Discover Turčin: Cycling, culture, and excursions

Highlights in Turčin include the Pil sv. Florijana wayside shrine, the Kneginečka biciklijada cycling event, and the Zlatne Gorice restaurant. In the municipality of Gornji Kneginec, destinations focused on culture, nature, and agriculture add to the region’s offerings.

Culture and events

The Pil sv. Florijana wayside shrine is in Turčin; it was blessed on May 4, 2005. A handicrafts market is also documented for a specific date: on March 8, 2025, an exhibition and sales market was held at the community hall. It was organized by the Đurđice Women’s Association. Local women’s associations, the Likovna udruga Kula, and the Kneginja student cooperative took part.

Magdalenje programs included concerts in Turčin, among them performances by Lidija Bačić and Ivan Zak. For a stay in Gornji Kneginec, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene offers another historical point of interest: it was probably originally a Gothic chapel built in the 13th century; Gothic elements have been preserved. Four stained-glass windows depict St. George, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Mary Magdalene, and redemption through the Eucharist. Canonical visitation reports for the church have been preserved since the beginning of the 17th century.

Cycling and off-road riding

The 18th Kneginečka biciklijada in 2024 was an 18-kilometer recreational cycling tour. It started at Trg dr. Franje Tuđmana in Turčin and ended at the fishponds of the “Ostriž Kneginec” sport fishing association. The event is traditionally organized by the sports association and the Municipality of Gornji Kneginec. Its named start and finish points and route length give the cycling tour a clearly defined format.

Associated with Turčin is Glinište, the off-road site of the Kneginec Off-Road Club. Quad bike off-road rides are available there on the site and on forest trails. The route has a soft and a hard option and is open for free riding throughout. This provides a recreational cycling tour with a set route and an off-road option with two route formats for different ways of getting around.

Wine and regional produce

The Zlatne Gorice restaurant, at Banjščina 104, Varaždin Breg, 42 204 Turčin, offers wines from its own vineyard and cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil made on the premises. The estate also has a wine trail with 12 stations and a maze. The products and the two named features provide different points of interest at the same estate.

The winemaking tradition in Gornji Kneginec also has its own regional context: the vineyards around Varaždin Breg belong to the Western Continental Croatia wine region, the Zagorje–Međimurje subregion, and the Varaždin wine-growing area. A centuries-old tradition of viticulture and winemaking is documented for Varaždin Breg. The tradition of building Zagorje wine cottages, known as klijeti, has also been preserved in the wine-growing area. In Gornji Kneginec, OPG Vukelić produces soft fruit, including currants from 1,100 bushes, as well as quinces from 185 trees, using biodynamic farming principles. The farm also organizes training in this production method.

Garden, farm, and fishponds in Gornji Kneginec

In the municipality of Gornji Kneginec, the Jaccominijev aroma vrt is registered as a special botanical collection. A 250-meter circular trail runs through the garden, where lavender, sage, thyme, oregano, heather, everlasting flowers, myrtle, and roses are among the plants growing. Visits are possible by prior arrangement.

The Svijet Prirode – Blaga Lijepe Naše farm in Gornji Kneginec offers visits for families and excursions for schools and kindergartens, and keeps Croatian indigenous domestic animal breeds. The offerings also include camping and themed photography. Confirm arrangements for a planned farm visit before arrival.

The Ribnjaci OSTRIŽ fishponds in Gornji Kneginec offer freshwater fishing, especially for carp, on a “catch and release” basis. A purpose-built promenade there invites visitors to take a walk. As fishing access rules may change, check them before your visit.

Another historical site in Gornji Kneginec is Bauerov bunar in Banjščina, at Bauerbreg. The well dates from 1784, is 137 meters deep, and has an 80-meter column of water. It is listed in the Croatian Register of Cultural Property as an immovable individual cultural property under designation Z-442.

Discover more destinations: Varaždin Breg, Gornji Kneginec.

Go to the main travel overview: Gornji Kneginec.