Tag: Zumberak

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.

Mount Stula

Location:
the little hamlet of Prvinci
This is in the heart of nature park Zumberak. The mountain that you see in the second picture can be climbed all the way to the top. I love this mountain for its pyramid size. It is quite a rare shape and a special landmark in the surrounding.
You can start your climb to the top from here

Photo tip: 
I had been coming to this location in 2017 quite a few times. I noticed the wild apple tree. But it was still without leaves. When I came back a little later the blossom started to bloom. But still, I decided to wait until it reached its full glory. That was quite a gamble. For the Spring beauty is always very short and unpredictable. I wanted it to picture the tree with mount Stula in the back. Two great elements in one picture. I just needed it a bit of a cloudy but bright evening so there would not be too much direct sunlight. I needed evening light to have that special warm grazing light effect. Then I noticed the third element. A flock of sheep that would really add even more interest to the picture. Especially since the flock of sheep somehow resembled the wild apple tree in blossom. This was a well-planned picture. It teaches us that lucky shots are just very few. You always need to plan and even wait for the right time and season. In the end, you will be rewarded!

Take a break: 
There are no restaurants and cafe’s near bye. But the village of Krasic is a 15-minute drive and the main square has a variety of some nice cafes with inexpensive coffee.

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.

 

Slapnica nature reserve

   Location: Slapnica
If you love a wonderful hike through dense forest and you want to avoid the heat on a hot sunny day or the usual crowd at Plitvice then try this wonderful hidden gem. It is a 10-minute drive away from Krasic and easy to reach by car. You can walk all the way from the quarry (park your car there) to the old watermill where grandma “Nada” and her dog and sheep reside. She has her own private waterfall in her backyard!
The path is very easy and absolutely not demanding. No steep climbs. You walk along the creek and you are accompanied by the beautiful sounds of the rushing water and some very nice waterfalls. There are two waterfalls that take you off the track. They are called Brisalo and Vranjak. There are signs that help you find them. One of them is a bit hard to reach. The road is unpaved. You can also drive it with a four-wheel-drive car. In total it is 9 kilometres.

You can extend your hike by taking a right at the watermill by taking the road to the almost abandoned village of Pecno. From there you walk to Rude Pribicki (great views!) and you head back to the main road at Svrzevo. If you want to do this long hike please consider a full day. (but it is worth it)

    Warning: 
The bridge before the quarry has no safety railings. Be careful!
Please make sure not to block the lorry trucks when you park your car. The starting point for such a beautiful nature reserve might seem a bit odd, but you are definitely in the right place 🙂

   Photo tips: 
➨   Waterfalls are best after some rainy days, there is more water!
➨   Avoid direct sunlight as it makes the water beams too bright to handle later on in photoshop.
➨   Use a tripod in order to have a low shutter time and create this “milky effect”.
➨   Do some clean up of branches that might disturb your picture.
➨   Take boots so you can stand in the water.
➨   Look for some boulders like in the first picture and some colourful leaves. They really add a great atmosphere to your picture.
➨   Some late afternoon light in the background is highly recommendable.
➨   Personally, I prefer using a wide-angle when I take pictures of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

   Take a break: 
The nearest place for refreshments is the great restaurant “Zumberacki Raj”. The restaurant is in the heart of the nature park in a very idyllic setting. They serve a simple but delicious meal of fresh brook trout, potatoes (3 choices), and fresh salad. They also offer some other meat dishes.

The little village of Vrhovac

Location: 
   Vrhovac (near Ozalj)
The village of Vrhovac is located in the hilly area of the Zumberak Mountains. It is located only five minutes from Ozalj. I personally love this village for the many lovely vineyards and small “klets” (wine sheds). It is an ideal starting point for a simple walk. You can start your walk at the church. There are signs that show you the way.

You can park your car at the church and a little further there is a nice cafe. Just drop in because some of my photos can be seen there. Next to the cafe, there is a small supermarket where you can buy the necessary provisions. The route also passes a beautiful stretch of the Kupa River. In good weather, you can go for a swim.

   Take a break: 

The homestead of Culig is a wonderful place to taste some real homemade food. The location itself is ideal for landscape photography.

   Photo tip: 
The human element and influence in the landscape make the landscape picture more interesting. This is what I appreciate so much about Croatia. The area around Vrhovac has many little chapels and churches and they really serve as a very welcome object in many of my pictures. This picture shows that even a dull morning without any direct sunlight can be a good photo opportunity. I like the dark grey/blue sky. The great thing about Spring is that for a period of 10-14 days the green colors are not so boring and overwhelming. In this picture, the fresh leaves are just opening up whilst there is still a lot of brown branches around. It adds great “freshness” to the picture. Take that same picture two weeks later and it is much less interesting. Take it two weeks earlier and it will be too brown. Because of the lack of sunlight, the picture almost becomes a pastel painting. I really like the fact that the little sandy road that is part of the walking trail catches the attention and leads you to the main topic of this picture; the church.