Gornja Voća offers several ways to explore the past: a traditional home, sacred art and the prehistory of the people in the region. This gives you different areas of focus to consider when planning your trip – architecture and everyday life, religious artworks or archaeological heritage.

A traditional house and how its story is told

The Virtual Zagorje Hiža was built in 1917. This traditional single-storey home is made of broad, horizontally laid oak beams coated with clay and straw. It stands on Gruntišće hill and offers insight into the lives of people in the Voća area around a hundred years ago. Holograms, 3D technology, wall-mounted tablets and an interactive table are among the methods used to tell its story. Here, a historic style of dwelling meets digital forms of presentation.

Technical details may change. If the interactive elements are important to your visit, check their current status in advance. The Hiža can be visited by prior arrangement with the Municipality of Donja Voća; arrange your visit with the municipality.

Chapel art and the Ivanje tradition

The Chapel of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist in Gornja Voća was built in 1973 and painted by local artists. The chapel contains three large altarpieces depicting the birth of John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan, and John in prison before his execution. The series of images thus brings together several episodes from the Baptist’s life.

Voćansko Ivanje in Gornja Voća is connected with the long-standing celebration of Ivanje and the Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist in the Voća area. A specific glimpse of the festival programme comes from 26 June 2021: at the Ethno House in Gornja Voća, it included an art colony in memory of Slavko and Stjepan Stolnik. At the same Voćansko Ivanje, the Ivanjski krijes, an old custom from the Voća area, was also revived along with the several-hundred-year-old song “Sveti Ivan kresa kuri”.

Wayside shrines, Rosary stations and Vindija

The Baroque wayside shrine Trpeći Krist dates from around 1770. After being destroyed during the Second World War, it was restored in 2014. It stands on the summit of nearby Kogil breg. Another part of the sacred heritage spans two locations: nine stone Rosary stations are spread across Klenovnik and Gornja Voća and are listed as cultural heritage.

Špilja Vindija Cave is listed in the Croatian Register of Cultural Property under Gornja Voća. Within the wider destination of Općina Donja Voća, it is protected as both a cultural monument and a natural monument. Fossil analyses show that Neanderthals lived in the cave more than 40,000 years ago. This takes the historical perspective opened up by these cultural attractions far beyond the more recent history of houses and chapels.

The wider artistic context of Općina Donja Voća

The history of art can also be considered beyond Gornja Voća. Slavko Stolnik was born in Općina Donja Voća and created most of his finest works in Voća, inspired by local motifs from everyday life. This regional context complements the commemoration of Slavko and Stjepan Stolnik at Voćansko Ivanje 2021 without changing the historical character of that specific festival programme.

To help you choose a focus: the Hiža represents architectural and everyday history, the Chapel of Saint John the Baptist represents biblical art, and Špilja Vindija represents the archaeological past.

Discover more destinations: Donja Voća.

See the wider travel overview: Općina Donja Voća.