A poem says that when God finished creating the Earth, he saw a humble man asking for a piece of land, a small creek, and some vines, that's all he needed. Then God saw the man was honest and humble and said: “There is a land I kept for myself, the most beautiful land there is. I can see your heart and I won’t regret it. The land is easy to find, between Drava and Mura, there you will find home.”
The poem isn’t far from the truth and many travellers and tourists can vouch for it. Međimurje lies between the two rivers, the Drava (Drau) and Mura (Mur). On the other side are the first gentle slopes of the Alps, however mellow. There has been only one heart of Međimurje and that is Čakovec, but recently two new heartbeats can be found within the youngest towns of Prelog and Mursko Središće. Wherever you go, Međimurje will take your breath away.
From the North Međimurje borders with Hungary and Slovenia over the Mura, from the south, with Varaždin County with the Drava River, and on the west with vast vineyards and forests of Slovenia. A triangle of sorts that offers endless possibilities.
With everything being within reach and in reasonable mileage, Međimurje is perfect for a destination based cycling tourism. You pick your starting point and you can’t go wrong. Whether you start in Čakovec, the spa of Sveti Martin or Mursko Središće or along the banks of Drava and Prelog rivers you will eventually discover many secrets and gems hidden all across the County. The beauty of Međimurje is that you can cycle almost the whole length of it in a few hundred kilometres. However if you decide to go for a longer run, you can explore Međimurje for days and discover new things every time
You can cycle all year round except in the heart of winter, though, when the roads are clear there’s nothing more beautiful than the sound of rubber and crisp air in your lungs with the beauty of Međimurje in your sights. From the west, the hills of upper Međimurje call climbers, from east the fertile fields and lush forests call the endurance riders and explorers.
The highest point is roughly 350m above sea level with climbs of up to 200 vertical metres that will give pleasure to seasoned climbers and challenge those less experienced. The hills of upper Međimurje offer spectacular sights and you can see as far as Ludbreg and Varaždin with Ivančica mountain at its back and on the other side all the way towards Maribor and Pohorje on a bright day.
There’s nothing more rewarding than a beautiful view after a long steep climb!
The farmlands and fields of the east, lower Međimurje offer many gravel farm routes, forest trails and routes along the Mura or the Drava. Two lakes on the Drava River are biggest artificial lakes in Croatia. Get lost in the woods, explore the meanders of Mura and the Amazonian-like forest of Mura – Drava Park.
Bike shops and services can be found in all towns and villages throughout Međimurje and the accommodation is Bike Friendly. Wherever you go, you will come back with a heart full of experience and memories.
