“What Our Ancestors Ate” – Vrbovec, August 26–28, 2022

In Vrbovec, we have always known what our ancestors ate!

The unique tourist-culinary event “What Our Ancestors Ate” celebrates its 41st edition this year during the last weekend of August, under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, and organised by the Tourist Board of the City of Vrbovec.

As every year, visitors will be treated to an incomparable taste experience, savouring culinary delights crafted from traditional recipes that are part of the intangible cultural heritage of the Vrbovec region.

For three days, guests can explore richly laid tables in traditionally decorated cottages, where local custodians of heritage and tradition will serve dishes that reflect Vrbovec’s history and gastronomy. The “Rani Ruček” (traditional Vrbovec breakfast) will be prepared by women’s associations, while local caterers will serve carefully curated menus titled “Lunch from Grandma’s Pot” throughout the event.

This year’s featured ingredient is pumpkin, a nostalgic taste of the past. Members of thirteen women’s associations will prepare dishes for judging, with prizes awarded by renowned chefs Tomislav Špićek and Marko Lučić.

In addition to main courses, visitors can enjoy traditional desserts, from dry cakes, gibanica, and štrukli to the iconic Vrbovec Pera, a beloved dish protected as a Guaranteed Traditional Speciality.

The event also highlights flavours from the Far East, alongside culinary creations by local associations, hunters, fishermen, and firefighters.

Beyond gastronomy, visitors can enjoy a rich cultural program, including exhibitions, children’s performances, interpretative walks, historical tours, workshops, and sports competitions. Music will fill the air with performances by local bands and headliners such as Let 3, Halid Bešlić, and Slavonske Lole.

The opening ceremony begins Friday, August 26, at 7:00 PM. A detailed program is available on the web site City of Vrbovec Tourist Board.

Visit Vrbovec, a place where the richness and diversity of tradition are passed down through generations—through flavours, dialects, and customs.

Welcome to the 41st edition of the tourist-culinary festival “What Our Ancestors Ate”!