Prelog

Prelog is a Lower Međimurje town shaped by two very different landmarks: the Baroque Church of St James and the reservoir created for the Dubrava hydroelectric plant. On the southern edge of town, Marina Prelog draws cyclists, runners, boaters and families to the water, while the Croata insulanus Museum introduces Croatian naïve art through works by Ivan Generalić, Ivan Rabuzin and Ivan Lacković Croata. Built between 1758 and 1761, St James’s contains notable Baroque altars; its churchyard also yielded the foundations of a 15th-century circular tower, now represented on Prelog’s coat of arms. Road access centres on the D20, whereas the nearest rail connection is in Čehovec, the only settlement within the City of Prelog to have a station. A compact visit can therefore link the museum and church with lunch on Glavna Street and an evening walk beside the marina. Nearby Otok, Čehovec and Draškovec add Roman remains, the rural landscape of Lower Međimurje and further religious heritage to the itinerary.

Prelog stands on the Drava’s left bank in southern Međimurje County, while its municipal territory also includes Cirkovljan, Čehovec, Čukovec, Draškovec, Hemuševec, Oporovec and Otok. Its development as a market settlement was tied to a Drava crossing and to the royal guests invited into Međimurje by King Béla IV in the 13th century. Modern Prelog combines a compact centre around Glavna Street and St James’s Church with a recreational zone beside a large reservoir. This unusual meeting of a Lower Međimurje industrial centre, Croatian naïve art and water sports gives the town a character distinct from its neighbours.