In the area around the chapel of St. Helena and the castle of St. Helena the traditional International Knights Tournament will be held on the 16th and the 17th May.

With a dozen medieval encampments, model castles, medieval combat machines and knight combats the event offers numerous workshops about medieval cuisine, mint, archery, and the medieval inquisition. The tournament expects performances of many of the medieval knights from Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Portugal. The tournament is organized to commemorate the Battle of St.Helena, which is one of the most significant victories for the Croats over the Turkish conquerers. The battle was fought on 19th August 1557. on the plains along the river Lonja at the foot of St. Helena, in which the Croatian army, led by Captain Ivan Lenković, beat the superior Turkish army and forced it to flee.

The program will display the eve of the battle and one day in the life of Croatian peasants, craftsmen and soldiers, which was crucial in Croatian victory over the Turks. That day will bring together traditional crafts and craftsmen who will show their artefacts and their skills, and their protection will be ensured by a military camp, and soldiers equipped with replicas of medieval weapons.

In these camps, visitors will be able to see the full arsenal of medieval weapons, shields and metal costumes. If you get hungry, you will be soothed by hot gruel made of forgotten grain and goose flavored with honey prepared in a medieval way. In tournaments and competitions in Saint Helena you do not just have to be a spectator, you can join in the knights games, try out archery, drive a horse carriage or ride a horse.

Saint Helena is a village situated near the town of Sveti Ivan Zelina in the northeastern part of the Zagreb County, which is about 30 km from Zagreb.

The Tourist Board of Zagreb County
www.tzzz.hr

The Tourist Board of Sveti Ivan Zelina
www.tz-zelina.hr