November 29, 2020 - Continuing our tour of Croatia's most unusual town, the latest episode of One Minute Ludbreg takes us inside Batthyany Castle.

One of the things I love most about exploring Croatia is that the unexpected is around almost every corner. I have lost count of the number of times I have entered a building and been blown away by the unexpected discoveries inside. 

One building where that is definitely the case is Batthyany Castle in Ludbreg, easily the most impressive and important building in the town. Most visitors only see the castle, which dates back to 1320, from the outside. This is a pity, as the inside is even more exquisite, as you can see from the latest in the TCN series, One Minute Ludbreg. 

If you thought that Croatian administrative buildings were all stuffy relics of the socialist past, take a tour of the office of Ludbreg Mayor, Dubravko Bilic, surely the most beautiful office in all Croatia? 

And what a location! Right next door to the chapel which saw the only certified miracle in all of Croatia, back in 1411. 

Still looking for more? Check out the magic being done on a daily basis at the Ludbreg Restoration Centre. 

One castle, many treasures. See more in the video below, and below that, the other videos in the One Minute Ludbreg series.  

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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November 2, 2020 - One of the more curious claims coming out of continental Croatia is that it is home to the centre of the world. Learn more in the latest episode of One Minute Ludbreg.

Ask the average Croatian how much he knows about the town of Ludbreg, and the first thing that usually comes out is that it is the town which is the centre of the world. 

Ask why Ludbreg makes this unusual claim, and things are a little less clear. 

I had actually never heard of the town when I was first invited to visit back in 2016 by the regional tourist board director of Varazdin County Tourist Board. And what I found was a very unusual little place, which I subsequently called Ludbreg, the Most Fascinating, Unusual Little Town in Croatia?

So why is it claiming to be the centre of the world, and where exactly is the spot?

For that, you have to go to the centre of some concentric circles on the main square, check out the nearby fountain which dispenses wine once a year, learn about the legend of the beautiful Ludberga, whose struggles with Satan created the island of Antipodes on the other side of the world, and a man from Switzerland with a chart divider and love of Ludbreg.  

Put all that together and you will better understand why Ludbreg is the centre of the world. Lern more in the latest in our series of One Minute Ludbreg videos below, as well as the rest of the videos published so far below that. 

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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October 15, 2020 - Continuing our tour of Croatia's miracle town in the TCN One Minute Ludbreg series, a visit to one of the quietest but also liveliest parts of town - Otok Mladosti, the Island of Youth. 

Ludbreg is a town like no other I have come across in Croatia.

On the surface, it looks like a regular, unremarkable town, but it does not take long to discover that things are a little different there. 

Its more famous claim, of course, is that it is the centre of the world, and you can visit the very centre on the main square. But just 30 metres from the centre is the Eucharistic Miracle of Ludbreg, the only certified miracle in all Croatia. Cross the street towards Batthyany Palace and you can visit the pretty chapel where the miracle took place, as well as wonder at the incredible work of the Ludbreg Restoration Centre, one of the most important restoration centres in this part of Europe. Wander along the road to a nearby park and find a church there, which was built in 1994 following a government promise made way back in 1738. And only used once a year, when 100,000 people come for the first weekend in September. 

Otok Mladosti, the Island of Youth, is also a little different. Located a short walk along the River Bednja to the south of the island, Otok Mladosti can be either the most tranquil place in Ludbreg, or the biggest party. 

It is in fact not an island, more a peninsula, but it offers idyllic nature with its woods and lake. A great place to come and fish, or simply get lost in the woods and its quiet, compelling nature. 

But Otok Mladosti also has a very different side, for it is a great place to party. Many events are held there each year, including the annual Crazy Island electronic music festival each year. The town recently got ownership of Otok Mladosti, and they have some great plans, so stay tuned... 

Check out Otok Mladosti in the latest in our series of One Minute Ludbreg videos below, as well as the rest of the videos published so far below that. 

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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October 1, 2020 - Continuing our tour of Croatia's miracle town in the TCN One Minute Ludbreg series, a visit to the Kezman winery and President of the Trsek Wine Association, Branko Kezman.

One of the joys of exploring the wineries of Croatia is that - in addition to the wines - you have the chance to share and experience the private dreams of individual winemakers. There are so many different approaches to wine making and wine presentation, even within the producers of the Ludbreg wine road. And if you are looking for a taste of authentic rustic living, then look no further than Branko Kezman in the pretty village of Slanje, a short drive to the west of Ludbreg. 

The Kezman family winery was founded back in 1995, and today it produces 10 - 12,000 bottles a year. As with the rest of the region, the focus is very much on white wines, and there is an impressive selection to choose from -  graševina, rajnski rizling, bijeli pinot, sivi pinot, silvanac zeleni, manzzoni, muškat and chardonnay. The winery has enjoyed considerable success with numerous awards in regional and national competitions.

The Kezman tasting takes place in a quaint traditional wooden house built by owner Branko Kezman. It is a divine spot and is available for overnight rent. If you are looking for a peaceful escape in traditional Zagorje nature, especially after an excellent wine tasting, this is pretty hard to beat. The house is directly opposite the winery.

Not content to just produce his own wines, Branko Kezman is also the President of Trsek, the Ludbreg Wine Association, which was formed back in 2010 with the aim of promoting the Ludbreg wine story. Among his most important duties is organising and presiding over the annual Young Wines Exhibition in Ludbreg. Now in its 30th year, the event is the largest international exhibition of young wines in Croatia today. 

Learn more about Branko Keman and his winery in the latest episode of our One Minute Ludbreg series, below, then check out the other videos in the series.

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

September 24, 2020 - Holy Sunday in Ludbreg took place early this month, a pilgrimage which usually attracts 100,000 visitors over the first weekend of September. 2020 was a little different. 

One of the challenges in Croatia is this most challenging of years has been how to strike a balance between social distancing and the upholding of religious tradtions which date back centuries. I was fortunate to be one of the few witnesses of the 500-year-old Za Krizen (Behing the Cross) procession that took place on the island of Hvar on Maundy Thursday, back in April. Permission for the procession to go ahead, even with each of the 6 processions reduced to 15 people, was a hotly debated national discussion. With lockdown all over the country, this was possibly the only event to take place that month in the whole country. 

Religious traditions are a crucial part of the Croatian soul, and there are several annual events which routiinely attract tens of thousands of pilgrims, if not more. All have been much reduced this year due to the virus, and I was curious to see how things looked in practice. 

One of the biggest is Holy Sunday in Ludbreg, which takes place on the first weekend of September each year. Pilgrims gather to commemorate which is actually Croatia's only certified miracle, the Eucharistic Miracles of Ludbreg, back in 1411, which was authenticated by Papal Bull in 1513 by Pope Leo X. You can learn more about it here.

While the Varazdin Diocese decided that the event would go ahead, local Ludbreg authoroties decided to downplay the ancillary events, and the usual concerts and exhibitions were put on hold for a brighter 2021.

While not as busy as previous years, several thousand did show up to attend Holy Mass in the park in front of the Sanctuary of the Special Blood of Christ, before enjoying the rest of the festivities around Ludbreg. 

Ludbreg has yet to record a single case of coronavirus, and the miracle town remains COVID-19-free after its special weekend - a miracle in itself in these crazy times? 

Check out Holy Sunday in Ludbreg 2020 v 2019 in the latest One Minute Ludbreg video below. 

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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September 21, 2020 - Continuing our tour of Croatia's miracle town in the TCN One Minute Ludbreg series, a visit to the Marko Makar winery for strawberries and sparkling wine overlooking the rolling hills towards Hungary.

In addition to the unique flavours of its reported 130 indigenous wine varieties, one of the key factors which gives the Croatian wine scene such personality is the sheer diversity and determination of its hundreds of private winemakers to realise their own dreams of producing excellent wines according to their vision. With so many different personalities and grape varieties to play with, the results for the wine tourist are spectacular, and one can enjoy several totally different tasting experiences at wineries which are very close to each other. 

Such is the case on the Ludbreg Wine Road in Varazdin County, which exists solely due to the passion and dedication of a few private individual winemakers who have come together to promote their wines and the Ludbreg wine region. Among them is Marko Makar, who is quietly expanding his business beyond wine and into tourism. 

His winery, located 1.5 km south-east of the town, is a delightful combination of excellent young wines and fabulous views of the rolling hills typical of the region, and the view extends into neighbouring Hungary. 

Not content to stop at wine production, Makar is also building a holiday home with swimming pool to add to his offer.  

A very relaxed place, and if you come at the right time of year, you can check out his ultimate hedonistic combination, strawberries and his sparking wine, Nika, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

Learn more about Marko Makar and his winery in the latest episode of our One Minute Ludbreg series, below, then check out the other videos in the series.

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

September 11, 2020 - Continuing our tour of Croatia's miracle town in the TCN One Minute Ludbreg series, a visit to the Batthyany Palace chapel where the Eucharistic Miracle of Ludbreg took place in 1411.

One of the most fascinating things about travelling around Croatia is discovering what lies behind the doors of buildings. I first started to notice this in Diocletian's Palace many years ago. So many seemingly similar and innocuous-looking doors, which were actually guarding secrets to historical treasures, stunning buildings and unique attractions. Never has the phrase 'never judge a book by its cover' been so true. 

Over the years, I have lost count of the number of times I have passed through a door in Croatia and literally had my breath taking away by what I saw on the other side. 

It happened to me also in the town of Ludbreg on my first tour with the local tourist board back in 2016. The walk around the three buildings which comprise the town's most impressive attraction - Batthyany Palace - was very pleasant, and the buildings themselves were magnificent, but I had no concept of the magic that awaited me inside when we entered the Church of the Holy Cross, which was the former private chapel of Count Batthyany. 

The frescoes which adorned the walls and ceiling were stunning, but that was only the start of the story. For here, it was explained to me, was the place where something rather special happened way back in 1411 - the Eucharistic Miracle of Ludbreg, which remains today as the only miracle in all Croatia that has been officially certified by the Vatican after a Papal Bull issued by Pope Leo X in 1513 (a copy of which you can see in the small museum at the back of the church). Learn more about this most picturesque chapel in Batthyany Palace in our latest episode of One Minute Ludbreg below, and to learn more of the story of the miracle, check out the TCN article here.  

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

August 31, 2020 - Continuing our journey through the town of Ludbreg by video, meet the winemakers of the Ludbreg Wine Road, starting with the Strucic Winery. 

Wine tasting in Croatia is an eclectic experience. There are tastings underwater, in caves, in huge ancient cellars, and in modern industrialised complexes. 

For me, however, the thing that brings out the true personality of Croatia's incredible and diverse wine offer is the tasting experience offered by the small family grower. 

There are so many of them all over the country, producing anything from 10 - 50,000 bottles a year, each with their own style, passion and approach. Visiting these small growers is never dull, and each tasting produces its own memories. 

Some are getting more organised than others, offering proper tasting facilities, refreshments to compliment the wines, even accommodation. 

One such producer which is a very popular stop on the Ludbreg Wine Road is the Strucic Winery, where second-generation growers, Sanja and Tomislav Strucic, have carved out a nice little business through their combined hard work over the years, as well as a very pleasant tasting experience on their terrace overlooking the golden vineyards around them. 

Producers of the first sparkling wine in Ludbreg, their annual production is about 25,000 bottles a year, with main products coming from Chardonnay, Grasevina, Sauvignon and Portugiesac. 

Take a tour of the Strucic Winery in our latest One Minute Ludbreg video below - and then check out some of the other wonders of Croatia's only certified miracle town in the videos which follow. 

You can follow Vinarija Strucic on Facebook. 

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

August 25, 2020 - While more than a million religious tourists flock to Medjugorje each year, no miracle has been authenticated there by The Vatican. Unlike in Ludbreg - meet the only authenticated miracle in Croatia. 

When I first went to Ludbreg, a small town in northern Croatia in Varazdin County back in 2016, the only thing I knew about it was its claim to be the centre of the world, and I took the obligatory selfie on the circle which marked the spot on the main square. 

I really hadn't expected to find anything else of special interest in the town, but I could not have been more wrong. For the secrets of Ludbreg are really quite unique. 

"We also have the Eucharistic Miracle of Ludbreg," explained my guide, as we entered the main church. "You can see it there on display in the chalice."

Wait, what? A real, bona fide Vatican-authenticaled miracle on display during Mass, while a million religious tourists head to Medjugorje each year to visit a destination which has not been authenticated by The Vatican. 

And, as I did my research, I realised that this was indeed the ONLY authenticated miracle in all Croatia. And one with quite a story, beginning with a doubting priest in one of Croatia's most picturesque chapels in 1411, and ending in 1994, just 26 years ago when the Croatian Government came good on a promise made way back in 1738. 

In the latest on our video series, One Minute Ludbreg, learn the story of the only miracle in Croatia recognised by the Vatican, and the three churches who play such a pivotal role. 

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled. 

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

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August 22, 2020 - Although Croatia is a well-known wine-producing region, not every region has its own wine road. Meet one which has, the Ludbreg Wine Road. 

It is the land of 130 indigenous grape varieties and the birthplace of the original Zinfandel, whose unique wine offer is attracting more and more international attention. 

And yet not every wine-producing region in Croatia has its own wine road. Dalmatia, arguably the most famous Croatian wine region of all (although Istrians may dispute this) does not have an organised wine road that tourists can use to find the finest Plavac Mali or Posip. 

One small wine-producing region tucked away in northern Croatia has got itself organised, however, one more example of excellence in the unusual town of Ludbreg, which is better known in Croatia for its claim to fame as the Centre of the World. 

The Ludbreg Wine Road has been in existence since 2010 and this year celebrated its 10th anniversary. Local producers have come together to form the Association Trsek, whose mission is the promotion of the region's wines. 

All the wine producers and restaurants on the Ludbreg Wine Road are in close proximity, and each offers a different tasting experience of the local grape varieties. 

Although perhaps not the best known of wine roads in Croatia, Ludbreg plays an important role in the Croatian wine story. It has been the host to the biggest international wine festival in Croatia for young wines for almost 30 years, and its vineyards have been guarded by the world's largest statue of the Protect of Vineyards, St Vincent - or Sveti Vinko as he is known in Croatian. 

Take a tour of the Ludbreg Wine Road in our latest episode of One Minute Ludbreg, before continuing your tour of this fascinating little town in the other videos in the series published so far. 

The One Minute Ludbreg video series is a project in paid partnership with the Ludbreg Tourist Board.

To learn more about Ludbreg beyond its stereotype as the centre of the world, read Marc Rowlands' Ludbreg, the Croatian Road Less Travelled.