Kalnik is a mountain located in the northwest of Croatia, with the largest part in the Varaždin County and a smaller part in the Koprivnica-Križevci County
To the northwest is Novi Marof, to the north is Ljubešćica and Varaždinske Toplice, to the northeast is Ludbreg, and to the south is Križevci. To the south, there are also the municipalities of Visoko, Gornja Rijeka, and Kalnik. The highest peak is Vranilac, at 643 meters, followed by the peak Peca at 624 meters, the peak Pusta Barbara at 460 meters, and the peak Škrinja at around 500 meters. On the southern side, below the Vranilac peak, is the village of Kalnik, with the parish church of St. Brcko. The summit rock itself is not forested. To the west of it are the ruins of the town of Mali Kalnik. In the rocky outcrop north of the village of Kalnik is the Old Town of Veliki Kalnik, located at 500 meters above sea level, built in the 13th century. It is known for Bela IV and the plum gatherers from the Kalnik villages, who brought food and plums under the walls during the siege, allowing it to survive the siege, and for which they were rewarded with noble charters (Kalnik Plum Gatherers). The mountain is a popular destination for hikers, climbers, paragliders, and other excursionists. West of the Old Town of Veliki Kalnik is the Kalnik mountain lodge at 480 meters above sea level, with accommodation and dining options. An asphalt road leads to it from the village of Kalnik. From the mountain lodge, numerous hiking trails and paths lead to various hiking destinations. In 1996, an educational trail was built and opened in June on Kalnik.
On the rocks of the old Old Town of Veliki Kalnik and the rocks north of the mountain lodge (7 teeth), one hundred climbing routes have been arranged, and from the plateau near the TV tower and the plateau west of the Vranilac peak, paragliders take off. To the east of the town of Veliki Kalnik stretches a rocky, mostly forested ridge called Kalnička greda, about 4.5 kilometers long, with peaks Vuklec (572 m), Podrevec (547 m), and Škrinja. Vuklec is a rocky peak covered with dense vegetation in its western part. Around the middle of Kalnička greda is a rocky peak called Podrevec, with a marked access trail from the Škrinja trail. The lowest peak, Škrinja (about 500 m), located at the easternmost part of Kalnička greda, is a roughly 80-meter-long bare rocky ridge offering beautiful views. It is accessible via a marked trail from the village mill in the village of Kalnik and from the mountain lodge on Kalnik.
To the east of Kalnička Greda lies the long valley of Vratno, which includes the remains of a former village, the Vratno hunting lodge (former gamekeeper’s house), and Rinkov (the old lime factory). The old Roman road runs through Vratno, cutting deeply into the mountain ridge, from an initial 200 meters to over 350 meters in height. The current road connects Vratno with Apatovec and Slanje, making it possible to reach Ludbreg and Koprivnica. Near the Vratno hunting lodge, a left turn provides access to the Glogovnica spring. About three hours and thirty minutes east of the Old Town of Veliki Kalnik is the mineral water spring near the village of Apatovec – Apatovečko Vrelo, which today is bottled under the name “Kapljice iz kalničkih izvora” (Drops from Kalnik Springs), and to the north are Varaždinske Toplice, indicating that active rocks lie beneath the mountain.
Of the total area of the municipality, 26.34 km², over 50% is covered by forests, with the remaining part consisting of meadows, pastures, arable land, and the mountain massif. The majority of the territory of the municipality of Kalnik lies at an altitude of 300 meters, characteristic of a hilly area, with the lowest point at 179 meters and the highest point at 643 meters, giving a height difference of 464 meters. Almost 70% of the territory is at an altitude higher than 400 meters, giving it specific climatic conditions.
The majority of the municipality of Kalnik is part of a protected landscape, as established in the Spatial Plan of the Koprivnica-Križevci County.
History
The Kalnik area has been inhabited for over 3000 years. The oldest known traces of human presence in this area were found at the Igrišće site, a clearing located beneath the highest peak of Vranilac, dating back to the Bronze Age. The settlement of Kalnik originated in the Middle Ages, in the 13th century, as a suburb (suburbium) beneath the Veliki Kalnik fortress, and it was known as Brezovica at that time. In 1367, Brezovica was granted the status of a “royal town” by King Louis I of Anjou, a status that was confirmed several times during the 14th century. Since it was exempt from the authority of the rulers of the Veliki Kalnik fortress, Brezovica served as the administrative center for the Kalnik one-settlement nobles (iobagiones uni sesionis). The peak of Brezovica’s development occurred at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, but by the second half of the 16th century, its importance began to decline due to the increasing Turkish threat affecting the entire area beneath Kalnik. Later, from the 17th century onwards, Brezovica, or Kalnik, would become just one of the larger settlements in the vicinity of Križevci.
Population
The area of the municipality of Kalnik covers an area of 26.34 km² and has a population of 1,588 people, which is 60.2 people per km². The municipality of Kalnik contains 8 settlements, all of which are rural. A review of the population movement by settlements (1948-2001)
Mayor of the Municipality of Kalnik: Mladen Kešer