May 12, 2021 – From canoeing and kayaking on the Bednja to cycling and hiking through the forests and foothills of the Kalnik Mountains, Active Ludbreg is the best way to see the countryside in this particular part of Varaždin County.

The pretty town of Ludbreg is used to hosting visitors. Site of the only Vatican-recognised miracle in the Balkans, in regular years Ludbreg usually welcomes more than a million followers of faith. However, many come just for the day.

Pilgrimage is certainly one good way to see a specific side to Ludbreg. But, there are several different facets to this charming little town. And, there are good reasons to stay for a couple of days or so. Not least, Ludbreg's active options - canoeing, kayaking, cycling, hiking, walking.

Ludbreg's Youth Island (Otok Mladosti) - the perfect place for walking and recreation - is fully accessible to all, including wheelchair users © Ludbreg Town

Active Ludbreg is a great way you can better experience what the town has to offer. You'll see so much more of the countryside that surrounds. When you take on Active Ludbreg, each day can be different. Active Ludbreg options are the perfect reason for you to stick around for more than just a day.

Active Ludbreg: Cycling

Cyclists taking on the routes of Ludbreg during 2021 Welcome Spring event @ Terca Art / Grad Ludbreg / TZ Ludbreg.

A diverse scenery of forests, fields, hills, flat plains and river valleys will fill your eyes as you cycle around Ludbreg. Furthermore, there are several Active Ludbreg cycle routes to suit your mood, group or ability. With the family, you can leisurely tour all the sights of the town on the traffic-free City Route. Heading out of town and into the countryside, the Trekking Route gives a fuller picture of Ludbreg greenery. It won't make much of a demand on you.

Cyclists taking on the routes of Ludbreg during 2021 Welcome Spring event @ Terca Art / Grad Ludbreg / TZ Ludbreg.

Stepping up a gear, the Gravel Route is aimed at recreational riders who like to keep fit and get off-road. Perfect for mountain bikes, the rises on the route will open up some great scenery as well as challenging your legs. Lastly, the Road Route offers a physical challenge for serious cycling enthusiasts. Good for speed cyclists and racers, the higher gradients here demand at times you fully exert yourself on the asphalt.

Cyclists taking on the routes of Ludbreg during 2021 Welcome Spring event @ Terca Art / Grad Ludbreg / TZ Ludbreg.

Additionally, Ludbreg is located on several recognised international cycling routes. the cross-border Happy Bike route will take you across the Hungarian border, as does the Mura-Drava route. Ludbreg is also very close to the Croatian section of the EuroVelo 13 route. This epic 9,950 km cycling tour retraces the old 'Iron Curtain', from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. Why not stop off in Ludbreg if you're taking on part of this challenge?

If you want to learn more about the cycling routes of Active Ludbreg, then look here.

Active Ludbreg: Hiking and Walking

Winter 2021 trip into the nearby Kalnik mountains by Mountaineering Association Ludbreg @ Planinarsko društvo Ludbreg.

Forming a partial natural border between Varaždin County and Koprivnica-Križevci County, the northern edge of the Kalnik Mountains gently stretches down to Ludbreg in the form of wood and forest-covered hills. This beautiful and fresh landscape is perfect for walkers, hikers and runners.

The good people of Mountaineering Association Ludbreg in the forest-covered foothills of the Kalnik Mountains near Ludbreg @ Planinarsko društvo Ludbreg.

Active Ludbreg's Crazy Hill Green Trail is an untaxing 10-kilometre route through the fresh and peaceful wooded hills south of the town. You can take this on as a run or simply just a pleasant two-hour walk. At 16 kilometres in length, the Crazy Hill Blue Trail passes through a similar topography. Again, it is not demanding and so can also be walked. The payoff of taking on the trail's final rise is a beautiful view of the woods stretching all the way into the Kalnik mountains. Want to make a day of it or give yourself a serious challenge? Ludbreg's Crazy Hill Red Trail throws down the gauntlet in the form of a 34-kilometre route for the physically fit.

Winter 2021 trip into the nearby Kalnik mountains by Mountaineering Association Ludbreg @ Planinarsko društvo Ludbreg.

Of course, not all of the footfall through Ludbreg needs to be physically exerting. You can take most routes at whatever pace you like, including the 23-kilometre Kalnik Hiking Trail. And, for a more recreational time in the fresh air, a trip around Ludbreg's Youth Island (Otok Mladosti) is immediately accessible, including wheelchair users.

If you want to learn more about the hiking and walking routes of Active Ludbreg, then look here.

Active Ludbreg: Kayaking and canoeing

Canoe and kayak on the Bednja in Ludbreg @ Nikolina Breber

The latest offer of Active Ludbreg is kayaking and canoeing on the Bednja river. Starting its journey way to the west, near the Slovenian border, in truth, the Bednja has already run 100 kilometres by the time it reaches Ludbreg. In spring and autumn particularly (but, sometimes also in summer), the water level is high enough for you to take a canoe or kayak down the river's final run towards the Drava river. Here, you get to see wild nature up close. On the river banks, low bushes overhang the water's edge. Behind them, an avenue of shading trees along the river's length.

Canoe and kayak on the Bednja in Ludbreg @ Nikolina Breber

Continuing her look at the officially recognised cultural heritage of Croatia on March 13, 2017, Filipa Marusic takes a deeper look at the fascinating story of the Bednja language or dialect, which is to be found around magnificient Trakoscan Castle in rural Varazdin County.