Croatiablog: Zargoje

Saturday, after we returned from Istria, Eva took us to Zargoje, the mountainous area between Zagreb and Slovenia. First we went to a castle, Trakoscan, which Eva jokingly assured us would be open. The last castle we visited together had been converted to a golf resort. This one was perched high on a hill overlooking a lake where there is a floating restaurant. We stopped for a snack before making the climb.

The castle dates to the 13th C, but acquired its current form in the 16th C when it became the domain of the Draskovic family who were the proprietors into the 20th C. The interior of the castle, where no photos were allowed, largely reflects how it looked in the 19th C when the family still lived there.

After Trakoscan, we drove about 50 K's to a small town near Varazdin where there was a restaurant that is the favorite of one of the former Croatian presidents.

We found it, thanks to some excellent directions from an auto mechanic. The trouble was worth it. When we walked into Mala Hiza (small house) almost the first thing we saw was a pile of local mushrooms, which they turned into the best mushroom soup I have ever had. Then there was a salad made with greens fresh from their garden followed by trout almondine. It was one of the best meals of the trip.

After the late lunch we drove the 10 K or so into Varazdin, once the capital of Croatia during the Hapsburg period. According to the guide books it is Croatia's best preserved Hapsburg town. We walked around. It was too late to visit the castle, or anything else. The old part of the city certainly lives up to its reputation.