technological advancement, production capacities and love for the work they are doing. The Quality Champion for the entire range of products award wan by the OPG Moravec at three national competitions speaks loudly of their quality and success. At this point in time project documentation is being produced for the tasting room and the packing facility within the homestead, where one will be able to see the entire production process – from the she-goat to the finished product. The works are expected to start in the course of 2010.

Bearing in mind that goat milk consists of particles which are three time smaller than the cow milk, which makes it much easier to digest, that it is also the most similar to human milk, it is with justification that both the milk and its products are called the fountain of health.

Moravec Homestead

Zelendvor (the Green Manor), one

of

the

oldest organized hunting

grounds

in Croatia, is named after the manor which Count Marko Bombelles, a descendant of the old French nobility, built himself in Petrijanec near Vara탑din. His carefully thought out introduction of numerous new species - from Asia he imported numerous types of pheasant, from those of purely decorative nature to the game-type birds, from America came the Virginia quail - he ensured that the area retained its position as one of the finest and best stocked hunting grounds in Croatia.

To this day Zelendvor has remained one of the best hunting grounds in Croatia. In the centre of the place is a hunting lodge which provides accommodation, and close to it a restaurant where one can savour a variety of hunting and national specialties and delicacies.

Needles to say the gastronomic emphasis is on meat of the game reared in natural environment and grazing on the indigenous plants. The neighbouring rural households secure a stable supply of freshly grown vegetables, fruit and home produced cheeses. It is also good to know that the operations are conducted in accordance with the HACCAP system. Located nearby are small exhibition pavilions, and in the immediate vicinity is an educational hunting trail.

The Green Manor

Klenovnik is

one

the

largest

magnificent

of and castles

most in

Croatia.

This zero category monument is located on a prominent hill on the southern slopes of Ravna gora. The first mention of the name of Klenovnik dates from 1244, and through the centuries it has changed quite a few hands.

According to the oldest inscription, located in the castle’s inner court yard – part of which reveals the owner’s desire to built a home for all time: “Let this home stand until the ant drinks up the sea and the turtle walks around the world” - this early baroque, four-winged two-floor building with 90 rooms and 365 windows was started in 1616 by Count Ivan II Drašković. Another inscription from 1667 tells us that that it was completed in that year

by Ivan IV Drašković. Klenovnik had its heyday during the tenure of Ivan III Drašković as the Croatian Viceroy (1640 – 1646). He was determined to make the seat of his family and of the national political power as magnificent and as spacious as possible, and that he was successful in his effort is proven by the fact that sessions of the Croatian Sabor were held in one of its large halls. Klenovnik had remained in the possession of the Drašković family for a long time, and it was only in 1850 that Juraj VI Drašković sold it in order to secure funds for the expensive reconstruction of Trakošćan.

Until 1922 the castle was resold a number of times when it was bought by Count Josip Bombelles – the last nobleman to own it. In 1925 he sold it to the Central Office for the insurance of workers.

The Central Office carried out extensive works which involved restructuring and building of two extensions to the north-eastern and south-western wings, each 32m long and 10,5 m wide, as well as numerous auxiliary facilities: large kicthen in the cellars and a large dining hall in the basement. In 1927 the Sanatorium opened its doors, and the function of the castle has remained the same to this day – it is now known as the Klenovnik Hospital for lungs diseases and TBC. Thus has the once most prestigious of all the castels in the north-western Croatia, and a cultural monument of zero category, been turned into a hospital, which makes this magnificent edifice out of bounds for any viewing.

But in 1963 the parks around the castle was declared a monument of park architecture, so take stroll through it to get the fell of times gone by‌

Klenovnik

The Gladović gingerbread trade was founded in 1939 by one Martin Gladović from Klenovnik, and the business has survived in the family, at the same address, for 70 years.

In 1969 Martin was succeeded by his son Ladislav, and in 1981 Ladislav’s wife Slavica took over. From 2009 the business has been run by their daughter Valentina.

From the very beginnings they were producing honey biscuits, other gingerbread products, candles, lanterns and mead. Throughout all those seventy years they have been present at all the parish feasts in the north-western Croatia and also in the neighbouring Slovenia.

Today the Gladović family have set up a Gingerbread House with an exhibitioncum-shop section where visitors can, guided by Valentina and Slavica, finish and

decorate

the

semi-finished

gingerbread

products

to

their

own

liking.

The Gingerbread House is a place where all the products of the Gladović family which has succeeded, despite these aggressive globalising times of ours in preserving their trade and traditional method of production.

The Gladović Gingerbread House

Lepoglava, a small town nestling at the foot of the mountain of Ivanščica, amidsts the typical undulating landscape of Hrvatsko zagorje, not far from the orute of two major European highways: Zagreb – Vienna and Zagreb – Budapest.

In the year 1399 King Sigismund gave the almost devasted old town of Lepoglava to one of his nobleman whose efforts resulted in the foundation of a monastery of the Hermits of St. Paul. The White Friars turned their home into a cradle of learning. They founded the first secular secondary school, the first institution of higher learning with the right to award academic titles, they promoted science, art, culture, they introduced the skill of lace making to the people. The single-nave Gothic church of St. Mary (in the 17 th century features of baroque style were added), with its four chappels and a wealth of wall paintings done by eminent artists, I.K. Ranger being one of them, with beautiful altars adorned by

numerous

paintings,

sculptures

it

painted

and choir

seats, is an example of the value they attributed to art.

The

monastery

almost

400

existed

years.

for

Following

the dissolution of the Pauline order by the Emperor and King Joseph II part of its wealth was by

taken Budim.

by

Vienna,

The

part

monastery

itself was given of the Chapter of Čazma which, not having the means to maintain it, signed a contract with the State Treasury which needed a place for a state penitentiary. And that is what happened: a monastery that used to be the kernel of science, art and education, became a prison for men, in 1914 the prison was extended, in a 1918 it became the notorious hellhole for political opponents – the role which continued until 1990.

The monastery was returned to the church in 2001.

Lepoglava

Lepoglava of today still has a good reason to bless the day the White Friars came, for the art of bobbin-lace making has not only persisted but has become a treasured tradition in the villages around the town. The patterns produced have evolved into the folk motifs, animal and plant life, and other ornaments. Its beauty is widely recognized, as is the value of this artistic craft, hence the lessons, workshops and lace-making school. The additional impetus came forom the International Lace Festival which has been held in Lepoglava since 1997, whith its regular meetings of experst, and the publications of works from the eminent lace centres in Croatia and Europe.

Lepoglava Lace

Ravna gora is the northernmost mountain massif of Hrvatsko zagorje, its highest peak reaching 686 m. It is located in the upper basin of the River Bednja, and is regarded as the final spur of the Southern Alps which streches from east (Trakošćan) to west for 13 km, gradually getting lower. According to the latest research, the area of the Varaždin County is regarded as the place where the Alps and the Dinarides come together. It is also the only karstic mount in the north-west Croatia, replete with karstic features like ravines, gorges and caves – the most attractive among them being the Velike pećine (Great Caves).

Another aspect which makes it stand apart is its sub-Alpine cave fauna, regarded as endemic, in contrast to the Dinaridic one that is found in the rest of Croatia. The mountain is mostly covered by deciduos forests (bay oak, hornbeam, sweet chestnut), while the higher ground is dominated by beech with some fir. In adition to its caves, this mountain also offers ample opportunities for other type of excursions which makes it a favourite among tourists and experienced mountaineers. The activities one can engage in include Alpine climbing, paragliding (there are two sites for taking off and an organized landing site in Cvetlin; national and Euroepan campionships are held, mountain biking, trekking, hunting, mushrooms gathering. Accommodation can be found in two mountain lodges: Pusti duh (Lonely spirit) at the altitude of 672m, and Ravna gora at 660m. And if we still have not managed to persuade some to climb to Ravna gora (hush, the top can be reached by car – and from two sides, just don’t tell anybody!), then perhaps the photograph showing the view from the top will do the trick.

The side of Ravna gora facing Bednja and Trakošćan is almost Alpine-like, which is not surprising since the massif is regarded as the last spur of the Alps. The most attractive rocks on Ravna gora are Velike pećine (Great caves), locally known as the Švecove pećine (named after the hamlet of Šveci located right beneath the rocks), and they can be found in its north-westernmost reaches, rising over the village of Cvetlin. They are lined one after the other in six rows and rise to the height of about 100 m. The people living in the neighbourhood have always been drawn to Velike pećine, but at the same time in awe of them. Records exist which tell us that on 12 September 1834 the Sveciana cave caught fire and it burned for a fortnight belching fire across the mount. Large stones and flaming tree roots were flying through the air, and the noise and hissing could be heard half an hour’s walk away. In order to stop the caves coming awake in such a dramatic manner ever again, a cross was mounted on the site and consecrated on 29 October 1867, and the ceremony was accompanied by a great popular festivity.

As for the event itself, to this day nobody knows what really happened, but the caves never did awake again…

Ravna gora & Great caves

The rural homestead Bubnjar-Laperski is located in Cvetlin, an evironment typical of Zagorje, about 4,5 km from Trakošćan. The homestead offers home food and accommodation.

Its service is geared towards serving family lunches for the weekend visitors to Trakošćan, and dishes on offer include meat from a pot, home-made cured meat products, sausages, chopped fat, forester's goulash, home made Zagorje štrukli, a variety of home brewed brandies and home made wine.

The homestead has 10 beds and dining room able to seat 30 people.

The rural homestead Bubnjar-Laperski

In the immediate vicinity of PodseÄ?ki ethno-enviropnment is the small River Bednja, and in one of its backwaters a colony of beavers found its home.

Beaver (Castor Fiber L.), a large herbivore (20-30 kg), and the largest rodent (up to 100 cm) of the northern hemisphere, higly adapted to semi-aquatic life, with streamlined body, webbed feet and a flat, scaly tail (up to 30 cm) to slap the surface as a loud alarm signal. The glands at the base of the tail produce an oily, waterproofing secretion that is spread throughout the fur when grooming. They live in closed, hierarchical family units consisting of an adult pair (for up to 21 years) and the offspring of up to several previous years; they have one litter each year. Using their incisor teeth, beavers cut down trees for food and for building dams across streams to impouind water and create ponds. They build conical lodges in the ponds with access to the living chambers through an underwater tunnel. When underwater (15-20 min at the most) its ears and nose shut with a valve-like flaps and the lips close behind the incisor teeth, which can then be used for nibbling and gnawing. The eyes have a third, transparent eyelid which alows it to see below the surface.

Its long whiskers feel the way in the dark. In Croatia the indigenous species has been hunted out some hundred years for its fur and fat, which was believed to have medicinal properties.

In 1997 it has been reintroduced to the Croatian waters, and with significant success.

So should you spot the trail, or hear a slap in the water, stay still and you my see its Majesty, the Beaver.

Its Majesty

Dictionary tells us that water is a colourless, transparent, tasteless and odourless liquid which forms the seas, lakes, rivers and rain. True, it is all of that. But when sitting on a beach watching the vast calm surface, marvelling at the soft whisper of tiny ripples reaching the shore and soaking in the salty intoxicating flavour, when standing on the bank of a river listening to the roar of a mighty river tumbling along and cascading over barriers into breath-catching waterfalls, when walking along a small stream enjoying its gurgling, murmuring, splashing, silvery way to a river, a lake, a sea - we hear, see, feel not a colourless, transparent, tasteless and odourless liquid but life itself in all its richness.

And yet, though knowing that without water there can be no life, so many in this world take this treasure of all treasures for granted. Instead of regarding it almost with reverence, demonstrating our appreciation by preserving every precious drop, we waste, pollute and abuse it in every possible way. Bearing that in mind, we are proud to be able to say that in this country there are still many streams and rivers from which one can safely take a drink of fresh water. The area of Bednja, which abounds in water, is one such place.

Flows and flows, a waterfall flows.

What matters in it this tiny drop of mine?

But look, a rainbow to the water is born, See how it sparkles and shimmers in myriad shades.

This dream to shine in these waters fine, Its weave to twill it needs this tiny drop of mine.

Dobriťa Cesarić

Treasure called water

The ethnographic collection of the Mravlinčić family is located in Šinkovica Šaška, in the immediate vicinity of Trakošćan, and contain items used in households in the first half of the 20th century. The majority of exhibits belonged to the family itself, while the rest they have been collecting since the beginning of 1970-ties to this day. The collection, which comprises items of clothing, dishes, furniture, tools, machines and other items – all together some 80 exhibits, is housed in an authentic setting of a family house built at the end of the 20ties of the last century.

The Mravlinčić

Ethnographic Collection

Sitting proud upon its hill, like a phantasy, facing its reflection in the surface of its very own, private lake, this is indeed a castle that takes us straight into a fairy tale. And it this incredible setting that makes one reluctant to come back to reality and look into the history of this site – which is itself quite something. The continuity of life here goes back to 1334, and through the centuries it has changed quite a few hands. Finaly, it was inherited by count Juraj VI Drašković who decided to build himself a summer residence on the remains of the old Trakošćan fortification. The works lastred from 1840 to 1862, and the result was a stunning neo-gothical castle above a specialy created lake and surrounded by the English type of a romantic park-wood.

Today, this is the best preserved castle in Croatia, which would not be the case were it not for the efforts of one Vilim Leskošek. Many called him the good spirit of Trakošćan, for it was his dedication which made sure that Trakošćan has not suffered the fate of many castle, manor house and curias of Hrvatsko zagorje. Walking through the halls furnished with Renaissance, baroque, roccoco and neo-classicistic pieces, with stoves and mirrors, a visitor is able to reconstruct a whole world gone by. Paintings of the Drašković family members, the collection of portraits done by Mihael Stroj, an excellent painter of neoclassicism, the painting of Countess Julijana, and many other works of art speak of the links of the local nobility with Vienna and other centres of culture of the time. Swords, halberds, spears and shields talk of an honourable defence of the identity of a people in troubled times, but are also a symbol of the rebellious mood of the nearby villagers.

Forests, hills, vinyards, modest but welcoming houses, are scenes that warm the heart.

Yes, there is much to be seen in and around Trakošćan, the emphasis being of the word “seen”, not read about. Because there is no word that can depict the charm of the place.

As they say, you have to see it to believe it.

Trakošćan

8 7 4 11

5

10

9

6

( 1 ) Tourist Board of the City of Vara탑din, +385(0)42 210 987 .......................................................... www.tourism-varazdin.hr info@tourism-varazdin.hr City Museum of Vara탑din, +385(0)42 658 773, www.gmv.hr gradski-muzej-vz@vz.t-com.hr Association of tourist guides and comapnions of Vara탑din, +385(0)99 444 3838, vodici.varazdin@gmail.com Hiawatha - rent-a-bike, Vara탑din, +385(0)98 1345 042, www.hiawatha.hr info@hiawatha.hr ( 2 ) Zelendvor, Petrijanec, +385(0)42 209 944, www.zelendvor.hr info@zelendvor.hr ....................... ( 3 ) Moravec Family Homestead, Petrijanec, 042/716-041, www.opgmoravec.110mb.com ............ sirevi.moravec@gmail.com ( 4 ) Restaurant & Pansion Orion, Klenovnik, Horvatsko, +385(0)42 770 650 .................................. ww.restoran-orion.hr fruk-i-pintaric@vz.t-com.hr

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Candlemaking and gingerbread trade Gladović Slavica, Klenovnik .................................. +385(0)42 763 418, slavica.gladovic@vz.t-com.hr ( 6 ) Lepoglava lacemaking trade – Štefanek +385(0)42 791 418, stefanek@inet.hr ................... ( 7 ) Ravna gora / Great Caves .............................................................................................................. ( 8 ) Rural homestead Bubnjar-Laperski ..........................................................................................

Jazbina Cvetlinska 133, Trakošćan, +385(42) 705 051 ( 9 ) Podsečki ethno-enviropnment, Rinkovec 44a, +385(0)42 792 293 ....................................... ( 10 ) Mravlinčić Ethnographic Collection, Šinkovica Šaška 34, Trakošćan ................................... +385(0)91 8848 847, ivan@trakoscan.hr ( 11 ) Tourist Board of Trakošćan – Municipality of Bednja, +385(0)42 796 309 ..................... info.bednja.hr, info@bednja.hr Trakošćan Castle +385(0)42 796 281, www.trakoscan.hr, dvor@trakoscan.hr (5)

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