Good day, welcome! My name is Ivanec, many people tell me that I am the pearl of northwestern Croatia, and my official nickname is "mountaineering town". I am located on the western edge of Varaždin County. Why "mountaineering town"?

Because I live at the foot of Ivančica, located at 227 meters above sea level. My necklace extends to 29 surrounding settlements with 12,723 dear people, while I count 4,997 inhabitants. I am special, ethereal and mysterious. Beneath my streets, parks, monuments and walkways, there are so many stories that don't fit into a larger book.

I am the second largest city in my county. I and my mountain Ivančica were named after the medieval priestly order of the John the Baptists, also known as the "hospitals of St. John of Jerusalem". At the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, the Ivanovci acquired properties including Cerje, the town of Bela and Ivanec. The center of their property was the fortified town of Bela, today known as "Pusta Bela".

The first written record of me dates back to 1396, when I was mentioned in the "Charter of Ivan Paližna" of the prior of Vransko in Bela, which established certain privileges. Later in 1632, my Old Town is also mentioned, which is believed to have been built on the foundations of the ruins of the old Crusader church. This is enough for a start, and if you want to stay with my story, I invite you to click on the numerous ones rubrike i zanimljivosti.

Why visit me?

What can I show you? Lot. Here you can hike to your heart's content on easy and less easy trails to the legendary Ivančica. Drink from the spring of crystal clear water from the "Žgano vino" spring. To walk around my surroundings full of stories and legends and ride a bike in the middle of gentle hills in virgin nature. Enjoy the view of blue lakes and bays. Visit our "Visitor Center" and "Mountain Museum".

You can test your culinary skills in the "Ivanečki kotlić" and enjoy traditional food with plenty of songs and entertainment. Visit mystical sites such as the Devil's Chair, the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, Černi mlak, the birthplace of Josip Kraš, numerous churches and chapels, Friščić's mill, the Margečan water mill... Enjoy historical sites at every corner and step. And that's only half the story. Because every month brings something new to our city, and every manifestation celebrates the richness of my history and awakens the joy of living.

You don't have to bring anything but good will because with me you are never alone. You are surrounded by a feeling of freedom, rural beauty, interesting things at every corner, the hospitality of our hosts, unreal landscapes at the foot of the mountain, which is pure Zen and which many mountaineers adore. My picnic areas, my surroundings and numerous mountain trails offer you numerous stories, legends and myths, and the milling, mining and pottery traditions will enrich your knowledge of the history of the area.