Croatia's biggest street festival opens in style in Varazdin on August 18, 2017 - Spancirfest 2017 in pictures.
Meanwhile, away from the coast...
Where is the best family festival in Croatia?
The answer is very subjective of course, but do not make your final decision until you have visited the wonderful Spancirfest in Varazdin, Croatia's largest street festival, and one of the true gems of the Croatian tourism calendar for many years.
I was fortunate to be there for the opening night last year and, apart from falling flat in my face of the Croatian President, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, as I was trying to get a photo of her visiting the festival, it was an outstanding event. You can read about last year's opening here.
In truth, the festival and town made such a strong impression on me as a vibrant cultural and family-orientated destination that I decided that perhaps Varazdin was the next location for our family after 14 wonderful years on Hvar. Four months later, we arrived in temperatures of minus 10 just after Christmas, and we have never looked back. It is a wonderful region.
This year's festival opened last night - here are some official pictures taken by Foto Agencija Sjever, which captured the spirit of the opening day fabulously.
The festival lasts until August 27 - see the full programme here. If you are in Zagreb, you are just an hour away by car - a truly wonderful day out.
Enjoy the photos below and keep up with the latest from the festival on Facebook. Not sure how to get to Varazdin from Zagreb? Here's how.
