This small Croatian town in Zagreb County has traditional oil wells from the 1960s, thermal springs, and a well-preserved old quarter with 18th-century buildings.
In Ivanić Grad, Croatia, you can soak in the Naftalan spa's oil-based treatments, photograph the white bell tower of St. Peter’s Parish Church built in 1831, and join the February carnival crowd eating hot fritule doughnuts. The town sits 25 kilometers from Zagreb, connected by highway and trains running hourly. Pack a bike to ride along the Lonja River’s flat banks or drive 12 minutes to Kloštar Ivanić’s 13th-century monastery ruins. Each October, farmers from 22 nearby villages bring giant pumpkins to the main square for Bučijada, carving them into soup pots and lanterns. Schools here follow eco-certified programs, with students maintaining trails through oak forests where deer hide.
Naftalan Spa: Skin and Joint Treatments
The Naftalan spa uses oil from the old Pannonian Sea floor, now 500 meters underground, to treat eczema and arthritis through supervised 20-minute baths. Doctors here create weekly plans mixing oil therapy with exercises in warm pools, helping those with chronic pain move easier. Kids splash in separate shallow pools with water slides, letting adults sit in quiet mineral baths or book massages. After treatments, walk straight into the woods on three gravel trails marked with yellow signs, each taking 30-60 minutes at most. Book a room at Hotel Moslavina to get free spa entry each morning and Croatian breakfasts with sourdough bread.
St. Peter’s Church and Town History
St. Peter’s yellow church tower helps you find the main square, where you’ll see painted angels on the ceiling and a 19th-century pipe organ still used for concerts. Behind the church, a stone path leads to Josip Lang’s 2024 memorial statue, honoring this local priest who taught in Lepšić village schools. Look for low stone walls near the fire station – these are remains of 16th-century defenses built when Ottoman troops raided the area. Ivanić Grad’s firefighting history started in 1892 with hand-pumped wagons; the museum by the train station shows old helmets and fire hooks. Near the library, a metal plaque displays Latin text from King Sigismund’s 1436 document granting the town trade rights.
Bike Paths and Forest Activities
Rent a bike at Ivanić Sport to ride the 162-kilometer route from Sesvete to Požega, passing cornfields and stopping at creek-side picnic spots. Beginners take the 10-kilometer loop starting at the train station, following the Lonja River’s edge where herons hunt frogs. Hunters pay fees to track boar and deer in managed woods east of town, staying in log cabins with wood stoves and basic kitchens. From September to November, locals collect chanterelles and porcini under oaks; join guided mushroom walks leaving from the tourist office at 7 AM. Fishing licenses cost €5 per day at the post office – ask for spots where catfish bite best near the old watermill.
Seasonal Events and Food Festivals
During the Ivanićki Carnival, groups in papier-mâché masks dance past crowds eating grilled sausages and cinnamon doughnuts from street carts. In June, the Town Days Festival teaches how flax becomes linen cloth, with weavers from Kloštar demonstrating spinning wheels and natural dye vats. Watch cyclists race up Čret hill during August’s Stjepan Grgac event, named after a racer killed on these roads in 1999. At October’s Bučijada, taste pumpkin goulash cooked in hollowed-out squash bowls and vote for the heaviest pumpkin – last year’s winner was 218 kilos. November brings all-male choirs to St. Peter’s Church, singing traditional klapa songs under the dome’s echo for two hours each night.
Transportation and Accommodation Options
Drive 25 minutes east from Zagreb on the A3 highway, exiting at Ivanić Grad’s signed junction with a 24-hour gas station. Trains from Zagreb’s main station take 35 minutes, dropping you 800 meters from the spa entrance. If coming from Slavonski Brod, stop here for lunch at Kod Pere near the park, which serves roast duck with sauerkraut. Stay at Guesthouse Marija in Graberje Ivanićko village for homemade cherry schnapps and bike rentals, or book Hotel Naftalan’s package with six spa treatments and dinners. Check the tourist office window for market days – Tuesdays sell honey from nearby apiaries, Fridays have wool blankets and lavender sachets.
