It is the same with people. Leaning on each other, pure in soul and mind, they enjoy a relaxed existence conforming to ancient customs that have unobtrusively shaped life in harmony with nature. Everything that the modern world has almost forgotten, still lives in Štrigova and its surroundings.

It is a piece of paradise, they say. It is where golden-green hills are adorned with vineyards bearing fruit to a divine drink, where forests purify the air, where hidden dirt roads strengthen the body, and valleys are warmed by family homes. Štrigova is where the land and the sky meet. It is where everyone feels at home, and home is the place you return to over and over again.


Numbers and facts

Štrigova is situated by the border with Slovenia, in Međimurje, northern Croatia, at an altitude of 202 meters. Intriguing legends from the past lie behind the official data that we have today about life in Štrigova Municipality. They tell a story of a medieval town on Štrigovčak hill, whose disappearance is shrouded in mystery. There are two theories: one is that the fortress of the town was destroyed during the Ottoman wars, and the other suggests that the fire engulfed the building as a "punishment from God" due to Counts’ of Celje arrogance.

What we know as a fact is that the Municipality of Štrigova covers an area of 44.79 square kilometers, with altogether ten settlements. Banfi, Grabrovnik, Jalšovec, Leskovec, Prekopa, Robadje, Stanetinec, Sveti Urban, Štrigova and Železna Gora have almost three thousand inhabitants all together. They offer a peaceful and desirable place to live, only 19 kilometers away from Čakovec. And no, these villages are not only places to rest, but rather colorful areas shaped by agricultural and viticultural activities, tourism and hospitality, religious and musical programs. Features of the villages and community are registered in the State Archive for Međimurje, which is based in Štrigova, in a building dating back to 1912.

The center of religious life is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the heart of Štrigova, built in the 17th century. Nearby you can see the Church of St. Jerome, built between 1739 and 1752 on the foundations of a basilica from the early Christian times. The church is a zero-category cultural monument and it contains priceless frescoes by the Baroque painter Ivan Ranger. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia has been examining the interior of the church since 2010. The complex of the former Pauline monastery is in its immediate vicinity

It is believed that the first vines were planted by the ancient Romans on the hills of the Štrigova area. Therefore, the trademark of the area today is the Međimurje Wine Road - the best original tourist product of continental Croatia in 2007. There are dozens of winemakers along the Road who offer the very best of their vineyards. About thirty tasting rooms and wine cellars, beautifully blended in the scenery of the hilly part of Međimurje, are visited daily by numerous tourists from the country and abroad, both for private and professional gatherings.