1. Zagorje –
   ○ The landscape of itsy villages squirreled between verdantly forested hills, vineyards and cornfields, and medieval castles was made for easygoing road trips and presents a relaxed foil to the bustling Mediterranean south
   ○ A trip here is blissfully crowd-free, although less so on summer weekends when day-tripping families from the capital debunk en masse to storm the area.
   ○ a showcase of baroque architecture
   ○ Whether you want to feast on hearty cuisine at rustic restaurants, get a taste of village life or tour ancient castles, with Zagorje you’re in for an offbeat treat.
   ○ Top sights –
   ■ Krapina –
   ● Church of Virgin Mary of Jerusalem
   ● Museum of the Krapina Neanderthal –
   ○ the largest Neanderthal fossil haul ever found in Europe.
   ■ Varaždin –
   ● a showcase of scrupulously restored baroque architecture and well-tended gardens and parks.
   ● day trip from Zagreb, 81km to the south
   ■ Kumrovec Staro Selo Museum
   ● the village of Kumrovec has been transformed into an open-air ethnographic museum. A re-creation of a 19th-century village
   ■ Trakošćan Castle – 80km northwest of Zagreb, is worth a visit for its well-presented museum and attractive grounds.