About the municipality
The Municipality of Sveti Đurđ is a local self-government unit located in the eastern part of Varaždin County. It borders the Municipality of Martijanec to the west, the Town of Ludbreg to the south, Međimurje County to the north, and the Municipality of Veliki Bukovec to the east.
According to the 2021 census, the Municipality has 3,326 inhabitants, which makes up 2.09% of the total population of Varaždin County (159,487). Given the determined area of the Municipality of 45.7 km² and the number of inhabitants established by the 2021 census (3,325 people), the population density amounts to 72.76 inhabitants/km². In some settlements, it is significantly higher. The most densely populated settlement is Obrankovec, with 293.33 inhabitants/km², while the least densely populated settlement is Hrženica, with 51.38 inhabitants/km².
The territory of the Municipality belongs to the wider lowland area of the natural-geographical and macromorphological unit of the Pannonian Plain, which also includes the territory of eastern Croatia.
Welcome to the Municipality of Sveti Đurđ
The Municipality of Sveti Đurđ is located in the eastern part of Varaždin County and includes nine settlements: Sveti Đurđ, Hrženica, Komarnica Ludbreška, Luka Ludbreška, Priles, Obrankovec, Karlovec Ludbreški, Sesvete Ludbreške, and Struga. According to the 2021 census, it has 3,326 inhabitants within an area of 45.7 km².
Sveti Đurđ is the administrative center of the Municipality, with about 550 residents. The settlement features the Municipality building housing the post office and medical offices, an elementary school, a kindergarten, a church, shops, a hospitality venue, and a community center.
Hrženica is a settlement with around 760 inhabitants, located along an old Roman road. It is known for the Church of St. Florian, built in 1857, and has a community and fire station, shops, hospitality venues, and a well-maintained cemetery.
Karlovec Ludbreški
Is a village in the lowlands of Ludbreška Podravina, originally centered around a local square with four streets. It expanded southward in the 20th century along the Sesvete–Sveti Đurđ road. The village has about 478 residents (2021), a fire station, and a new community center near the main crossroads.
Komarnica Ludbreška
Is located in the western part of the Municipality and has about 145 inhabitants according to the 2021 census. Public facilities in Komarnica include a community center and a fire station.
Luka Lubreška
Is located next to Komarnica, separated only by the road to Hrženica. It was first mentioned in 1360 under the name Lonka.
Historical records note that the village was devastated by the Turks during their invasions but was later rebuilt by settlers from the Ludbreg estate.
The name Luka is believed by some to mean “meadow by the water.”
Today, according to the 2021 census, the village has around 200 inhabitants. Public facilities include a community center, a newly built futsal and basketball court, and a wayside cross.
Obrankovec
Was first mentioned in historical records in 1495 as Obrankowcz, in the 16th century as Obrankowczy, and from the 17th century as Obrankovec. The origin of the name is uncertain and requires further research. According to the 2021 census, Obrankovec has 113 inhabitants.
Priles
Is a very old settlement. It was recorded as Perlecz in the 1495 Thuroczy estate census and mentioned as Prelez a hundred years later. Since 1682, the settlement has been known as Priles. The name may have several explanations—for example, the nearby shallow riverbed of Plitvica served as a crossing point, which could relate to the original name Prelaz, meaning „crossing.“ (Source: Records of Ludbreška Podravina, Franjo Novak, p. 110.)
Sesvete Ludbreške
Is located along the Sigetec–Struga road on the left bank of the Plitvica River. It is a lowland-type settlement with a main street and several side streets, but it does not have a distinct village center. A community center is built in the southern part of the village. Near the crossroads stands the Chapel of All Saints, and there is also the building of the former elementary school. The village mainly consists of newer buildings, with only two dilapidated houses over 100 years old.
Struga
is a settlement located in the lowland area of Ludbreška Podravina, near a large branch of the Drava River. The village has a compact, irregular shape with a village square. Houses are built on both sides of the village streets. In the center, there is a community center, the chapel of St. Anne and St. Barbara, and a shop located in the building of the former elementary school.
Transport Connections
The Municipality of Sveti Đurđ is favorably located near Ludbreg and well connected to the main regional roads. However, due to its peripheral position by the “HE DUBRAVA” reservoir, it lies outside the main road and rail corridors. It is connected to Međimurje County via the bridge in Hrženica and the Ludbreg–Hrženica–Prelog road, with motorway access through the Ludbreg interchange on the A4.
Cultural landmarks of the municipality
The parish of Sveti Đurđ has existed since time immemorial, with no precise founding date known, which is common for all parishes in the Zagreb Archdiocese. The earliest mention of the parish appears in the 1334 Kaptol Statutes as „ecclesia s. Georgii,“ referring to Sveti Đurđ. The oldest named parish priest is Albertus, documented in 1501, with the parish seat called Trnje, a name used for a long time without explanation.
After 1507, the parish is not mentioned until 1600, likely due to devastation during the Turkish wars which left it without a priest and with fewer believers. In 1659, records show the parish church had 69 forints in cash, land holdings, three altars, a choir, a bell tower built in 1641, and a cemetery. The priest then was Simeon Stanić.
The current church was built between 1768 and 1775 and consecrated in 1775. Later canonical visitations provide detailed reports on the church and parish conditions, including parishioners’ obligations and church finances.
In the 1980s, significant restoration efforts began, notably the construction of a new chapel of St. Anne in Struga, led by priest Pavao Markač. Since 1991, parish priest Vladimir Stolnik has overseen further renovations including electrical upgrades, electrification of church bells, and building a new parish house, consecrated in 1994.
Major renovations of the parish church included moisture repairs, new granite flooring, marble altar and baptismal font, repainting, and new oak pews with carved sides. Church furnishings and artwork were restored, and older pews were repurposed for smaller chapels.
In August 2004, priest Vlado Borak became the new spiritual leader of the parish.
The annual parish feast, known as “Đurđevo,” is celebrated on St. George’s Day, April 23rd, or the first Sunday thereafter.
School and kindergarten
In the center of the settlement of Sveti Đurđ is the Elementary School Sveti Đurđ, attended by around three hundred children.
The “Suncokret” Children’s Kindergarten
started operating in November 2020 with the goal of meeting the need for preschool childcare in Sveti Đurđ. It is the only kindergarten in the municipality, which is also its founder. The construction of the kindergarten was financed by funds from the European Social Fund (ESF), adhering to all national and pedagogical standards.
In the 2022/23 school year, 85 children residing in the Municipality of Sveti Đurđ and surrounding areas were enrolled in the “Suncokret Sveti Đurđ” Kindergarten. The regular ten-hour program is conducted in four educational groups (nursery, younger, mixed, and older – preschool).
Besides the regular ten-hour program, the kindergarten offers a free English language program for preschoolers, a Catholic religious education program, a kinesiology activities program, and workshops for gifted children.
The children are cared for by eight educators, a pedagogue, and a health supervisor. A cook employed at the kindergarten ensures proper, healthy, and balanced nutrition through four daily meals, supported by two cleaners.
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