ESTUARY OF RIVER MURA
The estuary of Mura into Drava is name for a wider area of Međimurje and Podravina, located in northwestern Croatia. It consists of a natural estuary of the rivers and, because of continuous natural complex, belts of both rivers few kilometers upstream and downstream. The biggest part of the estuary is protected as a Special Zoological Reserve named Veliki Pažut. Due to the exceptional natural values, wider area of this estuary is also called Croatian Amazona.
The mouth of Mura is one of the last remaining and preserved lowland river systems in Europe. Both rivers are extremely upstream amended by regulation and hydroelectric power plants. Rivers, especially Drava, are unregulated and continually create new habitats and restore existing which maintains high biological diversity.
The area of this estuary is located on the northeast side of Legrad. It is interesting that Legrad was part of Međimurje before 1710, but then Drava changed course and "moved" Legrad to Podravina. Special Zoological Reserve Veliki Pažut is located physically in Međimurje (the left bank of the Drava), but belongs to the County of Koprivnica-Križevci.
At this very estuary you can also find well-known excursion site Halasz Csarda with SIP beach. There, members of the Ecological Society Legrad set seesaws and swings as well as also a volleyball court. Inhabitants of Legrad twice annually organize traditional ferry crossing to Hungary, to the church of St. Michael (Mihaly) on top of the hill. That part of Hungary used to be Croatian territory where a lot of locals on the hill, nearby the coast, had vineyards. People from Legrad still faithfully visit Hungary on the feast of St. Anne in July and St. Michael in September, recalling the time when this was their church.
To reach Halasz Csarda, you can also use a bike path called Drava Route that connects Drava from Legrad to Pitomača. Also in the area of the estuary you can find location of the New Zrin fort.