OLD TOWN VELIKI KALNIK
The most impressive part of the Kalnik mountain is the area below the highest peak of Vranilec, where bare limestone rocks from the Mesozoic period erupt on the surface in the upper part of the Kalnik oak. There is also the complex of the old town of Veliki Kalnik, from which one of the most beautiful views of the rolling landscape of Prigorje opens to the south and southeast. The view of the excursionists is still captivated by the remains of the towers that merged with the steep rocks of St. Catalina. These are the same towers that became the first obstacle to the Mongol campaign of 1241, their conquest of this part of the world. "And when the view turns down the slope", as Kukuljević wrote, "the villages of Kalnik nobles have been scattered since time immemorial, who, according to Croatian custom for over six hundred years as free, independent parishioners, ruled themselves under their special Kalnik prefect". An old legend about Kalnik plum growers encouraged Šenou to write the work "Šljivari" and Mayer to write his historical novel "Mongols in Croatia". History records that the Mongols came under Veliki Kalnik in the autumn of 1241. Unable to win it on the assault, they decided to starve the defenders, led by the heroic prince Filip Bebek, through a long siege. Hunger and constant attacks exhausted them more and more. In the most critical moments, the local wisdom and courage come to the fore. This is how the legend is created, which reads as follows:
“In the darkness of the night, when the Mongol guards dozed off and thus reduced their attention, some human shadows with branches on their backs approached the city walls. To the general surprise of the defenders, who were watching all this from the high towers, expecting some new Tatar hoax, they flew towards the walls of a plum branch rich in fruit. Then they realized that the people feed, support and help them. This was repeated several times. Juicy plums gave them strength and to the astonishment of the Mongols, the famine did not exhaust the defenders of the city. Therefore, the Tatars gave up further siege and moved on to the Adriatic in pursuit of King Bela IV. When the Mongols were defeated on the Grobnik field, King Bela IV, according to legend, declared the inhabitants of the Kalnik region - nobles, who were soon mockingly called - nobles - plums by their seducers, especially the purgers of Križevci.