VARAŽDIN

The first time we visited Varaždin was back when we had TMax. Now, with our DR, we decided to visit it again, but we used a different route and changed the trip plan a bit. This time we did not enter Varaždin, but we went offroad and visited lake Varaždin and lake Dubrava.
On our way to Varaždin, we passed through Hrvatsko Zagorje, one of the most beautiful regions of Croatia. We passed Bedekovčina, Zlatar Bistrica, Konjščina, Budinščina, all the way to Novi Marof and then to Varaždin. In Gornji Kuršanec we went offroad to see those famous lakes and they left us speechless! They do look big on the map, but they look like a sea in reality! Lake Varaždin is truly a big lake, and on its coast there are numerous weekend cottages. We stopped at the restaurant 'Vrbi', which we had found online, to grab a bite, but it turned out that they only serve food after 2pm.

We continued offroading all the way to the asphalt road. We road the beautiful road, which is next to the embankment, all the way to Prelog. This is a really long road and almost without a curve and is therefore perfect for those who like to pull out the throttle😀 We stopped and climbed onto the embankment to take a couple of photos. The view of the enormous lake is amazing! At that moment, we felt boiling hot and decided to take off some of our gear. We were looking at the lake and could not stop thinking about jumping in😀

We rode back and crossed a bridge from which we could see the lake in all its glory, but we were not allowed to take pictures. We took some pics from the observation deck which is next to the bridge, but of course one cannot capture the true beauty of nature by camera.

After that, we headed back to Varaždin, trying to find the restaurant 'Aquacity', which we had also found online, only to discover that until 1st May, you have to announce that you plan to come, in order for it to be opened. After those unsuccessful internet searches, we decided to find a restaurant somewhere along the way. We rode through Varaždin and to our surprise, nothing seemed to be opened on Sunday. Luckily, we found the restaurant 'Zvonimir'. A bit confused, we entered a caffe bar which is on the front of the house. A waitress explained that the restaurant is on the back, and took us there. We parked our bike at the back and sat at a great table. A waiter brought the menu and we were left surprised! They have a great choice of food - from bbq to pizza and sea fruit. We ordered meat(we are bikers, aren't we?!) and after a while, we got huge portions which made us very happy.

After our meal, we decided to go 'sightseeing'. The restaurant has a very nice surroundings. There is a small lake with fish in it, pebbles are on the floor and there is a huuuge barbecue - a real rustic environment.

After a short break and a nice chat with the waiter, we continued our journey to Karlovac. We travelled through Ivanec, Lepoglava, by a huge stonepit and rode by dozens of bikers, who probably went to see a race on Grobnik, our racetrack.

Near Zabok, we went onto the highway and took a turn to Sveta Nedelja and Samobor(we really love Samobor, don't we??). From Samobor we rode through Rude to Jastrebarsko and then to Karlovac.

Similar to the road through Žumberak from the previous post, this one is also beautiful. It began to be quite chilly, but we were brave and continued. We rode through the mountain Plešivica, known for wine, and enjoy the view of numerous wineyards. We stopped to do our obligatory photo-session.

Soon we arrive in Jastrebarsko, where we rode by another dozen of bikers and waving, we continue towards Karlovac. This amazing trip is finished, we rode on both asphalt and offroad, we froze and boiled, we met new people and discovered new landscapes. Now we are planning a new trip!
See you on the road!