Discover the Municipality of Sveti Križ Začretje
Accommodation in Municipality of Sveti Križ Začretje
A hill in the Krapinčica valley, a church with a history, museums and a cycling route give the Municipality of Sveti Križ Začretje its own character. Here, the Krapinčica flows into the Šemnica and Pačetina streams. Depending on whether you are interested in culture, cycling or views, these experiences may influence your choice of holiday apartment in the municipality.
Between Zabok and Krapina
Sveti Križ Začretje lies on the Zagreb–Macelj road, roughly halfway between Zabok and Krapina. This location provides a useful reference point for planning your journey, without implying an exact distance to individual destinations. When choosing your accommodation, consider which of the town’s different aspects you would most like to discover during your stay: its cultural heritage, the cycling route or the view across Zagorje.
Church, castle and collections
The parish church in Sveti Križ Začretje dates from the 12th century. It houses the sculpture “Lamentation of Christ”, which dates from the late 15th century or the first half of the 16th century. The church therefore brings together works from two different historical periods. Those interested in sacred art and older artworks will find a specific cultural point of interest here.
The Žitnica Museum is housed in the Žitnica building, which was built in 1796. Its ethnographic exhibitions by the “Zvirek” group include “From Hemp to Folk Costume”, “My Grandmother’s House” and “Christmas”. The Ivan Lovrenčić Gallery there also contains 16 paintings, 30 drawings and 53 prints donated to his hometown by Ivan Lovrenčić. The exhibitions thus cover a range of themes, from clothing and domestic culture to Christmas, complemented by an extensive collection of works by a single artist.
Sveti Križ Začretje Castle was built at the end of the Baroque period and constructed in several phases. The castle houses the Museum of Heritage and Memory. Visits require a prior telephone appointment; the listed daily visiting hours are 10:00 to 17:00. If the castle is one of your preferred cultural destinations, take this appointment requirement into account when planning. Another place of interest for art lovers is the Rudi Stipković Gallery, with 325 original works by the caricaturist Rudi Stipković. Visits there are also possible by prior appointment.
By bike or to the viewpoint
Cycling route 226, “Around Začretje”, starts and ends in the centre, in front of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. After crossing the Krapinica stream, it reaches the “Za-Za-Kr” cycle path. If you would like to include cycling in your stay, you can plan this route as a separate activity; after crossing the stream, the route connects to the cycle path mentioned above.
For views across the landscape, head to the Saint Vitus viewpoint. From there, the view extends across most of Zagorje to the surrounding mountains. You can reach the viewpoint via an asphalt road that branches off the old Sveti Križ Začretje–Mirkovec–Zabok road in Ciglenica Zagorska. The pear avenue in Švaljkovec is also a monument of garden architecture. The viewpoint and the avenue offer different attractions: expansive landscape views on the one hand, and a distinctive example of garden architecture on the other.
A cultural event in the annual calendar
The children’s festival “First Voice of Zagorje” is the main feature of a cultural and entertainment event held in Sveti Križ Začretje in the last week of August, with a history dating back to 1968. If you are interested in local cultural events, this date may be relevant to your travel plans. For a stay around that time, you can treat the festival as a highlight alongside the historical and artistic attractions.
For further orientation within the municipality, see also the pages for Sveti Križ Začretje, Štrucljevo and Donja Pačetina.
For the wider travel overview: Krapinsko-Zagorska.
More destinations
More places within the same destination:
