First written document with name Samobor on it dates to year 1242… Read more →

In the Samobor photo gallery are also featured among others, King Tomislav Square today, St. Anastasia Catholic Church, King Tomislav Square and how it looked in 1997, Trg (Square) Matice Hrvatske, Hotel “Lavica” (Liones), Museum Samobor (Livadic mansion) and the Samobor castle:

Hope you too will enjoy your stay in Samobor as much we do on every occasion we can.

Samobor on our short video…

Bon Voyage!

City of Sveta Nedelja is located on the southern bank of Sava river, in between Zagreb, capital city of Croatia and city of Samobor (travel notes). City had grown in last few decades when many new families and small businesses found their home here. It’s close proximity to Zagreb, connected with by highway beside few alternative roads, makes it preferable home making location surrounded by beautiful nature and fields growing grain and fresh produce that can be purchased on local food market in Samobor.

Photo gallery features images from Sveta Nedelja center, Strmec and Novaki:

† Church of the Holy Trinity dominates center of the city, along with one of the schools, medical center and on the main Ante Starčević square, post office and city council offices.

Quoted words in the front of Church of the Holy Trinity in Sveta Nedelja:

Year of construction: 1768 – 1786
Architecture: The church is a significant example of the late Baroque style. This is a single native structure with a rectangular layout, with an apse termination and side bell tower on the main facade.
Interior: The dome is vaulted and its interior is decorated with ornamented stucco mouldings. The church inventory includes the main altar dating back to 1811, the side altar with the stone statue of the Sorrowful Mother of God – Pieta from the 17th century, the pulpit and organ from the year 1800.
Distinctiveness: The Sveta Nedelja parish was first mentioned in 1334, and the parish church was described in 1501 as Gothic structure which has suffered over time. The parish priest in this church from 1760 to 1787 was Mihalj Šilobod Bolšić, writer of first Croatian arithmetic book.

Few useful links on Sveta Nedelja:

• TZ Sveta Nedelja
• Hotel Tina (in English too)

More from Croatia…

History is teaching us that at the turn of 4th century Roman emperor Diocletian has had build this palace he retired to, just four kilometers away from Salona, then the main city of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Diocletian’s palace is located in the center of Split, on the waterfront. Throughout the centuries got incorporated into what become Split who is for many tourists final destination as well as transition hub connected to the rest of the World via air, ferry, train, bus and highway.

Diocletian’s palace, just as Salona, another great archeological site in today’s Split, is must see when spending your vacation in some of the towns or islands near by Split. Excuse yourself from the beach and walk the streets, if not those of Split then any neighboring town and you wont regret.

Diocletian’s palace and Splitska riva on photography:

Palace itself is surrounded by numerous restaurants from which terrace’s you can hear at any time sounds of couple of dozens different languages while enjoying Mediterranean cuisine mixed with local flavors.
Right there you’ll find entrance into Diocletian’s palace, first its substructure with countless rooms showcasing different artifacts, and then, once you find your way out, stairs will lead you up and out on the streets of the palace where you too can walk the same streets Romans did 1600 years ago.

More from Dalmatia… or elsewhere in Croatia…

Photo gallery is featuring images of fortification and view from the fortress on the city of Knin located in Dalmatian Zagora in Croatia.

Photo gallery:

After one day in Knin, city left impression of live urban area inhabited by proud sons and daughters of Dmitar Zvonimir, They today, just as He 1000 years ago are among those Croats who, at the end of 20th century were placing Croatia on the map of Europe, once again.

More Fortifications and Castles in Croatia…

Featured photos:

1. Beketinec hill with church and cemetery *
2. St. Margareta Church and School
3. Cross in the center of the village
4. One of few old houses still standing
5. Rolling hills with fields of wheat, vineyards, grasslands, forest…
6. Vineyard
7. Water well (bunar) – a hole, dug down to a underground water level at depth of 30 meters

* (click + or press “Z” to enlarge)

First human settlement in Beketinec dates back to around 3.500B.C. At the beginning of the 21st century in the village still can be discovered authentic central-European lifestyle, the way of life centuries old.

Same goes for Prigorje region which is located more north-east from Zagreb. So, to go to Zagorje from Zagreb you follow signs for Krapina, and for Prigorje follow signs for Vrbovec and Krizevci. Both regions are connected by highway and alternative routes as well.

In both regions you’ll end up in between rolling hills blanketed with patches of forests, vineyards or fields of grain. Here you’ll discover hospitable people of noble nature. They have endured history of foreign rulers, numerous invasions, hardship nature had thrown at them and beside all that they have preserved their language, culture, traditional gastronomy and most importantly, land and water that surrounds them.

As anything else on our pages, we are continually adding new material to our posts, including travel notes, photos and videos.

Roads through countryside will lead you to number of medieval castles and large nobleman’s manor houses as well as those incorporated in today’s modern cities.

Castle Trakoscan in Zagorje region of Croatia

• More Fortifications and Castles in Croatia

Regional museums may present you with artifacts created by human hand dating back 5000 years. Museum in Krapina on other hand, will introduce you to findings of some of the least Neanderthals of Europe (more than 120.000 years old).
- National Geographic Magazine – “Last of the Neanderthals” [+]

And finally, what attract most of us to Zagorje, beside culinary dishes, are mineral thermal water springs, spas with numerous swimming pools – Stubičke toplice, Tuheljske toplice, Krapinske and Varaždinske toplice (you can find links below to some of their web sites).

Featured on photos are; Klet in Beketinec – traditional cabin in vineyards, rolling hills of Prigorje, migrating birds spend summers in Prigorje too, in Gornja Stubica (Upper Stubica) can be found, made by Antun Augustinčić, monument to Croatian Braveheart – Matija Gubec (executed in 1573), then Petrica Kerempuh statue on the same location, Mihanovic castle, Carriage (Mihanovic castle).

Culinary dishes in Zagorje region could be labeled as continental central-European with it’s own flavors. Traditional meals from Zagorje can be found in many local restaurants as well as in some of the restaurants in Zagreb. The best advice would be, of course, if you have that opportunity, is to join some of the locals around their dining table. If you are that lucky, on the menu could be some of the local meals and deserts that will pleasantly surprised you by aroma and flavors that are no longer present in food that comes from industrialized processing plants we all have tendency to surround ourselves with.

Some of the dishes you should try in Zagroje are;

• Zagorje štrukli
• Sarma (featured in our recipe)
• Cesnjovke sausages (home made)

Links to northern part of Croatia – Zagorje and Prigorje:

• Krapina-Zagorje region – tourist bureau
• Krapina Neanderthals – Museum
• Trakoscan castle

• Stubicke toplice – Stubičke thermal spa and health resort, Hotel Matija Gubec
• Terme Tuhelj – indoor & outdoor swimming pools in the heart of Zagorje
• Krapina springs
• Varaždinske toplice (Varazdin springs since 4th century)

Slavic people have arrived in 6-7 century settled here and latter have build two settlements, Kaptol as a spiritual, still featuring Cathedral, and Gradec as fortified town. Zagreb became a city in the year 1094.

Zagreb today has population of around 1 million people. Zagreb is capital city of the Republic of Croatia.

Zagreb photo gallery;

Upper Town Zagreb – Kaptol and Gradec photo gallery;
…

Lake Jarun photo gallery;

Mirogoj cemetary photos;

Featured photos:

1. Greek parliament building, guard in the front of Monument to the unknown soldier
2. Acropolis, the Erechtheion sanctuary
3. View on Athens & Likavitos from Acropolis
4. View from the Acropolis on the The Olympeion temple dedicated to the Zeus
5. The sanctuary of Poseidon at Sounion, Attica
6. Detail, the sanctuary of Poseidon
7. Amphitheatre at Parthenon

Few travel notes:

Just in the front of city is Island of Lokrum, the last one among many Islands of eastern Croatian coastline. Archaeological findings place Dubrovnik on this location as early as in 7th century what makes him one of historically richest well preserved locations in the Croatia.

Once again, Dubrovnik is located on the Adriatic coast, in southern part of Croatia called Dalmatia (travel notes).

Featured photos:

1. Bol – Island of Brac
2. Beach, Bol – Island of Brac
3. Island of Brac
4. Sumartin – Island of Brac
5. Jelsa – Island of Hvar
6. Church of St. Mary’s Assumption, Jelsa – Island of Hvar
7. St. John Church (Sv. Ivan, 15th ct.) , Jelsa – Island of Hvar