Bjelovar: Cheese Tradition, Culture and Cycling Routes

Bjelovar offers several distinct points of interest: the traditional Bjelovarski kvargl cheese, the central square and its buildings, a memorial site in the northwest, and various cycling routes. If you are looking for a hotel in Bjelovar, you can first consider whether cuisine, urban history or cycling will be the focus of your stay. Each place and route offers a different emphasis.

Bjelovarski kvargl: a regional cheese tradition

Bjelovarski kvargl is a traditional cheese from the area around Bjelovar and has an EU-protected geographical indication. To make it, fresh cow’s cheese is mixed with salt and ground red paprika. The mixture is then shaped into small cones, which are dried and smoked. The ingredients, shape and processing together make this a local specialty. Those interested in the region’s food culture can gain a concrete insight into a traditional method of production.

Square, churches and town museum

Trg Eugena Kvaternika is a historically planned square in the centre of Bjelovar. Its surroundings include a central park with around 40 native and foreign plant species. The square is also home to the Church of St Teresa of Ávila, dating from 1772, and an Orthodox church with a noteworthy iconostasis and wall paintings. The town museum is housed in the former town hall, built in 1831. The green space, two churches of different traditions and the museum give the square several cultural dimensions. During a stay in the centre, you can therefore explore the park’s botanical diversity, the religious buildings and the museum as distinct aspects of the city.

A memorial site in the northwest

The Barutana memorial site is in Bedenik Forest, northwest of Bjelovar. This makes it a separate point of interest from the buildings around the central square. If, alongside urban history and churches, you would also like to include a memorial site in your plans, you can consider this forest location as a separate focus. Its position in the northwest sets it apart geographically from the ensemble described in the centre.

Cycling routes with different features

The cycling routes can be distinguished by their course and the characteristics described for each. The Bilogorska starts in central Bjelovar and is 27 kilometres long. There are hospitality businesses at several points along the route. The Plavnička connects Bjelovar with the recreational fishing pond near Starčevljani. The Vinogradska is notable for its terrain: it runs mostly through lowland. The Sajamska passes several settlements, including Bjelovar. Together, the routes offer different points of reference for planning: the Bilogorska’s starting point and length, the Plavnička’s destination, the Vinogradska’s mostly flat terrain, and the settlements along the Sajamska.

Bjelovar’s cycling facilities also include three e-bike rental stations and two self-service bicycle repair stations. Before your trip, check route conditions, e-bike availability and the locations of the stations. This lets you take the route characteristics and available cycling facilities into account when planning, rather than judging the routes by name alone.

Discover more destinations: Brezovac, Letičani.

Go to the main travel overview: Općina Bjelovar.