Educational and recreational trail "Kapelščak"
Educational and recreational trail "Kapelščak"
The educational and recreational walkway will help you find the beauty of the Zagorje hills and enjoy them, so that you do not forget that walking is the oldest and healthiest way of moving.
The promenade begins in the Park Maximilian Vrhovac and continues along the former hiking path through the forest area, along the street of „Victims of Peasants Revolt“ and climbs along the Kapelščak hill in the direction of the belvedere and the chapel of St. Catherine. The length of the trail is 2 kilometers and for a tour you need 45 minutes of easy walking.
Along the trail there are several wooden benches, garbage baskets, eco-messages for visitors and educational boards about characteristics of this area, herb and wild animal species so trail can also be used for excursions of " school in nature ".
The Kapelščak hill, as part of the Nature Park Medvednica, is rich in herb and animal species and it is part of the ecological network Natura 2000, one of the basic mechanisms of nature protection in the European Union. It represents a European network of areas important for the conservation of endangered European species and habitat types.
The ecological network is proclaimed for the purpose of preserving and achieving the favorable status of wild species of birds, other wildlife species and plants, and habitats of particular importance to the European Union and the Republic of Croatia. The ecological network in the Krapina-Zagorje county covers 10% of the territory and includes Strahinjščica, the peak of Ivanščica, Medvednica, river Sutla, Valley of river Sutla near Razvor and „Jewish pit“.
The final part of the trail leads to the chapel of St. Catherine mentioned in many historical documents and folk tales. The first mention of the chapel of St. Catherine dates back to 1573 at the time of Matija Gubec, where the final battle of Peasants Revolt took place on February 9, and according to folk traditions, beside the chapel there was a cemetery of the peasants killed in the battle of Stubičke Toplice in 1573.
Today near the chapel of St. Catherine, which has throughout the centuries been renovated several times, as a feature of the final battle and the final defeat of Matija Gubec and his peasants, stands a memorial plaque.
Once, at the top of the Kapelščak hill, there was a wonderful belvedere, which was until the mid-20th century included in the tourist organization of the health resort along with the restaurant “Zagorski vidikovac”. From this peak there is a nice view on vineyards, orchards and forests, so no wonder that visitors of the bathing complex and many locals at that time enjoyed visiting this historic place.