Municipality of Hlebine

• The municipality lies on the right bank of the Drava; artificial lakes are used by anglers from Podravina.
• The naive art collection comprises just over 500 museum objects and was granted the status of a cultural asset of the Republic of Croatia in 2016.
• Stari Zanati welcomes groups and individuals of up to 30 people by prior arrangement.

The Galerija naivne umjetnosti Hlebine was founded in 1968 as an outpost of the Muzej grada Koprivnice, in a purpose-built museum and gallery building. The gallery's sculpture park was added in 1974; in 1985, it received the Ivan Generalić museum collection. Today, the Galerija Hlebine permanently displays a museum exhibition featuring paintings donated by Ivan Generalić. The painting “Rogati konj” is considered one of his outstanding works from the 1960s.

The Galerija Hlebine collection includes glass paintings by the first and second generations of the Hlebine School. These include works by Ivan Generalić, Franjo Mraz, Mirko Virius, Franjo Filipović, Dragan Gaži, Josip Generalić, Francina Dolenec, Mijo Kovačić and Ivan Večenaj. Naive painting in Podravina draws on themes from rural everyday life and tranquil landscapes, uses vivid local colours and is especially known for painting on glass.

The Hlebine School was initiated in the early 1930s by Krsto Hegedušić, after he became acquainted with the work of Ivan Generalić and Franjo Mraz. Its painting and sculpture now encompass more than two hundred artists from different generations. For a visit focused on art history, the collection and this development offer an insight into the school's different generations and forms of expression.

St. Catherine's Church was built in 1834 on the site of an older wooden church. It stands in the village centre, at the crossroads of the roads to Koprivnica and Molve, and features late Baroque and Classicist elements. Its Stations of the Cross are decorated with works by naive artists. The organ was built in 1837 by Varaždin organ builder Ignatz Petter.

Other places connect art and local history in different ways: Stara kuća Ivana Generalića is a memorial museum that opened to the public in 1992. The gallery and studio of Josip Generalić were established in 1995; the ethnographic house Janičina hiža was created in 1999. A fresco by Ivan Generalić from 1954 can be seen in the atrium of the primary school. The House of the Hegedušić Brothers is associated with Krsto Hegedušić's membership in the Zemlja group from 1929 to 1936 and with Željko Hegedušić's surrealist work.

In the centre of Hlebine, the gallery is opposite the municipal office and a shop. The church of St. Catherine is also described as being in the village centre; the art and cultural sites mentioned offer different themes for planning your trip, without needing to combine them into a single route.

The location on the right bank of the Drava and the artificial lakes provide a different focus alongside art. Anglers from Podravina use the lakes for fishing. If you are especially interested in nature and fishing, these activities are quite distinct from a visit focused on galleries, painting or church art.

The ethnographically designed Stari Zanati estate serves traditional dishes from Podravina. They are prepared according to old recipes using ingredients from the estate and the surrounding area. Visitors can make bread or lepinja there and learn about traditional crafts from potter Davor, painter Zlatko and blacksmith Ervin. Seasonal events hosted by Stari Zanati include, for example, the Čvarkijada and Rakija Days. During your stay, you can choose between different areas of interest, including visual arts, regional cuisine and craft activities.

The Hlebine School is a cultural tourism programme featuring artists' gatherings, workshops, art colonies, a naive art fair and naive art courses. If you would like to compare other municipalities at the same administrative level, you can also visit the pages for Municipality of Kalnik, Municipality of Sveti Petar Orehovec, Municipality of Drnje, Municipality of Legrad, Municipality of Gola, Municipality of Sveti Ivan Žabno and Municipality of Koprivnica.

When was the Galerija naivne umjetnosti Hlebine founded?

It was founded in 1968 as an outpost of the Muzej grada Koprivnice, in a purpose-built museum and gallery building.

What art forms does the naive art collection include?

The collection comprises just over 500 museum objects, including paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints.

Do you need to book in advance for a visit to Stari Zanati?

Yes. The estate welcomes groups and individuals of up to 30 people by prior arrangement.

For the broader travel overview: Koprivnica-Križevci County.