Town Djurdjevac

Đurđevac, a town in the region of Podravina, 25 km southeast of Koprivnica. The major attraction of this small town is the very well preserved Stari Grad, with an art gallery, a beerhouse and a restaurant in the rustic style. The parish church of St. George, after which Durđevac was named, and the square of the same name dominate the centre of the town.

At the eastern exit of the town there is a protected nature monument - the botanical reserve Durđevacki Pijesci, popularly called the Sahara of Podravina. Its major attractions are endemic plant species of the Pannonian Plain.

When no more food remained within the fortress walls but a single cockerel, the people of Đurđevac devised a desperate plan. They fired their last bite of food at the Turkish army out of a cannon. Ulama Beg fell for their plan and, seeing that the defenders are shooting cockerels from their cannons, convinced they have an inexhaustible supply of food, he pulled his army back. While retreating, he put a curse on the people of Đurđevac, referring to them as cockerels.

Towards the end of June, the folk of Đurđevac locals celebrate this legend by a unique outdoor stage performance. It takes place at the authentic location, in the place where the legend actually happened, and it involves hundreds of extras, cultural amateurs, horsemen and professional actors. This event has been given the status of a non-material cultural good of Croatia.