Croatia gets a new nature park: Zagorje Hills become a protected area of national importance
The Croatian Parliament unanimously adopted the Act on the Proclamation of the Zagorje Hills Nature Park, thereby formally granting a higher level of protection to one of the naturally most valuable areas of northern Croatia. It is an area that includes Ivanščica, Ravna gora, Maceljska gora, Strahinjščica and the Bednja region, and the new status means that this area will henceforth be protected through a special management and planning framework, while at the same time allowing economic activities that do not impair its key natural features. The Act was passed in the Croatian Parliament on 6 March 2026, and it was published in the Official Gazette on 18 March, so it enters into force on the eighth day after publication. This concludes, after years of expert and political initiatives, the process by which Croatia gained another large protected area in the continental part of the country.
For northern Croatia, this decision carries multiple significance. It is not merely an administrative proclamation of a new protection category, but a confirmation that the Zagorje Hills area has values that exceed local importance. According to the legal text and the explanatory memorandum that accompanied the adoption of the regulation, the area is important because of its rich geodiversity, preserved habitats, diverse plant and animal life, but also because of the cultural and historical heritage that has shaped the landscape over the centuries. It was precisely this combination of natural and cultural features that was one of the main reasons why, instead of narrower forms of protection, the nature park category was chosen, which in the Croatian legislative framework allows the protection of large and valuable areas, but without completely excluding people, traditional activities and the sustainable use of space.
Coverage of more than 30 thousand hectares
According to the published Act, the Zagorje Hills Nature Park covers 30,087.437 hectares. Parliamentary documents that preceded the final vote state an almost identical area of 30,187.38 hectares, which shows that this is an area of approximately 30 thousand hectares stretching through parts of Krapina-Zagorje County and Varaždin County. In practice, this means that the park encompasses a large part of the hilly and mountainous belt of Hrvatsko zagorje, while in the northwest it also touches the state border with Slovenia. The parliamentary debate also highlighted that the protected area extends through several towns and municipalities in both counties, which further confirms that this is an area that will require coordinated management at the local and national levels.
Such a scope was not determined by chance. The Zagorje Hills consist of a mosaic of topographically indented mountain and hilly units, forest complexes, grassland areas, watercourses, wetland and speleological habitats, as well as settlements, agricultural areas and cultural sites. Due to its geographical position, climatic conditions and hydrographic features, this is an area where very different natural systems intertwine in a relatively small space. It was precisely this diversity that was one of the key arguments of the expert bodies that had been preparing the basis for the proclamation of protection for years, because it shows that the Zagorje Hills are not valuable only for one mountain, forest or site, but as a whole that functions as a connected and sensitive landscape system.
Why the Zagorje Hills are important
The explanatory memorandum of the Act especially emphasizes that the protection of this area is of special interest to the Republic of Croatia because of the preservation of original natural values, wild species of flora and fauna, and a wide diversity of habitats. Among them, forest habitats, grassland mosaics, the aquatic habitats of the Bednja River, wetland areas and cave habitats stand out in particular. In addition to biological diversity, an important part of the area's value also consists of geological, geomorphological, hydrological, paleontological and mineralogical sites. In other words, the Zagorje Hills are not important only because of their green cover and attractive viewpoints, but also because of the complex natural history that has left traces in this area worthy of scientific, educational and heritage interest.
An important element of the whole story is also the fact that this is an area that is not separated from humans, but has been shaped for centuries by the relationship between nature and local communities. Traditional agriculture, settlements, old routes, sacral and historical sites, and other traces of life are an integral part of the Zagorje landscape. That is precisely why official documents emphasize that the natural values of this area cannot be viewed separately from the cultural and historical heritage. The new nature park protects not only nature in the narrower sense, but also the recognizable landscape created by the long coexistence of humans and the environment. This is also important for future management, because protection measures will have to take into account the preservation of traditional values, and not only the formal boundaries of the protected area.
Eight ecological network areas and dozens of target habitats and species
The parliamentary report of the Committee on Environmental and Nature Protection states that in the area proposed for protection there are eight ecological network areas with 33 different target habitat types and species, as well as three already protected areas, including two natural monuments and one park forest. This information is important for understanding the broader meaning of the new decision. The Natura 2000 ecological network already represents the fundamental European mechanism for preserving the most valuable species and habitats, and the fact that a significant number of such areas are located within the new park shows that this is an area that had already previously been recognized as exceptionally valuable from the standpoint of nature protection.
The proclamation of a nature park does not nullify the existing obligations arising from the ecological network, but places them within a broader management framework. This can be especially important for planning interventions in space, monitoring the condition of habitats, developing visitor infrastructure, and for educational and scientific programs. At the same time, it opens up room for better linking of data already available through the Nature Protection Information System and the Bioportal, where the boundaries of protected areas and the ecological network can be publicly viewed. For the public, this means greater transparency, and for expert services, the possibility of basing spatial decisions on more precise and publicly available information.
What nature park status means in practice
The nature park category in the Croatian nature protection system implies that it is a spacious natural or partially cultivated area of great biodiversity and geodiversity, with pronounced ecological, landscape and cultural-historical values. It is not a strict reserve in which every form of activity is excluded, but a protection model that allows economic and other activities if they do not endanger the essential features of the area. This is precisely one of the reasons why the new Act is generally viewed in local communities as a development opportunity as well, and not only as a series of new restrictions.
In practice, the elaboration of specific rules and priorities is yet to come. The Act provides that the Government of the Republic of Croatia will establish, within one year, a public institution that will manage the Zagorje Hills Nature Park. Until then, within the framework of their local competences, the ecological network areas within the proclaimed park will be managed by the public institutions of Krapina-Zagorje County and Varaždin County. This transitional solution is important so that no institutional vacuum arises in the period after the proclamation, especially when it comes to nature protection procedures, the issuance of protection conditions and the monitoring of possible interventions in space. In other words, the park has been proclaimed, but its actual management is only now entering the phase of organizational shaping.
For local units, investors and residents, it is especially important that a nature park does not mean an automatic ban on life and work in that area. Economic activities that can be aligned with the preservation of natural values are allowed, and it is precisely the management plan and the spatial plan for the area of special features that will define in more detail in the future where the boundaries of permissible development are. The expert basis and parliamentary documents emphasize that the new status should enable a better and more comprehensive consideration of the sustainable use of natural resources, including forest management, tourism, educational content and other activities that do not impair the fundamental values of the area.
From initiative to law: a process that has lasted for years
Although the Act was passed in March 2026, the idea of protecting the Zagorje Hills is not new. According to the parliamentary report, the initiative to protect the Zagorje Hills and Bednja region area was launched back in 2009, when the then State Institute for Nature Protection signed an agreement with Krapina-Zagorje County and Varaždin County. In 2013, an expert basis was prepared in the category of a regional park, and then in 2021 a new initiative was launched for the protection of Ivanščica, Strahinjščica, Ravna gora and Maceljska gora in the category of a nature park. After that, in 2022 both counties requested a revision of the expert basis, so the competent ministry, through the Institute for Environmental and Nature Protection, continued consultations with local self-government units and county public institutions.
This multi-year process shows that the proclamation of the park did not come overnight. On the contrary, it is a decision that was previously going through expert valuation of the area, political initiatives, boundary revisions and public discussions about which protection model is the most appropriate. This is precisely why the unanimous adoption of the Act in Parliament is a politically important signal: it shows that a broad consensus has been reached around the need for protection, at least at the level of the fundamental goal. At a time when issues of space, development and environmental protection often turn into conflicts between local and national interests, such a consensus is not insignificant. It does not mean that in the future there will be no disputes over specific interventions, but it does mean that the fundamental decision on protection has received broad institutional support.
Expectations from the new park: protection, tourism and local development
Official explanations emphasize that the new nature park should become the basis for the sustainable development of the area, increasing its recognizability and better promotion of local goods and services. Such expectations are not unusual when it comes to protected areas. Nature park status often increases the visibility of a region, opens opportunities for the development of selective forms of tourism, educational programs, interpretation centers and new projects financed from national and European sources. In the case of the Zagorje Hills, this can be especially important because it is an area that is relatively accessible in terms of transport, is located near larger urban centers and has a recognizable identity in terms of landscape, gastronomy, tradition and recreational potential.
However, the experience of other protected areas shows that park status alone is not sufficient if serious management does not follow behind it. Whether the Zagorje Hills will truly become an example of a successful combination of protection and development will depend on the quality of the future management plan, the manner of cooperation with the local population, the clarity of the rules for interventions in space and the ability of the public institution to reconcile different interests. It will be especially important to avoid two extremes: on the one hand, turning the park into a symbolic label without real content, and on the other hand, a model in which protection would be perceived only as a bureaucratic restriction. The balance between preservation and development will be the main test of the new status.
Nature protection as public policy
The proclamation of the Zagorje Hills Nature Park comes at a time when issues of spatial protection, adaptation to climate change and the preservation of biodiversity are gaining increasing weight in European and national public policies. In that sense, this decision also has a broader significance than the local one. It shows that even in continental Croatia, outside the best-known coastal and mountain tourist zones, the value of landscapes and natural systems as a public good is being increasingly recognized. Such areas are important not only because of rare species or the beauty of the landscape, but also because of quality of life, soil and water protection, mitigation of heat extremes, preservation of traditional spaces and the resilience of local communities.
That is precisely why the new nature park should not be viewed only as an environmental protection topic, but also as a development, social and spatial issue. The way in which it will be managed will say a great deal about how Croatia understands the relationship between natural heritage and economic ambitions. The Zagorje Hills have now received a legal framework that recognizes their value. The real work is only just beginning: to preserve what made them be declared a protected area, while at the same time enabling that status to bring real benefits to the people who live and work in that area.
Sources:- Official Gazette – published Act on the Proclamation of the Zagorje Hills Nature Park, date of adoption, publication and management provisions (link)- Croatian Parliament – Final draft of the Act with an explanation of natural values, development effects and transitional provisions (link)- Croatian Parliament, Committee on Environmental and Nature Protection – data on the course of the initiative, scope, ecological network and planned financing (link)- MINGOR / Nature Protection Information System – overview of the Natura 2000 ecological network and public availability of spatial data on protected areas (link)
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