Duration: 5 days
Transportation: bicycle
Suggested age: from 16
Suggested period: from May to September
Route: Međimurje – Zalakaros

Međimurje is perfect for cycling. The region is relatively small, so depending on one’s physical condition, different cycling routes can be combined in just one day ranging from more demanding hilly ones to some downland roads. Bicycle routes are divided and marked into two basic categories – recreational and mountain.  Some of the routes are EuroVelo 13 (Iron Curtain, Pušipelova full, R2 Murska, Panoramska bike route).

Day 1  ČAKOVEC/ŠTRIGOVA/MAĐERKA HILL/ŽABNIK

  • Check-in until 10:00 a.m. in one of the accommodation facilities in the area of the City of Čakovec.
  • Transfer by bus or car to Štrigova.
  • Arrival in Štrigova, tour of the Church of Saint Jerome, which is recognizable by its two bell towers and frescoes by the Baroque painter Ivan Ranger. Visit to the World Pušipel Center in The House of Culture Štrigova. Ride to Mađerka Hill on e-bikes.
  • Bicycle route: Štrigova – Mađerka Hill– Žabnik – Čakovec, return to Čakovec in the late afternoon. The goal of this route for cyclist traveling from Čakovec is to get to know and explore the northwestern part of Međimurje County.
  • Route length: 40 km.
  • Visit Mađerka Hill and the Bike info center with lookout tower.
  • Wine tasting and lunch in one of the wine houses on the Međimurje Wine Road.
  • Drive to a small Međimurje village, the northernmost point in Croatia, Žabnik where there is a real historical attraction, The Mill on the Mura River, which still uses the mechanism from 1902. and the multimedia Ethnographic Collection „One day in the life of miller Franc Žalar“. Possibility of riding on a cable ferry across the Mura river.
  • Return to Čakovec by bicycle in the late afternoon, dinner and free time.

Day 2  ČAKOVEC/PRELOG/GORIČAN

  • Bicycle route: Čakovec – Prelog – Oporovec – Sveta Marija – Goričan – Čakovec, return to Čakovec in late afternoon. The goal of this route for cyclist traveling from Čakovec is to get to know and explore the southeastern part on Međimurje County.
  • Route length: 60 km.
  • Refreshment in Marina Prelog, the route climbs the dam along the accumulation lake HE Dubrava and descends from the dam and proceeds towards Oporovec. Visit to the nearby goat farm, and cheese production. Goat milk products tasting.
  • Possibility to go to Sveta Marija and visit the Saint Mary’s Lace Collection.
  • Short drive to Goričan, visiting Goričan tumul and return to Čakovec.
  • Afternoon rest in accommodation facilities, free time or visit to city swimming pools.

Day 3  ČAKOVEC/NAGYKANIZSA

  • Sightseeing tour of Čakovec.
  • Visit to the Old Town of Čakovec with the Museum of Međimurje. Short refreshments and brunch in one of the restaurants and visit to the Eco Museum Međimurje Malo in the Međimurje Palace of Tourism.
  • Check-out until 14:00, transfer to Hungary.

Zala County has favorable conditions for cycling lovers. The countryside is a combination of winding roads, climbing hillsides and descending valleys, providing an unforgettable experience for all cyclists, regardless of age.

  • Arrival and check-in in accommodation in Nagykanizsa or nearby.
  • After 16:00 sightseeing walk in Nagykanizsa, where one can see the historic city center, Elizabeth Square. Visit the most valuable monument of the settlement, the St. Joseph Parish Church, as well as the George Thury Museum, where one can view the permanent exhibition People, Roads, Relations (Millennials of South Zala).
  • Return to the accommodation, dinner, free time. Recommendation: enjoy Italian ice cream at Elizabeth Square.

Day 4   NAGYKANIZSA

  • Departure for the bike tour at 10:00 a.m.
  •  Route: Nagykanizsa (Boating Lake) -Nagyrécse-Galambok-Zalakaros-Zalaszabar-Zalakaros-Kisrécse-Nagykanizsa.
  • Length of the route: 60 km.
  • Aim of this cycling tour is to get to know one of the most beautiful parts of Zala County. Leaving the city, the road passes by Nagyrécse, where you have the opportunity to see the 18th century Neo-Romanesque church and the Inkey Castle. The next station is Galambok, with its special atmosphere of a fishing lake. Then comes Zalakaros, one of Hungary’s most popular spa towns, which has grown into a cyclist-friendly settlement in recent years. Thanks to its medicinal water in Zalakaros, the wide range of services based on it has made it well-known not only in Hungary but Europe wide. The beauty of the city lies in the diversity, and if you are already here, you should definitely visit the Zalakaros lookout tower, from where a fabulous panorama opens up, even in clear weather, to the Hungarian sea, the Lake Balaton.
  • Wine tasting and lunch at a wine estate in the region.
  • On the way back you can see the most famous international creative camp in the area, the Kendlimajor Academy of Arts in Kisrécse.
  • Return to Nagykanizsa in the late afternoon, dinner, then free time.

Day 5 – NAGYKANIZSA

  • Cycling route: Nagykanizsa (Boating lake) – Fityeház – Murakeresztúr – Semjénháza –Molnári – Nagykanizsa.
  • Length of the route: 45 km.
  • Departure at 10:00 a.m. The first station at Nagykanizsa – Boating Lake where you can visit the new Eco visitor center with the pump track.
  • The next station is Fityeház, located near the Mura, along the Principal Canal. A monument to the First and Second World War was erected on the main square of the village inhabited by Croats back in 1991, next to it is the monumental Pieta statue, which was made in a folk late Baroque style.
  • Murakeresztúr lies next to the Mura river, which is a Croatian-Hungarian border river. As an extra program, those who like water tours have the opportunity to take a view of the Mura river within an organized tour.
  • River channel Molnári is surrounded by forests, vineyards and streams, which lends a special atmosphere. There is a visitor center in the village where a local history exhibition and the wildlife of the Mura are presented.
  • Return to Nagykanizsa, check-out, lunch.
  • Afternoon program – optional, available after a short ride. Bathing at the Zalakaros Termal Spa, which is one of the most famous spas in Hungary. More information: www.zkf.hu
  • Departure.