Looking for a place off the beaten path in Croatia? Join photographer René Pronk in the discovery of the Zumberak region, located less than an hour from the capital Zagreb, adorned with rolling hills, hilltop villages, scenic rivers, and historical castles. A large portion of it is protected as a nature park and very much tourist-free, simply because it hasn’t been properly discovered yet.

The beauty and attraction of the Zumberak area lies in panoramic views, often above the morning fog which isolates hilltop churches or peaks, as well as old wooden houses whose inhabitants still live the traditional way. Many of them are descendants of uskoks, irregular soldiers originally from the Adriatic, invited by Emperor Ferdinand in the 16th century to protect the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the Ottomans.

This tour covers nature highlights, such as the Sopot waterfall, as well as historical items in the shape of the Ozalj castle and the true local way of life, present in remote villages. René is the right person to show you all this, as his knowledge of the area can get you into positions to shoot some incredible scenes.