Klinča Sela

Klinča Sela lies south-west of Zagreb, where the flatter corridor along the old Karlovac road begins to rise towards the Okić and Plešivica hills. The village is the administrative centre of a municipality that includes Donja and Gornja Zdenčina, Kupinec, Goli Vrh, Repišće, Novo Selo Okićko and numerous smaller settlements. St Joseph the Worker parish church marks the local centre and was consecrated on 7 October 1979 after a separate parish was established for the surrounding villages. The clearest outdoor draw is a 38-kilometre red cycling route with 770 metres of ascent and views towards Plešivica and the ruins of Okić. Its circuit passes through Goli Vrh, Repišće, Gornji Desinec, Vlaškovec, Novo Selo Okićko and Sveti Martin pod Okićem before returning to Klinča Sela. In nearby Kupinec, notable sites include the parish church of the Assumption and the birthplace of politician Vladko Maček. Klinča Sela also functions as a useful junction for local buses towards Jastrebarsko, Samobor, Pisarovina and villages beneath Okić.

Klinča Sela draws its identity from its position between Zagreb’s commuter belt and the villages beneath Okić rather than from a single monumental old centre. St Joseph the Worker Church arose from the needs of settlements distant from the older parishes of Sveta Marija pod Okićem and Sveti Martin pod Okićem; it was consecrated in 1979. Municipal planning documents identify Amruševo manor in Klinča Sela, the Church of the Assumption and Vladko Maček’s birthplace in Kupinec, and traditional vineyard cottages between Gonjeva, Novo Selo and Repišće. Beyond the traffic corridor, the landscape quickly changes to orchards, vineyards and steeper roads towards Okić, making Klinča Sela a natural starting point for exploring the wider municipality.