Mining underground and on educational trails
The Rudnik svete Barbare above Rude is one of Europe’s oldest copper and iron mines. On a guided tour with an expert, visitors can explore underground tunnels stretching 350 metres and dating back several centuries. Mining remains a focus in the surrounding area above ground, too: a 1.5-kilometre educational trail on mining and botany leads from Rude Primary School to Manja Vas. The guided mine tour and the trail have different focuses: one takes you underground, while the other combines themes of mining and botany.
The Poučna staza Otruševec is two kilometres long and has nine different stations. Walking at an easy pace, it takes about an hour and a half. Opened in 1990 as the first educational trail of its kind in Croatia, it was renovated in 2018. Its length, stations and duration make it a clearly defined nature and learning experience.
A cave and historic heights
Grgosova špilja lies at the entrance to Otruševec. It is about 30 metres long and 19 metres deep, rich in stalactites and stalagmites, and divided into two chambers. Because of its cave formations, it is designated a protected geomorphological natural monument. In Otruševec, an educational trail with stations and a cave with striking geological features offer different ways to discover the landscape.
The ruins, too, tell different stories. The Czech king Otokar had Stari grad Samobor built in 1268; today, the complex is in ruins. Important for visitors: entry to the ruins is at your own risk only. Stari grad Okić is an old fortress and a rare example of preserved Romanesque architecture in continental Croatia. Its ruins stand at an altitude of 499 metres and offer views of Posavina, Pokuplje, Zagreb, Medvednica and Plešivica. Here, a specific historic structure, its architecture and sweeping views across these named landscapes come together.
Samobor specialities and culture
Rudarska greblica is an EU-protected product with a protected geographical indication. Its production area includes Rude and the surrounding villages in Zagreb County. This thin, savoury cake is made from baked dough rolled out by hand and filled with fresh cow’s cheese; historically, it is associated with the miners of Rude. Samoborski bermet is also part of the culinary tradition: it has been associated with Samobor for centuries and is made from red wine and selected fruits and herbs. At Slastičarnica U prolazu, Samoborska kremšnita is still made according to the traditional recipe of its founder, Đuro Lukačić.
The Samoborski muzej is housed in a manor house associated with Ferdo Livadić. The museum holds exhibitions as well as musical and educational programmes there.
By bike and across the river
Seven cycling routes start and end at Trg kralja Tomislava and together cover more than 150 kilometres through the most scenic areas of Samobor. The figure refers to all the routes combined, not the length of any one route. The ferry at Medsave is also a useful landmark for travelling between Samobor and Zaprešić: for a nominal fee, it carries day-trippers, cyclists and drivers from one bank to the other and is the fastest way between the two places.
Discover more destinations: Samobor, Domaslovec, Molvice, Rakov Potok, Kladje, Velika Rakovica, Vrbovec Municipality, Kravarsko Municipality.
For the main travel overview: Zagreb County.
