Kerestinec, Residential settlement in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia.
Kerestinec is a settlement in the municipality of Sveta Nedelja, Zagreb County, made up of residential areas alongside Erdödy Castle and the parish church of the Holy Cross. The village also has local businesses, workshops and community facilities spread across a compact area.
In February 1573, government forces led by Gašpar Alapić defeated the rebels of the Croatian-Slovenian peasant revolt here, ending the uprising. Erdödy Castle takes its name from the Erdödy noble family, who held influence in this part of Croatia for several centuries.
The name Kerestinec comes from the Hungarian word 'kereszt', meaning cross, and this connection is echoed in the local parish church of the Holy Cross. The church and Erdödy Castle are the two buildings that shape the visual character of the village center.
Kerestinec sits close to Zagreb and is easy to reach by car or local bus through the Sveta Nedelja municipality road network. The castle and the parish church are both in the village center, so it is straightforward to visit them on foot in a single stop.
Erdödy Castle was used as a prison during the 20th century and was the site of a mass execution during World War II, a history that most visitors passing through the village do not expect. This past stands in sharp contrast to the ordinary daily life that surrounds the building today.
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