Veliko Trgovišće
About this place
Set in the Krapina River valley, Veliko Trgovišće lies on the railway corridor linking the Zagorje region with Zaprešić and Zagreb. The village is closely associated with Franjo Tuđman, born in 1922, whose family home on the edge of the settlement became a permanent memorial display in 1999. Another part of that story survives in the former school attended by Tuđman, now a memorial site with a monument by sculptor Kuzma Kovačić outside. Above the old road stands the parish church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, built between 1840 and 1876. Its historicist high altar depicts Mary beneath the Cross, while the interior paintings were completed by I. Sirnik in 1944. These distinctly local landmarks make Veliko Trgovišće suitable for a half-day Zagorje outing focused on modern Croatian history and religious heritage. The railway setting also makes the village practical for visitors approaching through the Krapina valley, although access to the memorial collection is best checked before travelling.
Veliko Trgovišće developed as a linear settlement shaped by the Krapina valley, the old road and the railway towards Zabok and Zaprešić rather than around a large urban square. Its modern public identity is particularly connected with Franjo Tuđman: the family house at the edge of the village contains a memorial display, while his former school recalls his childhood education. An older layer belongs to the parish of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, whose seat moved to Veliko Trgovišće in 1876. Standing on a low rise, the 23-metre-long parish church and its tower above the eastern entrance form the settlement’s principal religious landmark.
Things to see
Novi Dvori of Cesargrad
Landmark · Ledine Klanječke
ruins of a 17th-century noble estate near Klanjec, Croatia
10 km from Veliko Trgovišće
Crkva Presvetog Trojstva
Landmark · Kraljevec na Sutli
The Church of the Holy Trinity, built in 1836, is a single-nave parish church beside the main road through Kraljevec na Sutli.
10 km from Veliko Trgovišće
Crkva sv. Križa u Svetom Križu Začretje
Landmark · Sveti Križ Začretje
The Parish Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Sveti Križ Začretje has medieval roots, while its present form largely dates from the 17th and 18th centuries.
10 km from Veliko Trgovišće
Cesargrad
Landmark · Mihanovićev Dol
ruins of a ~13th-century castle near Klanjec, Croatia
12 km from Veliko Trgovišće
Stays nearby
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Things to do
Begin at the Franjo Tuđman Memorial House on the edge of Veliko Trgovišće, where a permanent collection occupies the family home opened to visitors in 1999. Continue to Tuđman’s former school and the monument created by academic sculptor Kuzma Kovačić and unveiled in 2013. Reserve the final part of the walk for the Church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows. Its high altar shows Mary holding the dead Christ, while scenes of the Annunciation, Nativity and Resurrection appear across the vaults. The church tower contains two bells weighing 540 and 275 kilograms, an unusually precise detail to look for in this compact Zagorje itinerary.
Tours and activities
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Viator
Nearest destination: Zagreb (23 km)
Communism & Croatian Homeland War Tour (opens in a new tab)
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Plitvice Lakes Guided Day Tour from Zagreb (opens in a new tab)
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Rated 4.9 out of 5 · 526 reviews· 11 h
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Plitvice Lakes with Ticket & Rastoke Guided Tour from Zagreb (opens in a new tab)
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Rated 4.9 out of 5 · 513 reviews· 2–3 h
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Practical information
Getting there and around
Veliko Trgovišće station stands on the railway between Zaprešić and Zabok, making the train the village’s most characteristic connection with Zagreb and the wider Zagorje region. Modernisation of the Zaprešić–Zabok section specifically included Veliko Trgovišće, adding rebuilt platforms, an underpass, shelters and parking. Travellers continuing towards Krapina or other Zagorje destinations can change at Zabok, the nearby rail junction where Croatian Railways maintains a staffed ticket office. Drivers approach along local roads from Zabok, Luka or Stubička Slatina. The Franjo Tuđman Memorial House, positioned near the edge of the settlement, provides parking for its visitors.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Franjo Tuđman Memorial House?
The memorial occupies the Tuđman family home on the edge of Veliko Trgovišće and opened to visitors in 1999.
Who created the Tuđman monument?
The monument outside the former school was created by academic sculptor Kuzma Kovačić and unveiled in 2013.
What can be seen inside the parish church?
The church contains a historicist altar dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows and paintings completed by I. Sirnik in 1944.
Nearby
Veliko Trgovišće
Open in OpenStreetMap(opens in a new tab)straight-line distance
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Photo credits: Veliko Trgovišće — Croq (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Novi Dvori of Cesargrad, Crkva Presvetog Trojstva, Cesargrad — Janezdrilc (CC0) · Crkva sv. Križa u Svetom Križu Začretje — Vitek (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Book Me Apartman — Natalija Kirša (courtesy of the property owner) · Osijek — Rp031 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vukovar — Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Stubičke Toplice — MOs810 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Slavonski Brod — Petar Milošević (CC BY-SA 4.0)