Jesenje: Trails, Wine Growing and Accommodation

• Trail I is 10.2 kilometres long and is described as challenging for cyclists.
• From the Gorica viewpoint in Lužani Zagorski, there is a view across a basin bounded by several mountains.
• Trail II runs along the foot of Strahinjčica through Brdo Jesenjsko and the surrounding hamlets.
• The Neanderthal Trail in Donji Jesenje covers five themes of prehistory.
• The municipality’s vineyards lie at an altitude of 350 to 400 metres.

The 10.2-kilometre Trail I, for walking and cycling, passes through Gornje Jesenje and Lužani Zagorski. It is described as challenging for cyclists, which should be taken into account when choosing a route, bike and pace. From the Gorica viewpoint in Lužani Zagorski, the view extends across a basin bounded by Strahinjčica, Ivančica, Ravna gora and Maceljski gorje. The mountain names describe the landscape around the viewpoint and do not mean that all the peaks lie along Trail I.

Trail II runs along the foot of Strahinjčica through Brdo Jesenjsko and the hamlets of Flaše, Cerinske, Donji Šaški and Srednji Šaški. The municipal website describes a natural landscape with medicinal plants and forest fruits. This does not imply permission to gather them or guarantee when they will flower or be ready to harvest. A map board has been installed in the centre of the municipality, and a brochure about the trails has also been produced. Check whether the board and printed copies are currently available on site. The Strahinjčica area is part of the Natura 2000 site HR2001115. This protected status is a fact about nature, not proof that every part of the area is freely accessible on foot.

In Gornje Jesenje stands the Church of St John the Baptist. It is listed as a protected cultural asset under registration number Z-3268. Construction of the church began in 1847 on the site of a chapel dating from the mid-17th century. The dates refer to the predecessor building and the present church, not to two churches preserved at the same time. Access to the interior depends on current arrangements. In Donji Jesenje, the Neanderthal Trail presents the themes of the cave, fire, tools, hunting and food. Another educational trail, called “Bajkovita šuma – Gušernjak”, is documented in the municipality; this does not confirm that it is currently accessible.

The municipality’s vineyards lie at an altitude of 350 to 400 metres; a municipal source gives their area as 48 hectares. The “Sv. Martin” wine-growing association organises celebrations for St Vincent’s Day and St Martin’s Day, as well as wine tastings, talks and excursions. A report documents the seventeenth consecutive raising of a klopotec. These association activities are not automatically open-access tourist programmes.

At the autumn Kestenijada, chestnuts were roasted and must and wine were served; the report does not establish a current date. According to municipal information, the traditional Martinje takes place annually at the cultural centre in Gornje Jesenje and symbolically marks the transition from must to wine. Even so, a visit planned around the event requires the date for the year you wish to attend. The overview of Krapina-Zagorje County places Jesenje in its regional context. Check the accommodation address and how to get to the trailhead or event, rather than treating the whole municipality as a single location.