A million visitors per year

A favourite excursion destination for numerous citizens of Zagreb, the Medvednica Nature Park soars above the city. It is one of the most popular nature parks in Croatia, with a million visits each year.

The Medvednica Nature Park is one of the most popular nature parks in Croatia – it is visited by a million people each year. The park soars above Zagreb, but its forests spill down to the very city centre; it abounds with diverse flora and fauna, including many endemic species. The park also contains the only preserved medieval mine in Europe, Zrinski, which dates from the 16th century. The former silver mine has been adapted for visitors, and it is one of the features of the tourism project called “Medieval Days at Medvednica”. This popular event attracts numerous visitors who can actively participate in reinvigorating the spirit of medieval times and chivalry.

Aside from Veternica cave, which was protected in 1979 as a geomorphologic monument of nature, the Medvednica Nature Park also contains numerous bicycle paths, and educational walking trails. Religious visitors can traverse the Marian pilgrimage path, while the Bliznec forest trail is intended for disabled visitors. The nature park also features various ecology workshops, the newest of which is “Little nature preservers”, organized and headed by specialists in the field. The workshop is designed to educate children about the rules of conduct and orientation in nature, with the help of a map and compass, as well as about the protected landscape itself. The workshop includes fieldwork, which consists of searching for and learning about the amphibians and reptiles that can be found in the area of Medvednica Nature Park, as well as research work and a presentation of a final group project.

The duration of the workshop is four hours and, during its course, parents of the enrolled children may relax and drink coffee with friends, or simply enjoy the beautiful natural environment.