Tourist Events

The winemakers of Ludbreg and the surroundings exhibit their wines each January, getting graded by the expert jury to get the confirmation of their quality. In the last couple of years, the winemakers from the entire region of north-western Croatia submit their wines for the Young Wines Exhibition, which is a significant social event in Ludbreg.

The winemaking tradition of Ludbreg is very long, and the vineyards are beloved by their owners, people of Ludbreg, direct descendants of Ludberga. Ludberga was an expert winemaker, whose sweet wine was famous far and wine. The legend says that her wine once sped up the election of a new pope in Viterbo, as a cardinal from Buda miraculously poured wine from a never-ending barrel, and thus shortened the conclave.

Pope Julius II proclaimed that the miracle that took place in Ludbreg was credible. On March 19^th, 1513, Pope Leo X issued a Papal Bull in which he makes the Church of the Holy Trinity in Ludbreg a location where you can acquire complete forgiveness, and the town a place of pilgrimage.

Ludbreg was built on the ruins of the castrum Iovia Botivo, and in the 4th century it was the centre of a diocese.

Today the town has around 9200 inhabitants, and the celebration of the Town Day is held on March 19^th.

This event is based on the legend of Ludberga, the town protector who saved the town from the devil. She did it by impaling him with a wooden cross into the ground with such force that on the opposite side of the globe a great explosion happened, and the only thing that remains from it is a small volcanic island of Antipodes. On that same spot in Ludbreg, a spring is located, and the water coming from it can be set on fire.

According to the records by the Pauline friar Honorius, Ludberga was born on April 1st, 1141, so the idea of this event is for it to be a great birthday party. Ludberga participates in it as a special guest. Many associations in Ludbreg prepare unique entertainment for the day. The town notary opens a ‘Book of the citizens of the Centre of the World’ just for the occasion, and all visitors can get their names in the book, and they’re given the certificate that confirms their status officially.

The legend of the circles of the Earth says that the location of Ludbreg is precisely where the centre of the circles of the Earth is. The biggest cities in the world are located on those circles, to the different sides of the world, but equidistant from the centre – Ludbreg. Another tradition stems from that legend, in which the town of Ludbreg invites a new town to be their guest each year. The guest-town presents itself in the Centre of the World, their characteristics, cultural and historical heritage, and entertainment. In return, they receive a plaque with the name of the town and the distance from the centre of the world. The plaque is placed by the mayors of both towns on Ludbreg’s main square on the Circles of the Earth monument. And, since Ludberga was an expert winemaker, the celebration ends with a toast of Ludberga’s wine, which is (on that occasion only) poured from the town fountain in the Centre of the World.

International flower festival and exhibition ‘Flora Centrum Mundi’ is the second biggest flower festival in Croatia. Flower producers from most of Croatia and neighbouring countries participate in the festival every year.

For the three full days the Centre of the World and the entire main square are covered in colourful, fragrant flowers of every kind. The exhibition and the flower sale are just part of the events, as concerts, shows, various exhibitions and promotions are also held during the festival.

This summer event takes place during June, July, and August during the particular time of day (from 5 pm until 10 pm; the word used for that time of day in the area is ‘cajnger’) on the Ludbreg main square (also known as a ‘plac’). Numerous stands with a lot to offer are set up at the square: souvenirs, flowers, books, leather objects, old crafts, ‘licitars,’ honey, wines, etc. A lot of entertainment events also take place, such as the cooking competition in which only the journalists participate, folklore and majorette performances, street painting by the children, street basketball, concerts, shows, art colonies, presentations by interesting associations, workshops for children and many other.

Mladen Kerstner Days – the festival of the Kajkavian poetry is held to commemorate the famous Croatian author, screenplay writer, and the Kajkavian writing promoter, Ludbreg-born Mladen Kerstner.

The festival lasts for three days, and bring together amateur theatre groups from all over Croatia, who perform the dramatic texts written by Kerstner, but also their original pieces written in the Kajkavian dialect.