Municipality of Donji Vidovec: Gold panning and traditional crafts

Two craft traditions are especially prominent in the Municipality of Donji Vidovec: gold panning on the Drava and weaving. Together with the river landscape and historic buildings, they give the area a distinctive cultural identity.

Location and getting there

The Municipality of Donji Vidovec is 5 km from Kotoriba railway station and lies on the D20 state road between Čakovec and Koprivnica. The Goričan–Zagreb motorway is about 17 km away. Check current road and rail connections separately so that your travel plans are up to date.

Gold panning on the Drava

Written records state that gold was panned on the Drava at Donji Vidovec for the Zrinski counts from the mid-16th century. A charter granted by Empress Maria Theresa in 1776 gave gold panners from Donji Vidovec the right to pan for gold on the Drava, Sava and Mura. Gold panning on the Drava is included on the Republic of Croatia’s list of protected intangible cultural heritage.

Etnopark and weaving tradition

The traditional Etnopark brings together local history and old crafts typical of the area. Photographs and objects in five wooden ethnographic houses offer insights into gold panning, gingerbread making, basket weaving, hunting and local handicrafts. Gold panning is the main focus; visitors can learn about the traditional work there.

Weaving is also part of the area’s craft tradition. In 1904, the first weaving school in the area was operating in Donji Vidovec. Vidovec baskets and other handwoven willow products are still sold worldwide. Products made from corn husks include Ceker bags and slippers. The range therefore extends from woven baskets to bags and slippers made from different materials.

Church, rectory and the Arpad Oak

The Church of Saint Vitus and the rectory form an architectural complex in the center of Donji Vidovec and are the settlement’s monumental landmark. The rectory is a late Baroque building dating from 1765. It also houses an ethnographic collection of old objects.

In front of the church stands the pedunculate oak known as Arpad, a protected natural monument. The church, rectory and oak offer different historical and cultural points of reference in the town center: an architectural ensemble, a building dating from the late Baroque period and a prominent tree.

River landscape and Regional Park

The municipality lies near the confluence of the Mura and Drava. Its landscape is shaped by the features of the Mura and Drava floodplains and by river terraces formed during the Holocene. The Mura–Drava Regional Park includes 13 municipalities in Međimurje County, including Donji Vidovec.

The Regional Park as a whole includes wet forests, wet meadows, oxbow lakes, abandoned river channels and meanders, gravel banks, and steep eroded banks. Numerous rare and protected species live there, including kingfishers, white-tailed eagles, black storks, otters and beavers. These regional landscape and nature features complement the local story of the floodplains and the history of gold panning.

Past events

At the 2023 Lov na zlatarski prsten event, visitors could take a panoramic boat trip and watch a gold-panning demonstration. On 19 June 2026, the Gold Panners’ Festival of Old Dishes was held in Donji Vidovec, where guests could sample traditional local specialties. If an event is central to your travel plans, check the current dates.

Discover more destinations: Donji Vidovec, Municipality of Štrigova, Municipality of Prelog, Municipality of Čakovec, Municipality of Donji Kraljevec, Municipality of Nedelišće.

See the broader travel overview: Međimurje County.