Through the loveliest parts of the Kravarsko and Pokupsko regions
Zagreb County

This route is a part of Zagreb County Cycling Network project run by Tourist Board of Zagreb County. We are recommending that together with this description you are using published/paper map (scale 1:55 000) which can be obtain from office of Tourist Board of Zagreb County, Preradovićeva 42, Zagreb, Croatia, www.tzzz.hr. Please contact office for map delivery.

Route description

The route begins in  1  Kravarsko at the parking lot near the parish Church of the Raising of the Holy Cross. This village is a good starting place due to the easy road access, several shops and hospitality facilities. We begin this ride heading south along the quite heavily travelled road Kravarsko – Pokupsko. Pay attention to traffic safety. After a short downhill section followed by a climb, at 900 m from the route starting point, you will come across an intersection  2 , follow the signs and turn right off the main road for Novo Brdo and Kozjača. A first grade downhill section begins here. At the Y intersection near the sign in Lovrići  3  turn right for Žitkovčica. Here there is another downhill section, a bridge over the Curek creek and a constant, steep climb to the village Žitkovčica situated on the ridge of the hill. At the 3.6 km mark from the route starting point, at the intersection near the crucifix on the left hand side of the road, continue riding straight along the gravel road. Keep riding straight along the gravel road and disregard the road turning off to the right. At the 4.5 km mark, you will ride alongside vineyards and to your right you will have a view of the church in the centre of Kravarsko. At the Y intersection at about the 5 km mark, continue riding straight along the gravel road, take caution while riding downhill. Disregard the road to the right for it leads nowhere. You will soon have a lovely view of the area when you leave the forest, and in 200 m, the paved road begins and you will enter into the village Grđani. Continue along the small downhill section to the bridge on the road, and then to the 1st grade uphill section to point  4 . At the 7 km mark, there is an intersection with the main road to the right from Ključić Brdo. If you wish to continue to the right to Ključić Brdo and head down the road towards Velika Buna, on the left hand side of the road you will see the turnoff for the Grđan fish farm. At point  4  our route turns to the left at the crucifix another 200 m to the Ključić Brdo restaurant and excursion area. We propose a short break and refreshment in the pleasant atmosphere of the vast meadows surrounding the excursion area or on the restaurant terrace. The small zoo of farm animals will certainly be interesting to children, also an artificial climbing rock suitable for children.

After a rest, continue riding, and 300 m from the excursion area the gravel road begins again, and another 500 m down the road you will begin a steep climb up the gravel road, which is quite unpleasant, so bear down and ride hard or get off your bicycle and enjoy the views of the vineyards and traditional scarecrows to your left. At the top of the climb on the right is a lovely view that stretches all the way to Zagreb, and the route continues to the left at the intersection along the gravel road and heads downhill for about 700 m alongside lovely weekend homes, right alongside the crucifix all the way to Rasteg street and point  5  where the paved road Šiljakovina – Kozjača begins again. This intersection has poor visibility so take caution while joining traffic. Here turn left uphill in the direction of Kozjača. From here ride along the main road about 1.5 km to Kozjača, you will pass by the two crucifixes along the road, do not turn off onto gravel but continue riding straight along the paved road to the chapel of Saint Michael at the intersection in Kozjača  6 . At the intersection with Kozjačka Street, turn right next to the chapel. There is a tavern suitable for a rest in Kozjača. Soon after turning, at the 11 km mark of the route, the gravel road begins, and 500m further on, after a short climb, there is a small viewing point on the left hand side next to the weekend house called "Vila trešnjin cvijet" (Cherry blossom villa). Continue straight along the gravel road and at the 11.7 km mark, head right up the steep slope to the most beautiful viewpoint in the Vukomeričke gorice area – Kozjača. The view is fantastic, stretching all the way from Petrova gora in the south to Zagreb and Medvednica in the northwest. You can also see the tower of the parish church in Dubranec. Upon returning to the gravel road towards Novo Brdo, it is necessary to take special caution not to miss the right turnoff for the village Nestići and point  7 . This intersection comes after only 500 m of riding from the highest point Kozjača. Turn right here, and the gravel road begins to head gently downhill into Nestići. Part of this route passes through the forest. Upon leaving the forest, enjoy the view of the valley between Čakanec and Novo Brdo.

At the 13.4 km mark of the route, you will again be on a paved road in Nestići. Pass through Nestići and the road takes you on a gentle downhill section to the Y intersection, where the road straight ahead continues for Čakanec, and our route turns left towards Gornji Hruševec. Cross the bridge on the road, and prepare for a steep, about 1 km long climb. At point  8  a gravel road approaches from the side, and the sign shows Opatija to the right. Continue riding straight along the paved road towards Gornji Hruševec. Do not turn onto any of the gravel roads to the left or right, just keep riding straight to point  9  at the 16.2 km mark of the route and the intersection with the main road Kravarsko – Opatija – Pokupsko. At the intersection with the crucifix, cautiously cross the main road and turn left off the main road for the village of Godinići. Only 800 m further on after Godinići, you will reach a Y intersection where the road to the right leads for the village Kostadini, here continue riding straight along the gravel road. For the remainder of the route, you will be riding through lovely and gentle landscapes, ideal for biking. Do not turn off, just keep riding straight on towards the point Kalište on the map. About 700 m before point 10 is a heavily damaged part of the road, where there can be much mud during the rain. This section is not pleasant for riding, it can be very bumpy and you will need to hold onto the handlebars tight and steer the bicycle. Turn right at the intersection at point 10 at the 19.5 km mark of the route. The left turn would take you to the paved road Kravarsko – Hotnja. The gravel road heads slightly downhill, so take caution due to the possibility of loose gravel on the road. After 1 km, you are back on the paved road which leads through the hamlets Vranošići, Šaše, Skrbini and Jelekovci – these villages all belong to the larger settlement of Strezojevo. Here the road begins a long descent, take caution for you are entering the village Vranošići. To the left of the road are two artificial lakes, and the landscapes are truly idyllic. The windy roads and meadows are filled with colourful meadow owers. In the winter months, the rolling hills are covered in snow criss-crossed with windy roads. The well preserved wooden houses give a feeling of times past. At the 21.5 km mark of the route, a steep but short climb begins up to the crucifix on the right hand side of the road. At this intersection, continue along the paved road to the left. Take a break and turn around. The view of the windy road and the artificial lakes and scattered hamlets and villages of this area is truly fantastic. Continue following the windy, paved road, but take caution as there are several steep and windy climbs and descents. In the village Skrbini, the green and red routes on map 8 join up for a short stretch.

At the intersection at point 11 turn left and continue along the paved road. The road heads downhill, followed by a steep climb to the village Jelekovci, and then climb some more to point 12 which is the intersection with the main road. Here turn left towards Donji Hruševec. At point 13, even though you could continue straight along the road for Donji Hruševec and Kravarsko, in order to show you just a little more of the idyllic and beautiful landscapes of Vukomeričke gorice and the Kravarsko and Pokupsko regions, we will take you through the village of Donji Hruševec. At the intersection at the 24 km mark, turn right in the direction of Gromići and Donje Selo. Here you will begin a long downhill section, a reward for all the steep hills climbed up to this point. Stop pedalling, give in to the slope and enjoy the landscape and views. On your left you will see the white Chapel of St. John on the hill across the road, you will pass by here later. At the intersection by point 14 which you will arrive at right after the steep descent, slow down as just before the descent into Donje Selo you will have to make a sharp left turn towards Bradići. Here a steep descent begins. Cross the bridge and begin the steep climb in the idyllic landscape. At the top of the climb, you will arrive at an intersection where the road to the right leads to Bradići, here turn left towards Brijeg. You will pass by the football eld on the right hand side, and begin a constant climb all the way to Donji Hruševac and the intersection with the main road at point 15. As you climb, you will pass by the cemetery on your right and up above the cemetery by the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in Brijeg on your left, built in place of beautiful original wooden chapel. There are benches next to the chapel, so take a break if you’re tired and enjoy another view of the landscape. Here we continue to the right uphill along the main road towards point 15. At the intersection with the store on the right hand side of the road and the nicely maintained social hall on the hill on the left hand side of the road, take another right turn and you will again be on the main road for Kravarsko. At point 15 turn right towards Kravarsko, which you will reach after 6 km of riding on an ondulating road. This route is short but full of climbs, so good physical condition is required. A good training route and preparation for a new excursion throughout the idyllic landscape of the broader Velika Gorica area.

Technical description of the route

Cultural-historical, ethnology and natural points of interest:

Service information

Author: Lidija Mišćin
Published: October 2005.

If you notice any changes on route, which are not introduce in route description, please inform us about changes on email: rigo@pedala.hr