Vuglec Breg: The Hilltop Winery & Restaurant Near Zagreb Locals Love

Staying at Vuglec Breg

Vuglec Breg has six traditional Zagorje-style houses on the property that have been fully renovated for guests, and they are absolutely adorable.

Each one has a proper Zagorje name: Dragec, Mica, and others that sound like they belong to the grandparents of everyone who grew up around here (Dragec, for the record, is my grandfather’s name, so I have a soft spot for it).

The houses sit on the hillside overlooking the valley, and they feel simultaneously old and completely comfortable with traditional architecture and fresh interiors (no compromises on the things that matter).

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Guests also have access to the infinity pool, which looks out over the hills of Zagorje and is, predictably, stunning. You can also rent e-bikes by the hour or by the day to explore the surrounding wineries and countryside at your own pace.

How to Get to Vuglec Breg From Zagreb

Getting to Vuglec Breg is easy, but you’ll definitely need a car. This is not public transport territory, and honestly, the drive through Zagorje is part of the experience.

The road winds through the kind of countryside that makes you wonder why you ever bothered going to the coast: rolling green hills, vineyards, little “vikendicas” (weekend houses) sprinkled on the hillsides, church steeples poking through the trees. It is so incredibly scenic.

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The Food: Traditional Zagorje at Its Best

The restaurant at Vuglec Breg is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant serving traditional Zagorje cuisine. This is the food people in this region have been eating for generations, made well, served in a setting that matches it perfectly.

A few things you absolutely cannot skip:

Zagorska juha: Start with soup. Either the pumpkin soup (juha od buće) or the cream of mushroom (krem juha od gljiva).

Patka s mlincima: This is the dish. Duck, slow-cooked until it falls apart, served with mlinci, a type of flat, unleavened pasta that’s been soaked in the duck’s cooking juices until it absorbs all that flavor.

Teleća koljenica: Veal shank braised until it’s impossibly tender, served with roasted potatoes and vegetables. The kind of thing that requires no embellishment.

Before your mains, order the Zagorje platter, a charcuterie-style board loaded with local smoked meats, sausages, and cheeses.

Get it with their homemade bread and a side of sir i vrhnje (a fresh cheese and sour cream mixture, almost like a dip, that’s completely addictive). This combination alone is worth the drive.

And you absolutely cannot leave Vuglec Breg without eating štrukli. They’re made from fresh cottage cheese and dough, baked with sour cream, and they’re rich and pillowy and perfect.

I prefer sweet štrukli, and most places in Zagorje serve them savory, including Vuglec Breg. But ask your waiter for the sweet version and they’ll bring you local honey to drizzle on top!

When planning your visit to Vuglec Breg, you’ll definitely want to make a reservation in advance, especially if you’re visiting over the weekend as they get very busy.

The sweet spot for a reservation is 12:30 PM on a weekend, it’s right before the lunch rush so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your meal before the restaurant fills up and then you can move over to chill on the sun loungers (more on that below).

Vuglec Breg Winery & Wine Cellar

The wines at Vuglec Breg have won many awards, and once you taste them, you’ll understand why.

My personal favorites are their Passion (a red that’s smooth and very pitko as we say in Croatian, meaning it’s “easy to drink”) and their Sauvignon that is crisp, fresh, and everything a good Sauvignon should be.

All guests can visit the wine cellar as a complimentary part of the experience, and I’d encourage you to take them up on it. It’s a lovely space and the staff are happy to walk you through what they make (Vuglec produces 50,000 liters of wine per year, for the record).

If you want to go deeper, you can also book a proper wine tasting to sample their range with some guidance. Worth it if you’re a wine person.

After Lunch: The Sun Loungers

This is the part I always look forward to most!

After lunch, head down to the sun loungers arranged on the hillside facing the the hills of Zagorje. The view is one of the most beautiful in Croatia, and that’s saying something in a country where incredible views are basically the standard.

Rolling green hills as far as you can see, no crowds, and the sound of birds chirping.

Order something from the picnic bar (drinks, cocktails, coffee, and yes, also crepes, if you have any room left after everything you just ate) and settle in for a couple of hours. There’s nothing else to do and that is the whole point.

A Note on Prices at Vuglec Breg

Vuglec Breg is not a budget lunch stop. Mains run around 30€ per person, and with appetizers, wine, and dessert, a full lunch for two will cost you.

If you’re trying to get a sense of what things cost in Croatia before your trip, this is on the higher end, but it’s also not an everyday lunch spot.

This is where you go when you want to treat yourself to something special. Think of it as a proper occasion: a long, unhurried lunch in the Croatian countryside, with wine, great food, and a view that will absolutely end up as your phone wallpaper.

For that, the price makes complete sense.

Final Thoughts

Croatia’s coast gets all the attention, and yes, the Adriatic is as beautiful as everyone says. But Zagorje is where you go when you want to understand what Croatian life actually looks like.

Vuglec Breg is a perfect distillation of that: a family story, a piece of the region’s history that could have been lost and wasn’t, and one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a day trip from Zagreb.

Go hungry, go with people you like sharing a bottle of wine with, and don’t plan anything for the rest of the afternoon.