Tag: Vivodina

My 10 best photo locations in Croatia

Vivodina, Sveti Lovro – December 28, 2013
Ferenci, Sveti Duh – December 15, 2016
Ferenci – January 7, 2016
Vrhovac, – June 6, 2014
Brinje – September 24, 2020
Novigrad na Dobri – October 6, 2020
October 9, 2020
Lokve – October 28, 2020
January 9, 2016
Vina Gora – October 5, 2018
Ozalj – November 18, 2014
Trakošćan – October 12, 2017

Croatia is a photographers paradise…Forget the selfie crowds and the trophy hunters at Plitvice and Dubrovnik. There are literally hundreds of unique places of unequalled beauty. The best time of the year is Autumn when the colours are warm and the sun is not so bright anymore. Morning mist creeps in over the lakes and valleys. Over the years I scouted and stored so many locations. I just want to share ten of my favourite ones with you.

1. Lović Prekriški
On a clear day, you can see 50 per cent of Croatia from this hilltop. After rainy days the mist fills the Kupa valley below and turns the landscape of the Nature Park Zumberak into a fairytale landscape.

2. Brinje
Just outside of Brinje there is a great viewpoint on this little village. You have it all in one picture; a castle, some churches, a beautiful landscape, great mountains and most of the time some nice layers of fog.

3. Fužine
I love this artificial lake. It has some interesting spots for photography. Autumn colours are stunning!

4. Novigrad na Dobri
There is the old castle, the old stone bridge, and the Lipizzaner horse riding school, and the local church. From the top of the castle (free entrance), you have a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape.

5. Ozalj
The view of the castle with the Kupa river is quite impressive. One of Croatia’s best photo spots.

6. Vina Gora
The hills of Zagorje are enchanting. The best viewpoint of them all is Vinagora.

7. Trakošćan
Another great spot in Zagorje is the castle of Trakoscan. In fact, the lake in Trakoscan is very photogenic. In Autumn the light is just magical.

8. Plešivica
The viewpoint at the elementary school of Plesivica is unforgettable.

9. Lokve
Around the lakes of Lokve and the outside of the village, there are some great photo locations to capture the wild beauty of Gorski Kotar.

10. Vivodina
The Church of Vivodina has been an object in many of my pictures. When the lights of the church switch on in the evening and the sun goes down the atmosphere turns into magic!

Wonderful Vivodina

   Location: Vivodina in the Nature Park Zumberak
One of the most astonishing and breathtaking photo spots in the Zumberak Nature Park is Vivodina. From the cemetery of Petrus Vrh the view is so very rewarding. Many times I went to this location and very often I was able to shoot some very diverse pictures. Especially during late Autumn days and in winter Vivodina is almost transformed into some scene from a fairytale world. Special about the Vivodina church is that when the sun sets low the church transfigures into a 3d object. That shows really well in your pictures. Therefore Vivodina is such a great location for your photography. 

   Take a walk:
There is a signposted hiking trail that starts at the church of Vivodina. You can park your car for free. Do not forget to see the view from the church itself on the surrounding vineyards. It takes you through vineyards, hilltops and villages. The hike takes about 3 hours and has a moderate level.

   Take a break:
The homestead of Frlan offers great meals (mostly meat dishes) and homemade cakes.

    Photo tip:
Vivodina is great in the wintertime. Snow on the roofs of houses and light trough the windows gives your picture an extra magical touch. As you can see in one of my pictures it is worthwhile waiting for the street lights to switch on the village. They also add this extra fairytale atmosphere. Most churches in Croatia are illuminated during the dark hours. Be in time when those lights are switched on. Especially when there is mist. You need to be in time as after one minute of switching on the lights they will get too bright and your photo object will lose detail.

Great photo spots in the Zumberak

   Photo tips: 
OK, I will not share all of them and keep a few to myself. Realize that hunting the right locations for great pictures is more than half the job. A time consuming and costly process. But I simply love exploring. There is so much to discover in Croatia.

Lucky shots are very seldom. You need to prepare well and venture out to find great locations. Nowadays it has become much easier by means of Google maps. I stored more than 1100 locations in Croatia alone in them.

After finding your location take some time to see if there are no disturbing elements. Find out where the sun comes up and goes down. See if there are some interesting details that attribute to your future picture.

Then the third part begins…. You start making the visual and mental picture. That means; start dreaming of how you want your picture to look like. What season? What time? What kind of circumstances.
Be prepared for some disappointments. Be prepared to come back a few more times until you meet the right conditions. The right light, an interesting sky, some nice layers of fog and warm colours can make such a huge difference.

   Zumberak Nature Park: 
This nature park is really one of my favourite places for photography. It is actually divided in the Samborske Gorje and the Zumberak. In this blog I will be focused on the Zumberak. Here the mountains are not as steep as in the Samoborske Gorje.  You will hardly meet any tourists here. Especially the part around Vivodina is very picturesque. It is the unique combination of rolling hills, meandering creeks and rivers and churches adding interesting detail for the landscape photographer.

   Locations:
In my future blogs, I will post many more tips about the Zumberak. But here are a few great places for you to enjoy.

The road from Sosice to Petrus Vrh is very pretty and offers some great viewpoints. The best view on Vivodina is at the cemetery at Petrus Vrh. In Vivodina itself the view behind the church is also very pretty. The road is very narrow but has a hardened surface. Do not forget to stop at Danculovici ( a short sidetrack). It offers a great view of the Vivodina area. The next village of Dojutrovica offers also great views.

You can still deviate a little more from this beautiful road and overlook the little hamlet of Kast. Another great view with a church.

You will also love this special viewpoint. It is a steep drive up but well worth the view. It is about 2 kilometres from Petrus Vrh.

Another one of my personal favourites is the valley at Stupe. A very little village but with a very special hill, almost shaped like a pyramid.

   Take a break: 
Restaurant Zumberacki Raj in Zamarija offers great trout dishes with fresh salad and roasted potatoes.
Restaurant Frlan in Vivodina offers meat dishes and great strudel.

   Take a walk:
You can take a wonderful walk, indicated with signs, from Vivodina. Your starting point is at the church of Vivodina. Free parking.