The Staro Selo Ethnological Open-Air Museum in Kumrovec comprises around 40 restored traditional buildings. These include the birthplace of Josip Broz Tito. Permanent exhibitions focus on village life in Zagorje and various crafts. This puts a specific question at the heart of a cultural visit: how are everyday life, celebrations and work reflected in the houses and exhibitions?
Village Life and Traditional Crafts
Exhibition topics include weddings, blacksmithing, wheelwrighting, pottery and bread baking. The selection ranges from a communal occasion to trades and activities of everyday life. Together, these topics offer several perspectives on village life during a museum visit, rather than limiting it to the architecture of the restored buildings.
The educational program complements the exhibitions with workshops, including an exploratory tour using a map of traditional crafts, hands-on pottery and activities related to Zagorje wine and viticulture. You can choose between a tour, learning about a craft and the topic of viticulture. Dates for individual workshops may vary; check them before making plans.
Culture and Landscape in the Wider Destination of Općina Kumrovec
In the wider destination of Općina Kumrovec, the Staro Selo Museum presents the traditional way of life in Hrvatsko Zagorje in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The restored birthplace of Josip Broz Tito houses an ethnographic and historical exhibition. The Old School features a reconstructed former classroom and teachers’ apartment. An audio guide for the museum is available in Croatian, Slovenian, English and German.
From April 1 to October 30, presentations and demonstrations of traditional crafts take place at the museum. Seasonal demonstrations, arranged by prior reservation, include shaping vessels on a foot-powered pottery wheel and making traditional wooden toys, pipes and gingerbread hearts. If you would like to plan your visit around one of these demonstrations, check the dates and whether advance reservations are required.
Another cultural point of interest in the wider destination of Općina Kumrovec is the monument to the Croatian national anthem, “Lijepa naša.” It stands at the entrance to the municipality of Kumrovec, on the Klanjec–Kumrovec road, in the protected significant landscape area of Zelenjak and near the ruins of Cesargrad and the Chapel of Majke Božje Risvičke. The Braća Hrvatskog Zmaja fraternity erected the monument on the anthem’s 100th anniversary, in honor of its author, Antun Mihanović. It is 13.2 meters high and was unveiled on November 24, 1935. A commemorative plaque bears the anthem’s opening verses, alongside a relief of Mihanović.
The chapels also mark distinct historical periods. The Chapel of Majke Božje Risvičke was first mentioned in 1639; only the statue of the Virgin Mary remains from its original furnishings. The Chapel of Svetog Roka on the hill of Kumrovec was first mentioned in 1686. Together with the monument and museum buildings, this part of Općina Kumrovec offers different ways to explore cultural history: through buildings, memorial sites and exhibitions.
The landscape of the wider destination of Općina Kumrovec includes the significant landscape area of Zelenjak, with Cesarska Gora, Risvička Gora and the Sutla River. The Sutla also forms the border with Slovenia and is part of the Natura 2000 network as an important river for protecting endangered fish and mussel species. At the start of the Zelenjak treetop walkway, there is a lifting platform for people with reduced mobility and people with disabilities. Text on the information boards is also available in Braille for blind and visually impaired visitors. A birdwatching platform shaped like a bird’s nest and swings are among the other features of the walkway mentioned here.
For an overview of the wider destination, see: Općina Kumrovec.
