Source: Croatian National Tourist Board – Ivo Biočina
Bjelovar
If you’re looking for a truly Croatian experience, look no further than being a digital nomad in Bjelovar.
A tiny town nestled in the countryside, Bjelovar offers a quieter destination, a walkable city with access to over 400km of cycling routes in the region.
Coworking (Updated 2021)
Bjelovar is improving their digital nomad infrastructure regularly, and for now you can contact the Tech Park to enquire about working space either there or hosted by a local IT firm such as Serengeti or Axess.
Community
Bjelovar offers a small community that makes you feel part of a family. With just over 40,000 in the town, it’s not hard to get to know people and be part of a diverse and safe community.
The tech community also runs an annual conference named B:IT.con and have meetups through the year, so keep an eye out for updates on their website.
What better way to get to know people than by hanging out at Piaf, ordering a coffee, knedl and getting some work done. Or later in the evening head to one of the local restaurants that serve the finest local, aged steaks, a regional specialty.
When the weekend rocks round, you have the opportunity to explore the region, and we’d recommend getting a bike to do so. What about a 50km ride to the first Bed and Bike Spa in Daruvar? Or you could hop on the train to a number of local destinations such as Zagreb, Virovitica or Koprivnica.
Living
Whether you’d prefer to live near a coworking space, or a bit further out, check what’s available on DNA Stay, our dedicated longer term rental website for digital nomads.
With the surrounding villages producing delicious, organic meat, fruit and veg, you will be in for a treat at the local market just outside the fortress walls. Make sure you try the local delicacy of Bjelovarski kvargl! If you don’t want to leave home then you can also order through Glovo or Wolt.
Connectivity
Bjelovar is located between Zagreb and Osijek, two other cities that you must visit whilst in Croatia. If you’re looking to visit any of these places then check out what Flixbus has to offer or check out the national train line.
Cycling is most definitely the best way to explore this whole region though, so check out this website to see the routes and where to rent a bike from if you don’t have your own.
To escape nationally, then you’ll have to head down to Zagreb to fly out.
A few other facts:
- Bjelovar was first mentioned in historical records in 1413
- Boasts twenty national ethnic minorities within the population
- Built as a fortress to defend against the Ottomans
Festivals worth checking out:
- Jazzica Fest
- DOKUart
- BOK Fest (Theatre)