Art Nouveau or Jugendstil is typical for Kaikavian region since it is a part of Central Europe.

But what is exceptional in European dimensions, and specific for Kaikavians, is the great amount of houses with Art Nouveau elements and facades in Kaikavian rural parts, even in remote villages! You can walk on the hills and valleys, and suddenly stumble into an Art Nouveau villa in the middle of vineyards or valley! This tells us about high level of housing and living culture in rural Kaikavian areas.
Such Art Nouveau houses cannot be found in neighboring villages in Hungary, and neither south of Kaikavian region. There are some in neighbouring Prekmurje region of Slovenia, which is logical since there were strong cultural bounds between Prekmurje and Kaikavian regions.

Art Nouveau houses in Kaikaviana range from Pokupje, over Prigorje, Turopolje, Zagorje, Međimurja until Podravina, and they present unique material heritage of Kaikavians, but have also a symolic meaning - when housing was about creating harmony and art.
These houses are so harmoniously integrated in Kaikavian villages that they became a part of Kaikavian tradition. On windows from outer side there are so called "širopoljke", wooden protection from weather conditions. They have all elements like the Jugendstil Villas in Vienna or buildings in Zagreb, ornaments and ceramics.

Sadly enough, Kaikavian rural Art Nouevau is totally ignored from governmental institutions that should take care of it.
As to our knowledge and answer from Museum for arts and crafts in Zagreb, they did not include any of these houses in the recent EU project covering Art Nouveau resources, thus taking this common heritage of Kaikavians and Europe away from public awareness.

On these pages we display this neglected but highly important Kaikavian, meaning also Croatian, heritage of Central Europe.

This is a call for safeguarding precious Kaikavian Art Nouveau heritage on broader level!