Monument and St. Michael church in old town Osijek, Croatia.

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Inland Croatia

Most tourists forget this big chunk of Croatia, but it was made for road-tripping. The bucolic northern region of Zagorje is sprinkled with itsy-bitsy villages and vineyard-speckled hills with the odd medieval castle and spa town thrown in for good measure. On its eastern edge, on the route to Hungary, Varaždin is a baroque beauty of a small town with an important history that belies its laid-back appeal.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Church of Virgin Mary of Jerusalem

    Church of Virgin Mary of Jerusalem

    Zagorje

    This baroque church, built in 1761, is one of Zagorje's most important pilgrimage sites and is well worth the uphill walk from the centre. Outside, the…

  • Krapje is a traditional wooden village in Croatia's Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. Some of the buildings are 200 years old.

    Lonjsko Polje Nature Park

    Inland Croatia

    Nominated for World Heritage Site status, Lonjsko Polje is a 506-sq-km stretch of swampland (polje means ‘field’) in the Posavina region, between the Sava…

  • Trakošćan Castle

    Trakošćan Castle

    Zagorje

    This castle, 80km northwest of Zagreb, is worth a visit for its well-presented museum and attractive grounds. The exact origin of its construction is…

  • Veliki Tabor Castle

    Veliki Tabor Castle

    Zagorje

    As you approach the pentagonal hilltop castle of Veliki Tabor, 57km northwest of Zagreb, what unfolds is a pleasing panorama of hills, cornfields,…

  • Kumrovec Staro Selo Museum

    Kumrovec Staro Selo Museum

    Zagorje

    Nestled in the Sutla River valley near the Slovenian border, the village of Kumrovec has been transformed into an open-air ethnographic museum. A re…

  • Museum of the Krapina Neanderthal

    Museum of the Krapina Neanderthal

    Zagorje

    Those with kids should make a beeline to this brilliant museum which explores the history of the universe, earth and humanity, as well as highlighting the…

  • Town Museum

    Town Museum

    Zagorje

    This whitewashed fortress, a gem of medieval defensive architecture housed inside the Stari Grad (Old Town), is surrounded by a manicured park…

  • Baroque Church & Franciscan Monastery

    Baroque Church & Franciscan Monastery

    Zagorje

    This 17th-century baroque church at the heart of town was built in 1630 by the noble Erdödy brothers. The adjacent Franciscan monastery has two restored…

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Articles

Latest stories from Inland Croatia

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Holy trinity square in the historic town of Osijek, Croatia is a highlight of the Slavonia region

History

Why food and culture fans need to explore inland Croatia

Oct 16, 2020 • 4 min read

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Go Beyond

Inland Croatia and beyond

Beyond Inland Croatia
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