Walk Around Varaždin During Špancirfest
Each year in August, Varaždin hosts a walking festival called Spancirfest. The word "Špancir" comes from an old Croatian word for walking, and I have been told that it refers to walking in stylish clothes. Varaždin pops up on most "Must-See" lists for Croatia, so we used the festival as an opportunity to walk around this old city located only an hour from Zagreb!
The castle in Varaždin is named the Old Castle. A neat walking path surrounds it, giving you a 360 view of the caste and a peek and different parts of the city. This festival is especially fun for kids; there were ropes courses, inflatable games, trampolines, etc. set up near the castle.
The old pedestrian part of town had different food stands, bars and booths set up. It was fun walking down old streets and enjoying the warm August weather. One of my hubs' best friends from college was visiting Croatia that weekend, so we took them along for a day of fresh air.
Although quaint, Varaždin is not my favorite continental city in Croatia. But, I have had one of my favorite street foods there. As we were walking to the car, we decided to try Langoš. Varaždin is situated very near the Hungarian border, and Langoš is actually a Hungarian dish. This pastry is deep-fried, fluffy inside and crispy outside and topped with a garlic, cheese aioli.
If you do you want to stop by this city, I recommend adding a little job over to Trakoščan as well. You will have a day full of history, cool architecture and fresh air.
