Castles of Northern Zagorje Days 2026: Five May weekends for walks, heritage, wine and culture in the castles of Varaždin County
Castles of Northern Zagorje Days are being held this year from May 1 to May 31, and over the course of five weekends they transform a series of historical sites in Varaždin County into meeting places of heritage, nature, local gastronomy and contemporary cultural content. The event is organized by the Northern Zagorje Area Tourist Board, and the program is arranged around Klenovnik, Križovljangrad, Opeka and Maruševec castles, as well as the old manors of the Vinica region. According to the available announcements by the organizers and partner tourism institutions, this is the second edition of the event, which, after last year’s debut, continues to build the concept of an experiential tour of northern Hrvatsko zagorje through small, thematically designed programs. The focus is not only on historical buildings, but also on the landscape surrounding them, stories about former owners, local customs and the idea of a slower, more meaningful weekend excursion.
At a time when tourism offerings are increasingly trying to unite nature, authenticity and experience, Castles of Northern Zagorje Days stand out as an event that builds its identity precisely on that combination. Unlike classic large-scale events focused exclusively on entertainment or mass appeal, the emphasis here is on smaller formats: guided walks, workshops, interpretation of space, encounters with local tradition, wine tastings and content that does not keep the visitor in just one place, but encourages them to get to know the region through several different layers. In this way, the May program also fits into the broader effort to position Northern Zagorje as a destination where castles, parks, viewpoints and historic manors are more than just a backdrop for a photograph.
An event that uses the strength of the landscape and historical architecture
Northern Zagorje has long been presented in tourism promotional materials as an area where castles, manors, churches, forests, viewpoints and vineyards are interconnected into a compact excursion whole. This event is also based on that idea. In the month when nature reaches its full spring momentum, the organizers distribute events across locations that in themselves carry a strong identity. Klenovnik stands out as the largest castle in Croatia and one of the best-known historical points of the wider area. Opeka is connected with the arboretum, one of the few such spaces in Croatia, as well as with the restoration of the castle, which in recent years has once again brought attention back to this site. Maruševec imposes itself as a representative noble setting with a park that naturally calls for open-air content, while the Vinica region and the old manors in the program serve as a reminder that the heritage of this area is not tied only to monumental buildings, but also to smaller historical points shaped by everyday life.
That is precisely why Castles of Northern Zagorje Days are not conceived as a series of the same events at different addresses, but as a sequence of separate weekend stories. Each location gets its own tone and its own type of experience. In some places the foreground is walking and landscape, elsewhere wine and creativity, elsewhere visual culture, technology and travel, and elsewhere a relaxed stay in the park with music and eno-gastronomy. Such an approach suggests that the event is trying to encompass several audiences at once: families with children, couples, excursionists, heritage lovers, recreational visitors, wine audiences and those looking for weekend content without the need for long travel or complicated logistics.
The beginning in Klenovnik: tradition, a walk and scenes that resemble postcards
The first weekend, May 1 and 2, takes visitors to Klenovnik, a place that even without an additional program ranks among the recognizable points of northwestern Croatia. Klenovnik Castle is listed in official tourist descriptions as the largest castle in Croatia, and its historical and spatial importance is further emphasized by the fact that it is a building that was connected for centuries with the Drašković family. For the opening of the event, the organizers chose a combination that sums up its character well: a blend of a walk through the landscape and an encounter with traditional craftsmanship.
The program in Klenovnik includes a circular walk along the old Mary’s path, a route that passes through hills, viewpoints and points where nature and the historical setting almost spontaneously create scenery for a spring excursion. Promotional announcements highlight chapels, panoramic views and a calmer pace of touring, so it is clear that the aim is not a sporting challenge, but an interpreted easy tour also suitable for those who come to such events primarily for the experience of the space. At the same time, special emphasis is placed on a workshop on making licitar hearts, content that connects the event with the tradition of northwestern Croatia and with one of the most recognizable symbols of local folk craftsmanship. In that sense, the first weekend functions as a programmatic statement: the historical space is not just a backdrop, but a place where heritage can be learned by hand as well, through concrete work and a personal souvenir.
The Vinica region and manors: a quieter route for those who want to get to know the area from within
The second weekend, on May 9, moves the program toward the Vinica region, where the focus is a guided walking tour from manor to manor. In the officially published program of Vinica Municipality Days for 2026, it is confirmed that on that day a tour called
From Manor to Manor is being held, organized by the Northern Zagorje Area Tourist Board. Such content fits well into the identity of Vinica, a place that in recent years has increasingly emphasized the combination of cultural heritage, local history and the revitalization of the area around Opeka, but also of the wider municipal area.
Unlike more famous castles, manors and smaller historical buildings often remain outside the main tourist focus, although it is precisely they that speak most directly about the local social and economic life of the former area. A walk through the Vinica area therefore also carries an educational component. In the announcements, the organizers mention water springs, vinicit stone and the once large market town, thereby offering visitors a picture of a place shaped by trade, traffic and everyday life, and not only by the representation of noble power. Such tours are usually especially appreciated by those who are not looking for spectacle, but for content that helps them understand why a settlement looks exactly the way it does, how it came into being and where traces of older layers of life have remained within it.
Križovljangrad: a spring weekend for wine, flowers and creativity
The third weekend, on May 16, is dedicated to the Križovljangrad site. According to the published announcements, the park by the castle becomes a stage for content that connects wine, flowers, workshops and music. In earlier program announcements of that concept, Križovljangrad was also presented as a space where art and good wine come together, which showed the organizers’ intention to replace the classic castle tour with a more relaxed stay in a park setting. This year’s description goes in the same direction: the emphasis is on atmosphere, on spring scenery and on sociability.
Such a program is not a random choice for Križovljangrad. Historical buildings with parks and landscaped grounds have always been places of gathering, socializing and representation, so today’s events of this type symbolically revive the former social function of the space. Mentioning Karel Paszthory as the former master of the castle and a lover of social life further strengthens that interpretation. Today’s visitor does not need to know the detailed genealogy or ownership changes in order to understand the message: the castle is not conceived only as an object to be viewed from the outside, but as a living setting in which an experience of shared stay, conversation and relaxation can still be created today.
Opeka and the theme of travel: a combination of restored space, technology and stories about the world
One of the most content-rich and interesting weekends has been announced for May 23 in Opeka. That the program on that day is indeed being held at Opeka Castle Arboretum is also confirmed by the officially published schedule of Vinica Municipality Days for 2026, in which Castles of Northern Zagorje Days in Opeka is listed as an event starting at 1 p.m. Opeka is in any case one of the most recognizable sites in the north of Varaždin County, primarily because of the arboretum and the history connected with the Bombelles family, whose arrival is marked in tourist descriptions as a period of particular rise for that estate.
This year’s program in Opeka is conceived around the motif of travel and nature. The announcements mention a VR cinema and the documentary experience
Hunter Gatherers, as well as a photographic exhibition by Andrej Švoger. In practical terms, this is a combination of the local and the global: the visitor is in a restored or revitalized setting of the castle and arboretum, while at the same time, through technology and visual content, they are encouraged to reflect on distant spaces, other cultures and the relationship between humans and the environment. Such a concept is especially interesting because it shows that the event does not remain closed within a nostalgic image of the noble past. On the contrary, it tries to connect the historical space with contemporary ways of interpretation, including digital formats and topics that go beyond local frameworks.
Opeka is also important because of the broader institutional context. Publicly available information from the Municipality of Vinica states that the arboretum and the accompanying area are being renovated through a revitalization project financed in part by funds from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which additionally increases interest in this site. For the event, this is important capital: the event does not enter a space that is only historically interesting, but a space that is currently being reintroduced into the active cultural and tourist life of the region.
The finale in Maruševec: picnic, wine and a gentle entry into summer
The last weekend, from May 29 to 31, is reserved for Maruševec, where the event ends in the castle park with a program designed as a picnic-style introduction to summer. The announcements mention castle wines, elderflower products, open-air cinema, jazz and stand-up, which clearly shows that the final weekend carries the most relaxed and broadly appealing tone. After programs that in the first weekends were more focused on walking, tradition and the interpretation of space, Maruševec functions as a place of gathering and longer stay.
This is also a logical choice given the reputation of the castle itself. In tourist descriptions, Maruševec is listed as one of the most beautiful and oldest castles of Hrvatsko zagorje, and its park naturally opens space for outdoor content. The picnic format in such a setting carries a double advantage. On the one hand, it is relaxed enough to attract an audience that may not particularly follow heritage-related events. On the other hand, it remains elegant enough to suit the space of a historical building. It is precisely in that balance between accessibility and the special nature of the setting that one of the reasons lies why Castles of Northern Zagorje Days have the potential to grow into a recognizable May event in the north of the country.
Free content, but also the need to register
According to the published information of the organizers and partner tourism websites, workshops, guided tours, VR cinema and other cultural content are free for visitors, but for part of the program prior registration is required due to a limited number of places. This is an important practical piece of information because this type of event, especially when it takes place in smaller groups and at specific sites, cannot function as a completely open mass program without organizational limitations. Registration is precisely what enables better guidance, safer movement along routes and a better experience of the space.
For the organizers, this is also a message that they are not playing for numbers at any cost. Today’s audience often sees greater value precisely in smaller, guided and meaningfully designed experiences than in large, anonymous events. If the quality of interpretation and good coordination with local stakeholders are maintained, such a model can become one of the more sustainable formats of destination events in the pre-season.
What the event means for Northern Zagorje
Castles of Northern Zagorje Days are important even beyond the May calendar itself. They show how historical heritage can be activated without aggressive commercialization and without reducing castles to passive backdrops. Through walks, workshops and smaller thematic events, a feeling is created that castles and manors are part of everyday space, and not separate museum objects viewed from a distance. For local communities, this can also mean strengthening the visibility of lesser-known points, extending tourist stays and greater involvement of local producers, guides, craftspeople and cultural actors.
In tourism terms, this is a model that corresponds to contemporary trends of short trips and micro-destinations. More and more people are looking for an excursion that can be realized in one day or over the weekend, without great expense and without giving up the quality of the experience. This is precisely where Northern Zagorje has an advantage: it is relatively close to larger urban centers, accessible by transport and sufficiently diverse to offer one visitor, in a short period of time, nature, architecture, local flavors and cultural content. This year’s Castles of Northern Zagorje Days are therefore not only an invitation to a spring walk among old walls. They are also a test of how successfully one area can transform its own heritage into a contemporary, calmer and content-rich tourist experience that does not require a major journey to leave an impression.
Sources:- Northern Zagorje Area Tourist Board – official announcement of the Castles of Northern Zagorje Days 2026 event. (link)- Croatian Tourist Board – article about the event and this year’s program in May 2026. (link)- Varaždin County Tourist Board – overview of the event under the title “Five weekends, five experiences”. (link)- Municipality of Vinica – official program of Vinica Municipality Days 2026 with confirmation of the “From Manor to Manor” program on May 9 and the event in Opeka on May 23. (link)- Northern Zagorje – tourism pages about castles and attractions, including Opeka, Maruševec and Klenovnik. (link)- Northern Zagorje – description of the Vukovoj viewpoint with data on Klenovnik as the largest castle in Croatia. (link)- Municipality of Vinica – information about the Arboretum Opeka revitalization project and investments in the area. (link)
Find accommodation nearby
Creation time: 4 hours ago