Sveti Ivan Žabno

Sveti Ivan Žabno is a municipality in northern Croatia, in Koprivnica-Križevci County. It groups sixteen villages across farming country near Križevci, and suits travellers who prefer quiet countryside to the busy coast.

Where is it and how big is it?

The municipality covers roughly 106.6 km². In 2011 it had 5,222 inhabitants. The administrative centre is the village of Sveti Ivan Žabno, and the municipality includes 16 settlements, among them Brdo Cirkvensko, Brezovljani, Cepidlak, Cirkvena, Hrsovo, Kenđelovec, Kuštani, Ladinec, Markovac Križevački, Novi Glog, Predavec Križevački, Rašćani, Sveti Petar Čvrstec, Škrinjari and Trema.

What is the history of the area?

People have lived here for a very long time. Finds confirm settlement from the late Stone Age through the Bronze Age and into the Middle Ages. Brezovljani stands out as one of the richest sites of the Sopot culture, a Neolithic farming culture.

The place name first appears in documents in 1201 as Xabiniza. In the 16th century, Ottoman raids led to the region being resettled, and the area became part of the Habsburg Military Frontier. In 1954 the communist authorities renamed the settlement, and the municipality was called Žabno until 1990, when the traditional name returned.

What sights can you see?

Among the main buildings is the parish church of St. John the Baptist in Sveti Ivan Žabno, which gives the municipality its name. In Cirkvena stands the Church of the Visitation of Mary. In Trema you will find the Church of St. Julian, described as one of the rare early Baroque sacred buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries that has kept its original appearance. For fans of religious architecture, it is a good reason to leave the main roads.

There is also a memorial plaque marking the founding of the first Croatian livestock breeders' association in 1908. The area has long been known for cattle breeding, and that agricultural thread captures the character of the region well.

Who is this area for?

It is a destination for visitors combining sightseeing in northern Croatia with trips inland: rural landscapes, old churches, traces of prehistoric cultures and local farming history. The municipality is not built around a single headline attraction. You explore it by visiting village after village and church after church, ideally by car, since the settlements lie some distance apart.

Frequently asked questions

How many settlements does Sveti Ivan Žabno have? Sixteen, including Brezovljani, Cirkvena, Trema and Ladinec.

How many people lived here in 2011? 5,222.

What is the oldest thing here? Settlement traces reach back to the late Stone Age, and Brezovljani is one of the richest Sopot culture sites. The first written mention of the place dates to 1201.

Has the municipality always had this name? No. From 1954 to 1990 it was called Žabno.

What should I see first? The church of St. John the Baptist, the Church of the Visitation in Cirkvena and the early Baroque Church of St. Julian in Trema.