Vukšin Šipak: Chapel, Estate History and Orienteering

Local cultural history and orienteering offer two specific themes to consider when planning your trip to Vukšin Šipak. The Chapel of St. Stephen and the Vukšin Šipak estate reflect the area’s historical connections; competitions held in 2023 add a sporting dimension. The wider areas of Jastrebarsko and Draganić also offer hiking, cultural and cycling activities.

Orienteering and Terrain

On 15 October 2023, the long-distance race of the 46th Stipica Mesić–Ačko Memorial took place in Vukšin Šipak as part of the Croatian Orienteering Cup. Another orienteering event that year was the 23rd Zagreb Open long-distance race, scheduled for 23 July 2023 in Krašić and Vukšin Šipak.

At the 2023 orienteering competition, the start was right next to the assembly point, and the warm-up took place on the football pitch. The Krašić III map was used. Eighty percent of the terrain had never previously been used for a competition. Traditionally, homemade products and food were offered in the finish area at the 2023 event.

The terrain around Vukšin Šipak is considered varied continental orienteering terrain. The forest is generally easy to traverse and mostly open; some sections have plenty of branches and undergrowth. Both the mostly open woodland and the sections with more branches and undergrowth are characteristic of the terrain.

Chapel, Estate History and Collection

The Chapel of St. Stephen was built towards the end of the 20th century. It is part of a local tradition of chapel-building that has been preserved to this day. This links a specific building with an enduring local building tradition.

In 1497 or 1498, Prince Bernardin Frankapan gave the Vukšin Šipak estate to Valentin Hotković. In 1621, King Ferdinand II confirmed the grant of the estate to Martin, Juraj, Gašpar and Franjo Hotković, as well as to the second Gašpar Hotković-Peharnik. The two dates mark the estate’s historical connections at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 17th century.

The ethnographic collection of the Jastrebarsko City Museum was also substantially enriched with numerous new museum objects donated by the Vukšin Šipak branch school. Thus, alongside the history of the estate, the origins of collection objects from the branch school are another cultural connection of the area.

Regional Hiking, Cultural and Cycling Activities

In the wider Jastrebarsko area, numerous marked hiking trails lead to Japetić and Plešivica. The Žitnica mountain lodge on Japetić offers meals, drinks and overnight accommodation. These hiking and lodge options are in the wider Jastrebarsko area.

In the wider Draganić area, the “Historical and Educational Trails Through the Draganić Forest” project covers ethnological and historical content as well as the flora and fauna of the wider Pokupsko basin. It is a tourism and community initiative. Vukšin Šipak is one of the villages in the regional context of the Draganić area.

The cycling loop route 40 starts and ends at Draganić railway station. It is 23.2 kilometres long and includes 12.2 kilometres of mostly good gravel track. The route details distinguish the loop’s total length from the stated gravel-track section.

Discover more destinations: Jastrebarsko

Go to the main travel overview: Općina Jastrebarsko.