Samobor, amazing country town in northern Croatia

Samobor

Amazing country town in northern Croatia

See also: FAM (Familiarization) tour of Croatia

Natural surrounding, medieval architecture, hiking trails and last but not least an amazing gastronomic experience makes Samobor, one of northern Croatia’s most preserved country towns.

King Tomislav Square, with the Anastasia Church in the background, Samobor, Croatia

Located just 25 km from Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, the trip to Samobor takes one back in time and back into the pages of history.

Cafes at the Kimg Tomislav Square, Samobor

The sleepy small hamlet is located at a foot of green hill called Tepec and gurgling Gradna stream  meanders through the town.

King Tomislav Square (Trg Kralja Tomislava), not to be confused with the King Tomislav Square, Zagreb, is the main square of Samobor and hub of all activities.

King Tomislav Square is Samobor’s culture centre, where fairs, concerts and even political meetings are held.

Centred round a beautiful water tap the square is complete with series of pavement cafes and numerous souvenir and artifact shops, but the centre of attraction of the square is the Anastasia Church, with its towering spire. The `17th century church is one of few early baroque constructions in Croatia.

Windows with floral decoration, Samobor, Croatia

Apart from churches and chapels, Samobor’s urban setting includes a number of 19^th-century buildings and romantic bridges crossing over Gradna Stream.

L: Covered bridge over Granda Stream, R: Granda Stream, Samobor, Croatia

Samobor is best explored on foot, as everything is at a walking distance from the King Tomislav Square.

Samobor Museum, Samobor

There are numerous walks and day trip from Zagreb is enough to explore the quiet little town of Samobor, however tourist with very limited time (like us) can even opt for half a day tour.

Our tour started from the from the King Tomislav Sqaure from where a short walk lead us to the banks of the Granda Stream, a swift flowing mountain stream, lined with sloping stone walls.

We crossed the stream on a historic wooden covered bridge. There are several concrete bridge across the Granda Stream, but most of the old wooden bridges remains and creates a feeling of nostalgia.

Our first stop was the Samobor Museum (Samoborski Muzej), a small and elegant museum with an interesting collection of exhibits from the town history.

We took the Dr Tudman’s Promenade and walked upstream along the Granda Stream.

We walked past anglers waiting patiently for the trout fish. The locals on the other hand were engaged in a game of football.

Ruined Samobor Castle, atop Tepec Hill, Samobor, Croatia

We walked in the shadows of the Tepec Hill, crowned with the ruins of the Samobor Castle. A long walk leads to the ruined castle, but due to time constraint, we were restricted to views from only the base of the Tepec Hill.

Assortment of Desserts at Samobor, Croatia

We walked passed the St. Michael Church on our left and finally making it back to the King Tomislav Square. Finally it was time to get a feel of Samobor’s amazing gastronomic experience.

Kremšnita or Cremeschnite, Samobor

The cafes in the King Tomislav Square displayed a wide variety of desserts and the one that stands out among all is the Kremšnite or Cremeschnitte, a classic dessert made with flaky filo pastry and custard.

This central European dessert is quiet popular in the newly formed republics of former Yugoslavia.

It comes in different variation, the Somobor version is extremely popular. Known as the Samoborska Kremšnita, it is characterized by having a puff pastry top, predominantly custard cream filling (less whipped cream) and is finished with powdered sugar.

King Tomislav Square, Samobor, Croatia

Finally our tour of Samobor ended with a slice of Samoborska Kremšnita, along with a tasting session of a assortment of desserts.

Note: I visited Croatia on the invitation of Zagreb Tourism Board (ZTB) and tour was organized by Celabrations! 

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