Croatia’s new Zagorje park
Croatia just created the Zagorje Mountains Nature Park — a protected area packed with castles, prehistoric caves and new hiking and cycling trails aimed at sustainable tourism. The park is being promoted as a multi-day outdoor destination for walkers and riders who want heritage and rugged scenery in one trip (travelandtourworld.com).
Croatian lawmakers enacted the Law declaring Park prirode “Zagorske gore” on 6 March 2026, officially adding the country’s 13th nature park to the national register. (parkovihrvatske.hr) The parliamentary vote was unanimous—135 members voted in favour of the proclamation during the 9th session of the 11th Sabor on 6 March 2026. (zagorje-international.hr) The park covers 30,087.38 hectares (approximately 300.87 km²), with about 52% of its area in Krapinsko‑zagorska County and 48% in Varaždinska County. (zagorje-international.hr) Its boundaries encompass the mountain masses Ivanščica, Strahinjščica, Maceljska gora and Ravna gora plus the Bednja region, and the protected area includes parts of cities and municipalities such as Ivanec, Novi Marof, Lepoglava, Krapina and Zlatar. (varazdinska-zupanija.hr) The law requires the government to establish a dedicated public institution to manage Park prirode Zagorske gore, formalised later by an executive regulation. (zagorje-priroda.hr) Officials and travel outlets cite roughly 150 kilometres of marked hiking and cycling routes within the park and note the area lies about an hour’s drive north of Zagreb. (timeout.com) (euronews.com) Local authorities have framed the designation as a vehicle for developing eco‑agriculture, local product branding and easier access to EU rural‑development funds to support demographic and economic revitalisation in the region. (varazdinska-zupanija.hr)
