Spomenik Hrvatskoj Himni

Spomenik Hrvatskoj Himni, the Monument to the Croatian National Anthem, stands at Zelenjak, a hamlet near Klanjec in the Zagorje hills, on the road toward Kumrovec close to the Slovenian border. It recalls the origins of Lijepa naša domovino, Our Beautiful Homeland, the song that is now the national anthem of Croatia. The words come from a poem called Horvatska domovina, by the writer Antun Mihanović, first published in 1835, and the melody is by Josip Runjanin, so the monument stands for a moment in the history of Croatian national awakening.

Mihanović was a poet and a civil servant who lived for a time in this part of Zagorje, and the monument marks his link with the area. It was built in the 1930s, in 1935, at the time of the hundredth anniversary of the poem's publication, and its unveiling is remembered as a large public event, with crowds travelling from across the country to take part. Monuments of this type, with stone plinths, inscriptions and symbolic figures, were a common way of honouring national culture at the time, and this one has the solemn, simple character of its period.

The monument sits by the road, in a green landscape of meadows, orchards and wooded hills, so a visit is easy and short. There is no ticket, no fixed opening time and no staff, and it can be seen at any time of day. It makes a natural pause on a drive between Klanjec and Kumrovec, and many cultural tours of Zagorje include it for the story it tells. The surroundings are quiet, and in spring and autumn the colours of the hills make a good setting for photographs. Read the inscription, if you can, to see how the anthem is presented as part of the nation's heritage.

The area offers other places that add to the picture. Klanjec is the home of the sculptor Antun Augustinčić, and the Antun Augustinčić Gallery (Galerija Antuna Augustinčića) shows his work, while the hilltop Cesargrad, a medieval castle site, is a short drive away. In Kumrovec, the Old Village Museum shows traditional rural life in the Zagorje region and includes the house where Josip Broz Tito was born.

The monument suits history lovers, travellers interested in national symbols and anyone driving through Zagorje. Plan a stop of ten to twenty minutes and combine it with the museum and gallery nearby.