Stara Kapela – History and Salers Cattle Breeding

Stara Kapela can be understood through three specific themes: its historic settlement area, agricultural connections, and road links to Haganj and Žabnica. If you are looking for a hotel in this place, you can consider whether local history, cattle breeding, or the culinary context of the larger Općina Dubrava will shape your stay most strongly.

Historic Settlement Framework and Orientation

The plan lists Stara Kapela as a historic settlement area of local importance, protected through planning recommendations. This gives the place a clear historical framework. The Chapel of the Assumption of Mary is also located in Stara Kapela. It is another specific point of reference for anyone who considers history and religious buildings when choosing a place to visit.

The county gazette from June 2026 names two local roads: LC31073 connects Haganj with Stara Kapela, while LC31074 runs from Žabnica to Stara Kapela. These describe two different connections to the area that you can use for orientation when planning your trip.

Agriculture and Salers Cattle Breeding

The Salers Croatia Center opened in Stara Kapela as a practical training and demonstration farm for breeders of Salers cattle. A county publication from 2021 describes the intended audience in more detail: Salers cattle breeders, especially beginners in the cow-calf system. The focus is therefore on practical training and breeding knowledge. This specialist focus gives the place a specific agricultural connection.

The founding of the Croatian Salers-Croatia Breeders’ Association is also part of the broader context of Salers cattle breeding: it was established in 2016 by breeders from 17 Croatian counties.

The Horvatić farm in Stara Kapela produces milk and meat and breeds Simmental cattle. This shows two different cattle-related connections in the area: Salers breeding as the Center’s focus, and Simmental breeding at Horvatić. If you are interested in agriculture, you can understand Stara Kapela through both the Center’s specialist focus and the farm’s stated products.

Culinary Context of Općina Dubrava

One culinary connection leads to the wider destination of Općina Dubrava. The municipality received the recipe “Dubravski salerac,” a beef dish made with cattle raised on Croatian pastures. At a fair, the salerac was prepared as a goulash made with Salers beef in a large cauldron and served for guests and festival attendees to taste. It was cooked by Slavko Lesar, his daughter Maja, and his son-in-law Anteo Pavić from Stara Kapela. The connection to Stara Kapela is reflected in the named cooks; the recipe is associated with Općina Dubrava.

Also within the wider destination of Općina Dubrava, in the village of Habjanovac, is the 20-hectare Zrno organic estate, surrounded by forest. It combines organic farming with processing and bakery production. Visits are available to groups by prior arrangement. This is a separate regional connection to consider when planning activities related to agriculture and food.

Choose the Right Destination Focus

If you also want to include the culinary context and the organic estate, your focus extends beyond Stara Kapela to Općina Dubrava. This distinction helps you separate the local focus from the broader regional context when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Dubrava

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Općina Dubrava.