Muzej Međimurja Čakovec

About the museum

Muzej Međimurja Čakovec was founded on 19 February 1954 as Gradski muzej Čakovec (City Museum of Čakovec) and began work that March. From the start it was conceived as a comprehensive local heritage museum collecting material exclusively from the Međimurje region. The administration moved to the premises of the Stari grad (Old Town) in Čakovec in September 1954; the museum opened to the public on 29 May 1955 and received its present name in 1965.

The Stari grad Zrinskih, a fortress with a four-winged palace in the centre of Čakovec, is protected as a cultural and historical monument, and the museum has owned it since 1962. After the grammar school moved out of the palace in 1967, the permanent displays gradually moved to the first and second floors of the central building. The museum also manages the birthplace of the painter Ladislav Kralj Međimurec, where a memorial collection has been housed since 1979, and the archaeological site of a former Pauline monastery with the Chapel of St Helena in Šenkovec.

The holdings comprise around 25,000 objects arranged in 51 collections, including archaeological, ethnological, historical, technical, natural history and art pieces. Because of the renovation of two wings of the palace, the permanent displays of the archaeology, ethnography, cultural history and history departments are closed. Visitors can see the display on the Zrinski family, the art gallery and the Treasury of Međimurje (Riznica Međimurja), a museum of intangible heritage in the restored fortifications of Stari grad.

Highlights

• Display “Zrinski i čakovečki Stari grad” (Zrinski and Čakovec Old Town) on the noble family that resided in Čakovec in the 16th and 17th centuries
• Art gallery with collections of works by Međimurje and Croatian contemporary artists from 1928 onwards
• Riznica Međimurja, a multimedia museum of intangible heritage with the displays “Stoljeća utvrde” (Centuries of the Fortress) and “Minijature” (Miniatures)
• Memorial collection of Ladislav Kralj Međimurec in the painter’s birthplace
• Chapel of St Helena in Šenkovec with remains of the Pauline monastery

Permanent exhibitions

• Zrinski i čakovečki Stari grad – Display on the second floor of the south-eastern wing of the palace on the rise and daily life of the Zrinski family and the development of the Čakovec fortress.
• Likovne zbirke – On the first floor almost 400 paintings, prints and sculptures from seven collections are on show, mainly works by artists connected with Međimurje.
• Riznica Međimurja – Multimedia museum of intangible heritage with the display “Stoljeća utvrde” on the ground floor and “Minijature” on the first floor.

Founded

1954

Director

Maša Hrustek Sobočan

Admission & discounts

The €6 ticket is valid for the permanent display in the palace, or for the Riznica Međimurja, or for the Memorial collection of Ladislav Kralj Međimurec, or for St Helena in Šenkovec. A combined ticket is valid for the palace and the Riznica Međimurja.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The Riznica Međimurja is accessible to people with reduced mobility as well as to blind and partially sighted people: ramps instead of stairs, a lift for four people, lifting platforms, toilets for persons with disabilities, 184-metre guide lines, tactile floor plans, a brochure in Braille and a free audio guide for blind and partially sighted visitors (60 entries in Croatian, English, German and Hungarian). Guide dogs are permitted. Persons with disabilities who come alone can request a free escort from staff in advance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

The Riznica Međimurja has a children’s area (play room), and the museum offers workshops and school programmes. The display on the Zrinski family includes an interactive app for young people.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Riznica Međimurja has a souvenir shop on the ground floor and a museum café with a terrace on the first floor; the café can be entered without a museum ticket.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

The following spaces can be rented: the palace courtyard, the Exhibition Salon, the Hall for Ceremonial Occasions (wedding room, 50 seats), the Museum Information Centre (50 seats), the courtyards and the multimedia hall of the Riznica Međimurja. Hire is possible only when no ambient exhibitions are installed in the space.

Plan your visit