Zagreb County

Zagreb County wraps around the capital like a green ring of hills, vineyards, and river meadows. A trip to Zagreb and its surroundings is especially worthwhile for day excursions: to Samobor with its cream cakes, to the vineyards of Plešivica, or to the hill country of Žumberak. The county seat is in the city of Zagreb, which is not itself part of the county.

Landscape and Towns

To the west rises the Žumberak–Samobor Hills, a nature park of beech forests, waterfalls, and small villages on the border with Slovenia. To the south stretches the Turopolje, a flat landscape along the Sava River with oak forests and wooden chapels; this is where Velika Gorica, the county's largest town and the site of the airport, is located. In the northeast the county reaches into the hills of the Zagorje and the Moslavina. Zaprešić, Dugo Selo, and Vrbovec are small towns in the capital's commuter belt. Žumberak Nature Park offers marked hiking trails to castle ruins and to the border peak of Sveta Gera, while cyclists appreciate the quiet roads through the vineyards. In Jastrebarsko, a castle park invites you to take a stroll, and near Krašić lies the home village of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, commemorated by a memorial.

Sights in Zagreb County

Samobor is a small town with a baroque main square, a stream, and wooden bridges, where weekend visitors eat Samoborska kremšnita, a cream cake with vanilla custard. A castle ruin looms above the town, and a large carnival takes place in February. The Plešivica Wine Road offers family-run wineries producing sparkling and white wines such as Graševina and Riesling. In the Turopolje, wooden chapels and manor houses have been preserved, and near Velika Gorica the Muzej Turopolja shows the history of the region. Lužnica Castle near Zaprešić and the tomb of Ban Jelačić in Novi Dvori recall the Croatian nobility.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

In the country restaurants you can enjoy štrukli, sausages, Samoborska češnjovka (a garlic sausage), and mushroom dishes; to drink, try bermet, a vermouth-style wine from Samobor. Buses and suburban trains connect the towns with Zagreb, and you can reach Samobor in half an hour. Spring and fall are considered the best times to visit, when the vineyards are harvested and celebrated.