The Mato Lovrak Cultural Center in Veliki Grđevac offers an authentic return to childhood. Visitors can visit the memorial room of the famous writer, as well as legendary symbols of his works: the Mill of the Pero Kvržica Society and a real train in the snow with a steam locomotive. In addition to the Miller’s House, a children’s playground and ethnographic facilities, the Center brings literary classics to life every year through “Lovrak’s Days of Culture”, attracting a large number of students and literature lovers from all over Croatia.
Matešin Gallery is located in the village of Bojana, 7 km from Čazma, 25 km from Bjelovar and 60 km from Zagreb. Matešin Gallery is a cultural and tourist center consisting of; North and South Galleries with a permanent exhibition of Franjo Matešin’s works, a Library where the science fiction trilogy “Lost Dreams” is presented, a sales area with paintings and souvenirs, a terrace for cinema screenings, a container with a children’s playroom, a park with a playground, an Amphitheater with a Small History Museum, Sports Fields and the Garden of the Earth.
The Barutana Memorial Area is one of the particularly emotional places in Bjelovar. Located in the Bedenik forest, in the northwestern part of the city, it serves as a painful reminder of those who died and were injured in the defense of the city during the Homeland War. Barutana is also called the Hiroshima of Bjelovar as the large explosion left behind a 12 m deep crater and completely destroyed the forest within a radius of 60 m and damaged another 150 m of forest. The explosion occurred on September 29, 1991, in a final attempt by Croatian soldiers to seize the war reserve warehouse.
Bjelovar and the area of today’s Bjelovar-Bilogora County were affected by serious crimes after the end of World War II against opponents of the communist regime. One of the most famous execution sites is located in the Lug forest. The mass grave in Lug was completed in 2006. In a ceremony that same year, a memorial was unveiled to serve as a reminder of these tragic events and as a tribute to the victims.
“Outdoor Art Polygon – Graveyard of Past and Failed Projects” is an original work in progress by the internationally acclaimed and award-winning artist, bilingual poet and columnist Vlado Franjević, born in Martinac near Čazma in 1963. This project, constantly changing, upgrading and reformatting, is essentially a mini art park of about 200 m2. The place is pleasant to all senses and perfect for the joint dreaming of better times, for possible musical performances and recitals, but also a place where painted and written traces of societal criticism can be discovered.