Tourist Route Zaprešić – Brdovec - Marija Gorica – Dubravica – Kraljevec na Sutli

Tourist sightseeing and driving in the wider area of Zaprešić is a real treat. The landscape is full of green hills and villages with well-preserved original constructions. This area is interesting because it provides many opportunities for discovering and visiting beautiful Baroque churches and chapels scattered on the steep hills. The larger settlements are: Zaprešić, Brdovec, Bistra, Jakovlje, Pušća, Marija Gorica and Dubravica.
Begin the route in Zaprešić, 17 km west of Zagreb. Zaprešić and its surroundings offer many interesting tourist sites: castles, sacral objects, animal and plant reserves. The main attraction is the castle Novi Dvori, one of the most valuable and best preserved feudal estates in Croatia, on 20.5 ha, with farm buildings and warehouses for storing grain and fruit - today, this is the Matija Skurjeni Museum, the Chapel of St. Joseph and the family tomb.

Zaprešić also has many sacral objects: the Church of Mary the Helper in the Ivanec parish, the Church of St. Peter, the Church of St. John the Baptist and chapels dedicated to St. Joseph and St. Anthony in the parish of St. Peter the Apostle. South from the town's center, towards the Sava river, there is the Zajarki lake for sport fishing. For hikers there is the Nature Park Medvednica and skiers enjoy snow tracks on Sljeme. Zaprešić is also a sports town. Besides football, handball, basketball and bowling, people also find horse riding more and more interesting, as well as obstacle riding (Horse Riding Club Trajbar Team), then paragliding, motor paragliding, motocross, biking, tennis and, recently golf, along with the opening of the golf exercise course and Golf Club "Ban Jelačić". All this and the excellent gastronomic options and traditional manifestations (Days of Jelačić in May and October, Aristocracy Days, Harvest festivities ...) are good reasons for several days in Zaprešić.

To the spiritual educational centar Marijin Dvor in Lužnica the road leads from Zaprešić to Brdovec, as well as the railway Zagreb - Savski Marof and Zagreb - Dobova. Brdovec is one of the oldest parishes in the Zagreb County, 3 km northwest from Zaprešić. Interesting sites here are the Baroque Church of St. Vitus and the bellower with gun holes. Important festivities are the district's day "Vidovo", then "Vincekovo", Harvest festivities, Feather Grinding, St. Martin's Day and Wine Feast and the Christmas Concert. A society for promoting folk heritage "Ladučanke" in Brdovec participates in all important events in Laduč and the surroundings. Museum Brdovec with the permanent archeological exhibition with items from the Brdovec area, book promotions and art exhibitions, is open the whole year.

The main road leads to castle Januševec in Prigorje, situated on the slope over the Sava river valley, on the crossroads of routes Zaprešić - Harmica and the road to Marija Gorica, some 6 km from Zaprešić. In Prigorje Brdovečko society Ekoturistiko works in the fields of ecology and tourism. On the way to Šenkovec, 500 m from the border pass Harmica, lies castle Laduč with a French garden, which used to belong to baron Vladimir Vraniczany and was built in 1882. Rural tourism Stara Preša is situated in the village Šenkovec and offers Zagorje delicacies, home-made wines and brandy. The route leads through Marija Gorica district, suitable for excursions all year round. We recommend resting and domestic delicacies in the Ladanjski Raj inn, located on the hill beside the road and the fantastic view to the entire area, but also visiting the valuable Parish Church of Mary's Visitation from the 16th century and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Also important is the hill Sveti Križ, that is, the Sveti Križ belvedere.

The asphalt road leads through the village Kraj Gornji, towards the Dubravica district, named after the Dubrava forest of oak and beech trees and the unique habitat of the insect-eating plant - the round-eaved sundew Drosera rotundifolia in the Gmajna forest on Lugarski Breg hill. Other cultural and historic sites are the Parish Church of St. Anne in Rozga from 1842, the Chapel of the Mother of God of Lušac on the local graveyard and the 300-year old parish hall, a rare example of a wooden parish hall. The route continues along the main road towards Kraljevec na Sutli with the interesting tower of the Parish Church of the Holy Trinity from 1836. The mild landscape of this special wine growing area, beside the Sutla river, is managed by the Agricultural and Vinery Society Vincek.

Accommodation and catering options: Ladanjski Raj - Marija Gorica, KK Trajbar Team - Zaprešić.