Author: Ena Gladović, Osnovna škola grofa Janka Draškovića Klenovnik
I live in Klenovnik. It’s a small town in the northern part of Croatia. Klenovnik is a beautiful little town to live in and to visit. The most recognizable thing in Klenovnik is definitely a huge castle in its centre. Today, the castle does not serve as a museum. One of the most well – known hospitals for pulmonary disease and tuberculosis is located in the castle.
People who live in Klenovnik are the nicest you can ever imagine. They will greet you no matter who you are. They will talk to you and ask you if you need help.
They mostly work in agriculture and the topic of every conversation are weather problems and good and bad sides of agriculture. The weather is pretty good for living and farming. We have hot summers and cold winters. In spring, people mostly work outside because they have many outer chores. Those chores may look a bit hard. But, sowing vegetable seeds in the garden, buying little chickens, plowing fields, digging up garden beds in spring, harvesting fruit trees and working in the vineyard can be very exciting. If you ask me the best thing that can happen to you is to lie down under the big blossoming tree and relax.
My school is a kind of a school which does its best in preserving folk customs and tradition. There is a student group that promotes our most popular product ”Licitarsko srce” which is under the UNESCO protection. And I’m really proud to say that I am a part of it because I know how important is to care about the tradition and it makes me very happy when someone realise how much hard work was done to preserve that tradition.
The food in Klenovnik is really good. Since a lot of people grow their own vegetables or breed animals, a lot of products are homemade. The most popular dish of this part of Croatia is ”štrukli”. It’s a kind of a strudel with grated cheese. Actually you can try “štrukli” in almost every Croatian region but they are never the same. Young girls try to learn how to make them from their grandmothers, they start learning when they are very young. That’s why they are made with so much love and care that when you taste them, it’s like heaven.
My village is famous for an event that I’m sure vegetarians or animal protectors would not like or even approve; it’s called ”kolinje”. It takes place in winter. The whole family and friends gather around and they kill a pig. Even though this sounds so bad it’s actually a normal thing here to do. Actually, everybody is excited about delicious hams, sausages or other kind of dried meat that will come out of “kolinje”. ”Gulaš”,”odojak” and ”purica s mlincima” are also traditional and popular dishes. Homemade cherry or Elderflower juice, peach, plum or strawberry jams are some of the things that are still prepared at home and they are one of my favourite. Adults also enjoy an alcoholic drink ”žgunica”. It’s made of plum or pear. I still remember how my grandpa used to make this with a giant machine.
I should not forget to mention that almost everyone here has their own ”kljet”. It is a little cottage surrounded with vineyards. Kljet would not be right without a wine cellar. I love to spend summertime in my dad’s ”kljet”, because spending time there can be so comfy and inspirational sometimes.
Most people in Klenovnik try not to worry too much. They enjoy small things and they spend their time in a quality way. Adults love to throw parties. While our parents are at the local party, my friends and I go on long walk and we’re exploring our town, we listen to songs and sometimes we just sit on the road and talk a lot.
Specialty about our people is that they are very generous. I promise you, if come to visit me you won’t feel uncared or lonely. In fact you will feel like a King.
The nature here is beautiful. There are many roads perfect for taking a walk with your friends during the whole year. There are also many forests with chestnuts trees, so in autumn people often collect chestnuts. Once they’ve been cooked or roasted they are the tastiest thing ever.
Riding a bike down undiscovered roads, picking flowers or just running through meadows in spring, stealing fruit from other people’s trees or eating roasted corn with your friends in summer, feeding little animals, sledding with your friends in winter are just some of the fun things you can do here.
I’m really happy and proud that I am growing up in here. Klenovnik is awesome little town with an amazing people.
I would totally recommend everyone to visit this little heaven. Not just because I live here, but because I think that the smallest and the simplest things can change people’s lives, they can relax and enjoy themselves as they could never even imagine.
