At the very thought of a holiday in Croatia, most tourists think of the Croatian coast as one of the most attractive destinations, although the interior hides many natural beauties. Mainland Croatia abounds in streams, rivers, hills, lowlands and mountains that every travel lover must visit at least once in their life.
One such place is Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, located in Sisak-Moslavina County. As one of the best-preserved floodplains in Europe, it is protected by the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of world importance. In addition to a special river landscape and oak and ash forests, Lonjsko polje also enriches as many as 350 species of birds.
The most famous are the storks that like to build their nests on the roofs of wooden houses, which is why it is the village of Čigoč, within the nature park, took the title of the first stork village in Europe. Apart from birds, the wealth of this park is also in traditional cattle breeding. Cows, Posavina horses and Turopolje pigs, as the original national breeds of domestic animals, live day and night on large pastures.
Apart from the natural, visitors will be delighted by the rich cultural and historical heritage. Posavina wooden houses built of pedunculate oak attract special attention. Some of these houses are over 200 years old, and the houses in them stand out in particular the village of Krapje which in 1995 received the status of a village of architectural heritage.
A special feature is the architectural art of building a wooden house without a single nail. Namely, each house is built of horizontally stacked oak planks that are interconnected by wooden wedges. Given the long history of wooden houses, it is interesting to note that horses also took part in the construction, pulling oaks, and then people hand-sawing and sawing them. The walls are built of thick logs, and it is recognizable that the houses are usually high storeys, with raised foundations because the area is exposed to frequent floods of the Sava River.
Most houses have a narrow facade, and the entrances to the courtyards are on the side. The houses are connected by wooden stables, gazebos, piggeries, various storage rooms, chicken coops and other wooden buildings for various purposes. Preservation of traditional construction, way of life and values are the reasons why this area, along with its natural heritage, has been keeping rural tourism alive for years.
The peak of the tourist season in the Lonjsko polje nature park is in April, May and June and right now is the ideal time to visit this pearl of nature close to the metropolis. Within the park there is a tourist department which employs educated guides, deployed in three reception centers Čigoč, Krapje and Repušnica.
Tourist facilities that stand out are guided walking and cycling tours, various educational programs, boat rides, solar-powered boats, carriage rides, horseback riding, bird watching, visits to ethno-collections and bicycle and canoe rental. Each visitor can choose the locations and facilities they want to try, so there is nothing left but to set out to explore the flora and fauna of this wetland area.
