- by croatiaweek
- May 19, 2026
-
in
Travel
Kalnik (Photo: Eranyo/CC BY 3.0)
ZAGREB, 19 May (Hina) – Mt Kalnik near Križevci, northwestern Croatia, with around 200 kilometres of hiking trails and a rich historical heritage, is attracting an increasing number of visitors.
Local authorities aim to further position the municipality of Kalnik as one of northern Croatia’s emerging inland tourism destinations.
Kalnik is best known for Veliki Kalnik, a medieval fortress dominating the mountain range.
Historians and archaeologists note that that part of the Prigorje region has been continuously inhabited since prehistoric times.
Kalnik (Photo: SpeedyGonsales/CC BY-SA 3.0)
Over the centuries, it was ruled by various noble families and dynasties, including Béla IV, the Angevins, the Counts of Celje, and the Corvins.
Key assets of Mt Kalnik are its fresh air, preserved flora and fauna, and local agricultural production, which is increasingly being integrated into tourism through local gastronomy.
“Kalnik has all the prerequisites to be more strongly positioned as one of the new inland tourism destinations in northern Croatia, with development based on a combination of natural heritage, history, recreation, and local gastronomy,” Koprivnica-Križevci County prefect Tomislav Golubić told Hina.
(Photo: Vid Pogacnik/CC BY-SA 4.0)
Kalnik is one of the three most important natural sites in the county, alongside the Drava River and the Sands of Đurđevac, an area of partially stabilised sand dunes in the eastern part of the city of Đurđevac.
Golubić therefore announced the development of a master plan for Kalnik, which would define key projects and the direction of tourism development.
Kalnik mayor Dorian Kešer said the area sees around 1,000 visitors on weekends, mostly hikers and recreational visitors, and hopes that planned investments will further increase visitor numbers.
