For two decades, at the end of August, Varaždin streets, squares, parks and palaces became the centre of entertainment. It is time for Špancirfest, one of the favourite street festivals in this part of Europe. For ten days the city counts hundreds of thousands of tourists from dozens of countries.

Špancirfest is an irresistible combination of music, theatre, street entertainers, gastronomy, enology and creativity. It is a festival that welcomes the children looking for educational and entertainment workshops, party lovers ready to stay awake for the whole night, as well as lovers of traditional and cultural heritage.

Over the years, Špancirfest has from a tree-day grown into a ten-day festival. There is almost no Croatian musician who in these days did not stand proudly on the Varaždin stage, and the list of foreign performers is more alluring year after year. With several stages in the days of the festival it is possible to listen to dozens of artists of different musical directions.

Street performers and acrobats with each new festival are becoming more entertaining, workshops for children and adults are becoming more creative, and the number of exhibitions is growing and becomes more enchanting. Hundreds of Croatian exhibitors present their products on the Varaždin streets, spreading the voice of the best indigenous delicacies, original toys and souvenirs, artworks and jewellery.

While Špancirfest cleverly follows the new generations, it never fails to dedicate its sense of tradition to the preservation of cultural heritage of its region, but also of the whole of Croatia. Thus, for example, the opportunity to exhibit and display works and art in the very heart of Varaždin is given every year to craftsmen - beekeepers, blacksmiths, weavers and hat makers.

During the festival, more than 200,000 litres of beer are consumed, one hundred thousand meals are served, and an average visitor walks 6.5 kilometres per day. Therefore, it is no wonder that Špancirfest is called a festival of walking, hedonism, art, tradition and contemporary creativity.