Čigoć is a small village in which more white storks than people are living. According to the number of nests, this place has the most numerous population of storks in Europe. In 1994, the European nature preservation foundation, the Euronatur has proclaimed Čigoć the first European village of storks.

Because of extraordinary good natural conditions in the village, white storks are nesting almost on each house or barn, and there are indeed more of them than people. Namely, in forty-five active nests live over two hundred storks, and in about seventy houses only about hundred and twenty villagers, speaking enough about the harmony of relations between men and nature in this area.

The village is situated in the Nature park Lonjsko polje and there you can watch the white storks from immediate vicinity, listen to their communication by clacking of bills, see parent-storks protecting with their wings their babies from sun or a fight of the chicken storks for some tasty bite. Each year, the last Saturday in June, in the village of Čigoć is a big celebration of the Stork day, with rich culture, recreation sports, entertainment and gastronomy events. There is a wooden house in the village arranged for an information and education centre of the Nature park, with a restored small traditional carpenter workshop. There you can also visit an ethno-exhibition of traditional tools and objects related to peasant households in the 19th and first half of the 20th century.

Čigoć is a winner of another very important prize. In 2003, the European association for flowers and environment, with the seat in Brussels, and in a competition of about 5700 European villages, awarded Čigoć a bronze plaque of “Entente Florale” for extraordinary atmosphere and environment.

Tourist Association of the Sisak and Moslavina County
www.turizam-smz.hr

Nature park Lonjsko polje
www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr