Ivanec is a town in Varaždin County, in the north of Croatian Zagorje. There are 12,723 inhabitants in the wider urban area, and around 5,000 inhabitants in the settlement of Ivanec itself. One of the settlements in the town of Ivanec is Margečan, where our Vinbreg Holiday Homes are located.
Ivanec Today
Ivanec is a small town tailored to its residents. It is well-kept, clean, peaceful, and safe. Ivanec is a larger center that attracts several surrounding municipalities. Residents have access to all the amenities necessary for a comfortable and quality life. In Ivanec, there are kindergartens, elementary and high schools, a library, cinema, museum, health center, veterinarian, police, post office, banks, and various public services. There is also a bus and train station in Ivanec. The town has several larger shopping centers (Lidl, Spar, Konzum, KTC), several small mixed goods stores, gas stations, several specialized stores, a market, bakeries, butchers, fruit stands, several restaurants, and more.
Ivanec is also an economic center of the region. There are around 200 companies operating in Ivanec, including several larger industrial companies, and local authorities attract investors to the Business and Industrial Zone. If you are looking for a good location and investment opportunity in Croatia, Ivanec offers everything you need. The British Financial Times has placed the town of Ivanec at the top of the list of small towns in Europe with the best strategies for attracting foreign investments.
Social and Cultural Life of Ivanec
The residents of Ivanec enjoy spending their free time socializing, and the popular Croatian phrase "Let's go for coffee" is part of the local mentality here. Therefore, in Ivanec, you can find several cafes where you can have coffee or another drink. Part of the local tradition is wine production. Many residents of Ivanec own vineyards and small holiday homes with cellars called "klijeti." Klijeti are common places for social gatherings and entertainment.
The city is home to numerous sports clubs and associations that enable children and young people to engage in sports. There are also active cultural associations contributing to the cultural offerings, allowing residents to fulfill their cultural needs.
In Ivanec, various cultural and entertainment events are often organized. The biggest event is the Days of the Town of Ivanec with various activities such as concerts, exhibitions, workshops, entertainment for children, and sports events. The Day of the Town of Ivanec is celebrated on June 22, and programs are held in the weeks before and after that date. Recently, Advent in Ivanec has also become very popular.
Tradition - what is Ivanec known for
Mountaineering
Ivanec is situated at the foot of Mount Ivanščica (1060 meters), the highest mountain in Croatia north of the Sava River. It is believed that Ivanec and Ivančica were named after St. John, the patron saint of Ivanovac, a knightly order that was present in these areas since the 12th century. The connection between Ivanec and Ivanščica created a special bond among the inhabitants of the Ivanec region towards this beautiful and unique mountain. The first documented excursion to Ivanščica dates back to 1858, and the Croatian Mountaineering Society "Ivančica" was founded in Ivanec in 1899. Mountaineering is part of the local tradition, and Ivanščica continues to attract numerous mountaineers, nature lovers, and hikers from Croatia and around the world. In terms of tourism, Ivanec is branded as a mountaineering town. A few years ago, the Mountaineering Museum was opened in Ivanec.
Find more information about mountaineering and hiking trails here.
Mining
Mining had a significant impact on the economic development of the Ivanec region and the lives of the local population. The most significant mining activity was the excavation of coal, which began in 1895 with the opening of the first shaft in the nearby Kuljevčica. The first shaft in Ivanec was opened in 1901. In the years following World War II, at the peak of production, around 1700 workers were employed in the mines in Ivanec. There was hardly a family without a miner. It was a tough, dangerous, and poorly paid job. Due to the harsh working conditions, low wages for miners, and competition from cheaper coal, the republic government decided to close the mines in Croatia in 1971. Significant financial resources were invested to replace the mines with new industries, and the former miners found new jobs. This marked the golden age of the Ivanec industry built on the foundations of the former mines. Ivanec owes its industrialization and development to the calloused hands of the miners.
It is worth mentioning that mining in Ivanec dates back much earlier. German miners known as "Sasi" and later French miners mined here. There is a record from 1782 mentioning Gregorius Petho de Gerse starting the excavation of iron ore in the nearby village of Željeznica. Abandoned mining shafts can still be found on the northern slopes of Ivanščica. Limonite, zinc, and lead ore were mined on Ivančica. The Kraševski zviri mine is preserved where zinc and lead were extracted from 1860 to 1872, along with a zinc smelter in Kuljevčica. The ore reserves were quickly depleted.
Watermills
From Prigorje towards Ivanečko flows the stream Bistrica. Due to its moderate slope, Bistrica was ideal for powering watermills. Bistrica was characterized by small private mills that ground grain for the needs of the residents of the wider Ivanečko region, and there used to be as many as 20 mills on Bistrica. The milling business was interestingly organized. Coachmen would visit surrounding towns and villages where they would pick up cloth bags of grain labeled with the owner's name. The next day, they would return with a full bag of ground flour. The miller would charge for their service in kind, taking a certain percentage of the grain. The coachmen were also paid in kind for transportation, receiving grain for their service. Due to a lack of water in Bistrica, the mills ceased operation.
The only remaining watermill on Bistrica is Friščić's Mill in Prigorje. The mill is a prime tourist attraction for many excursionists and hikers on their way to Ivanščica.
Short History of Ivanec
The history of Ivanec is linked to the knightly order of Ivanovci, also known as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Latin: Fratres hospitalis sancti Johannis Iherisolimamitani). Already in the 12th century, they had vast estates on Ivanščica, with their headquarters being the fortified town of Bela (today Pusta Bela). Ivanec was an economic unit of the Ivanovci, probably a manor. There are indications that they built a watchtower in Ivanec, and next to the tower was a chapel of St. John the Baptist, their patron saint. It is believed that Ivanec got its name from this chapel. In written documents, Ivanec is first mentioned in 1396 in a charter of Ivan Paližna the Younger, the prior of Bela. Ivanec is referred to in the charter as "the free settlement of St. John," and the charter guaranteed certain privileges to the citizens of Ivanec. Pope Innocent VII abolished the Ivanovci, and by 1469, they had completely disappeared from Croatia.
With the departure of the Ivanovci, all their estates, including Ivanec, passed into secular hands and changed several owners. Ultimately, Ivaniš Korvin, the illegitimate son of Matthias Corvinus and the Croatian ban, sold Bela together with Ivanec to the Hungarian noble family Petheo de Gerse around 1502. This family ruled over Ivanec until 1738. During their rule, Bela began to lose its importance, and Ivanec became their economic and administrative center. They built a castle in Ivanec in the mid-16th century, which was expanded over the years. Unfortunately, the old town of Ivanec was destroyed in World War II and demolished.
After the death of the last male descendant of the Pethoe de Gerse family and his widow, the royal treasury took over the estate in 1730. King Charles IV sold the castle to the Erdody noble family. However, the female heirs of the Pethoe de Gerse family managed to regain the property in a lawsuit that lasted 54 years. The estate was divided among 15 noble families in 1817. Among the heirs was the Kukuljevic Sakcinski family. The history of Ivanc is linked to this prestigious Croatian noble family until the 1930s. Due to poor management of the property and accumulated debts, the Šaban family took over Ivanc, and the castle met its end. The castle was burned down in 1943 during the war. After the war, the remaining property was nationalized in 1946, and the two remaining towers of the ruined castle were demolished in 1959. The land was leveled and turned into a park.
The Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Ivanec was built by Ladislav Erdody and his wife between 1755 and 1765. The church's current appearance dates from the late 19th century, when it was restored after an earthquake. The church has several valuable stained glass windows. All the windows were acquired in 1895 from Vienna, from the workshop of Karl Geyling. For about a hundred years, a thick layer of plaster concealed a true artistic treasure within the church. Beneath the layer of lime plaster, a painted vault was discovered, attributed to someone close to Ivan Ranger or possibly to Ranger himself. Ivan Ranger was the most renowned fresco painter of the Pauline era. The Heferer organ dates from 1887.
What to do in Ivanci
- Take a walk through the streets of the town
- Explore the city center (central square, church, park)
- Visit the Mountaineering Museum
- Visit the Kukuljević Center
- Have lunch at a restaurant
- Buy pastries or burek at one of the bakeries in Ivanci
- Have coffee or another drink at one of the cafes in Ivanci
- Take a walk around the Ivanci lakes Jarki
- Buy children's shoes at the Froddo outlet
- Ivanci produces the world-famous children's footwear brand Froddo, designed to promote natural and healthy development of children's feet
- Head towards Prigorac
- Sports fishing
- If you are a sports fishing enthusiast, the bays in Ivanci are a popular destination for anglers and host numerous competitions