Trakoscan may be the most famous castle in Varazdin County, but it is certainly not the only one.
Moving from Dalmatian island to continental Croatia has been a fascinating experience, and one which has made me view certain aspects of Croatian tourism somewhat differently. I had not appreciated, for example, just how much progress Zagreb had made as a destination, the only destination in Croatia which had a million tourists staying overnight last year (yes, some destinations had more tourism nights, but not number of tourists), or how much there was to see and do in the area surrounding the capital. I knew that one of the classic day trips from Zagreb was the delightful Baroque city of Varazdin, itself a former capital, followed by the most famous Croatian castle of all, Trakoscan. Isn’t she beautiful here in the snow?
And – unless you took the time to look a little deeper – that is about all you would learn about what surrounds Zagreb, and yet there is so much more to see and do, with many attractions not even known about by many locals. How about this case in point below, a castle even closer to Varazdin than Trakoscan, and one in which 2Cellos recorded a beautiful piece which has been views more than 6 million times on the duo’s official YouTube channel. Check it out here.
Wondering where this magificent place is? Before we tell you, stop for a minute and wonder what else you are missing in continental Croatia…
Marusevec Castle is located west of Varazdin in an area of the same name, an historic castle with plenty of tradition and history, and it dates back as far away as 1547. It was inhabited until 1945 by the last person to live there, one Oskar Pongratz, and is today back in the family’s private ownership. It is not currently possible to visit the castle (unless you have a cello, perhaps…), but the owners allegedly have plans to turn it into a destination for weddings, seminars, teambuilding, concerts and leisure, and so it could be a lot more accessible in the future, but this is just one of a number of fabulous attractions to find in this beautiful country on the doorstep county.
Why not take a closer look at what else you may be missing by checking out the Varazdin County Tourist Board website?
