Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

Marija Bistrica's tourist office is at Zagrebac bb (tel. 049/468-380; www.info-marija-bistrica.hr). Hours are 7am to 3pm Tuesday through Friday; and in summer, 8am to 2pm Saturday and Sunday. The office can provide brochures, maps, and information on nearby accommodations. However, you might have to secure a room outside the center or in a farmhouse if any large tours are in town, and to reach them, you'll probably need a car. Try Zagorje Tourist Agency at Zagrebacka 88 (tel. 049/301-580) for that. The Kumrovec Tourist Board is at Cesta Lijepe Nasa 6A (tel. 049/502-044; www.kumrovec.hr). You can also try the Krapina-Zagorje County Tourist Board at Zagrebacka 2 (tel. 049/233-653).

Getting There

You can see all three of the above sites in a day if you are driving or taking a guided excursion, but it will take longer if you are using public transport, which is available from Zagreb and other parts of Croatia. Several public buses per day serve Marija Bistrica from Zagreb, and two per day run to Kumrovec. To get to Veliki Tabor, however, you'll have to take one of eight buses to Desinic and walk almost 3.2km (2 miles) to the castle from the bus stop.

Getting Around

Once you reach your destination, walking or biking are the only ways to explore this area. You can drive up to Veliki Tabor, but you must park outside the limits of Staro Selo and explore the village on foot.