The topic of the work is „Development of cultural tourism in rural areas.“ The paper emphasizes the development of cultural tourism in the rural areas of Zagreb County. This county is rich in both natural and cultural resources. This is precisely why it represents an excellent area for the development of cultural tourism. The aim of the paper is to analyze the relationship between cultural heritage and rural tourism, and to show the specifics and potentials of cultural tourism development in rural areas using examples. In order to obtain information about the relationship between cultural heritage and rural tourism in the Republic of Croatia, research was conducted. The research results show that cultural heritage is a fundamental element for attracting tourists to Zagreb County, and that it has great potential for the development of cultural tourism. Croatian rural areas are struggling with population depopulation, and certain measures should be taken to 'revive' these areas. Namely, in numerous rural areas, both abroad and in the Republic of Croatia, there are numerous cultural resources that tourists would like to visit. The author of the paper elaborated a cultural route called „History Trails of the Zagreb County.“ Visitors would enjoy seeing the castles, tasting local food, and buying souvenirs. By purchasing a souvenir, each buyer would be given a map of Zagreb County, with marked hiking routes, to encourage them to come again. Culture is a strong factor in tourism. In recent times, an increasing number of tourists are motivated precisely by culture. Cultural tourism in rural areas offers tourists the opportunity to expand their knowledge about the culture of a certain destination, but also to enjoy a clean area where there are no city crowds.