Entering Croatia from the North, you will find Hrvatsko Zagorje, which, because of the gentle and soft curves of its hills, is also known as "tame" Zagorje. There you will find some medieval and Renaissance fortresses and numerous Baroque castles connected by a dense network of roads, so that they can be seen on a romantic round-trip.

The most famous Renaissance fortress and palace, VELIKI TABOR, was built in the beginning of the 16th century for the noble Ratkaj family. The vast pentagonal tower in the center served as the living quarters (palas),and is encircled by an oval space enclosed by walls supporting arcade porches on two levels and by five strong semi-circular Renaissance towers accentuated with consoles at the top.

The recently renovated grand Renaissance fortress of VARAZDIN has two courtyards also encircled with arcade porches which connect the living quarters (now a well-stocked museum) with round towers from the 16th century, and with an older strong Gothic prismatic fortress (14th century) overlooking the entrance. The earthen dams and ditches surrounding the fortress have been preserved to the present day. Once they were filled with water as moats, serving as the defense against attackers.

Here we present several Baroque castles from the Zagorje region in order to show each one's individual character.

MARUSEVEC was originally built as a Baroque castle near Varazdin, but was completely rebuilt in the 19th century. The castle is a good example of historicism, an architectural movement from the 19th century which imitated the architectural styles of the past periods and even mixed them together within the same building. The castle brings together southern and northern European forms with the Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements. The result is a creative and picturesque whole. The castle is surrounded by a large garden with a pond.

ZAJEZDA, a castle near Zlatar, is a good example of a three-winged Baroque castle. It was built in the styrian architectural style for the Patacic family in 1740. The arcades on columns on both the ground and upper levels open up the living quarters towards the courtyard. On the fourth side of the castle is a wall with a playful baroque entrance portal. The castle features a large central hall with intricately decorated vaults and a lovely family chapel. It is surrounded by an extensive garden, which is typical of most castles of the period.

BISTRA is also a three-winged Baroque castle with accentuated corner pieces. An oval projection standing at the center exceeds the rest of the castle. Within is a wide oval hall luxuriously equipped and decorated with marvellous frescoes.

MILJANA is a harmonious little castle that was built in the 17th century, though its most valuable assets are the 18th century Rococo frescoes by A. Lerchinger which grace the walls of the castle's rooms. The paintings show landscapes and allegorical themes, such as the four elements and the four seasons, painted to illustrate the lives and customs of the highly developed nobility of the period. A good example is the fresco depicting a musician playing a horn and a group of aristocrats leisurely sitting on the grass and listening to the music.