The wide plains of Koprivnica-Križevci stretch out before you. You are on the Podravina art trail. Visit the village of Hlebine. It is famous for a special style of painting on glass. Local farmers paint scenes of village life with very bright colors. They use a technique where they paint the details first and the background last. You can see paintings of giant roosters and snowy fields in the local gallery. These artists find beauty in simple things like the harvest or the winter frost. It is a unique form of art that you won't find anywhere else in the world.
The roads follow the Drava river. You will see golden sand dunes that look like a small desert. These dunes were formed by the wind and the river over thousands of years. You can find traditional puszta farms painted bright blue. Large herds of cattle graze in the wide meadows nearby. The sky feels huge here because the land is so flat. In the Repaš forest you can walk under giant oak trees. These trees provide a cool canopy even on the hottest days. It is a place of massive horizons and bold colors that change as the sun moves.
Go to the "Đurđevački pijesci" nature reserve to see the dunes also known as the "Croatian Sahara." For a local bite visit Koprivnica and try the "podravka" stews at the Beer House Kraluš on the central square. If you head to Križevci look for the Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Trinity to see its massive iconostasis painted by Croatian masters. Don't miss the Starigrad fort ruins if you enjoy forest hiking. If you are driving near the Drava in summer the Ješkovo art estate provides a perfect riverside stop for photography.
Koprivnica Križevci highlights
- Hlebine Art Gallery Visit the home of glass painting where local farmers create bright and colorful art. The gallery shows scenes of village life that look like they belong in a dream. The style is unique because the artists paint on the back side of the glass.
- Đurđevački Pijesci Dunes See the small desert known as the Croatian Sahara with its golden sand and rare plants. It is a strange and beautiful place to find in the middle of a green forest. You can walk through the dunes and see where camels once lived.
- Križevci Eight Towers Walk through the town to see the many tall church spires that reach for the sky. The city has a long history of royal meetings and old laws from the past. Each tower belongs to a different church and has its own special style.
- Drava River Sands Drive to the river banks to find wide beaches made of soft and clean white sand. In summer the water is shallow and perfect for a walk across the river bed. Many locals bring their boats here for a day of fishing and cooking.
- Kalnik Mountain Fortress Climb the rocky peaks to see the ruins of a castle built into the solid stone. The views from the top show the endless plains and the distant blue hills. It is a favorite spot for climbers who love the challenge of the grey rocks.
- Repaš Oak Forest Take a drive through the massive woods filled with giant oak trees and wild deer. The trees are hundreds of years old and create a thick canopy over the road. It is one of the most quiet places in the region for a forest drive.
- Legrad Confluence Visit the spot where the Mura river joins the Drava in a wild explosion of water. The area is a protected park filled with rare birds and very old trees. The water changes color where the two big rivers meet in the forest.
- Gornja Rijeka Castle Explore the quiet ruins of this noble estate hidden in the hills near Kalnik mountain. It is a peaceful spot with a small park and a very old stone well. You can walk the paths where noble lords once rode their horses.
- Lake Čingi Lingi Stop at this clear blue lake which is a favorite spot for local swimmers and campers. The water is surrounded by green grass and small summer houses made of wood. It is a perfect place for a family picnic during a long road trip.
- Molve Parish Church See the giant church that towers over the flat plains like a mountain of stone. The interior is filled with gold art and paintings from the famous local art school. Its high dome can be seen from many miles away in every direction.
The local Four
History of Koprivnica Križevci
Križevci is the City of Eight Towers and the site of the infamous Bloody Assembly of 1397. It was a Game of Thrones style betrayal where a king summoned his rivals for a meeting and then had them executed in the town square. This violent event led to a long-standing local tradition of autonomy, as the townspeople sought to distance themselves from royal meddling. This dark history created a city of fierce independence and high church spires that dominate the horizon.
On the flat riverbanks, the Croatian Sahara is a geological freak show. These are real sand dunes formed by the wind at the end of the ice age, now home to rare plants and a herd of camels. Scientists believe these sands originated from the prehistoric Bednja river, which deposited massive amounts of sediment as it slowed down across the plains. It is a strange, sandy island surrounded by thick oak forests and the fast-moving waters of the Drava river.
The artistic heart of the county beats in Hlebine, the birthplace of Naive Art. Farmers who spent their days in the fields began painting their dreams on the back of glass panels using vivid, impossible colors. By painting on the reverse side of the glass, they achieved a luminous quality that captured the shifting light of the rural landscape. It turned a quiet village into a world-famous art hub. Proving that the local soil grows more than just corn and wheat.