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Zagreb Attractions
DISCOVER THE PAST It's ancient cobblestone streets, majestic ruins, and landscaped promenade give insight into the past
Zagreb City Museum
Occupying the 17th century Convent of the Clares in Gradec, the Zagreb city museum is certainly a worthwhile for one to visit. Its permanent collection presents 4,500 artefacts tracing Zagreb’s history from prehistoric times. Themed sections include recent Iron Age finds, attractive walk through reconstructions of 19th century Ilica shops and study rooms of renown Croatian artists. Other captivating things include old packaging, watches and automatic music machines. You’ll even find Chagall’s Lady with a bird, once owned by a German actress who made Zagreb her home during World War II. Many exhibits are interactive and everything has been well documented in English. An intimate attic stages temporary shows. The sundial out in the courtyard is the Zagreb’s oldest and precise timepiece.
Croatian Historical Museum
The building that houses Croatia’s history is itself a part of that history. Located in the historical town centre, it is the beautiful Baroque palace, Vojkovic-Oršić-Rauch, built at the end of the 18th century and formerly the private residence of three successive baronial families. In the late 1930s the palace became the residence of Zagreb’s mayors, before being designated as a repository for the historical relics of the city. It currently houses more than 140,000 artefacts in various collections, from stone monuments to fine art, religious artefacts to heraldry. The exhibitions are not permanent but constantly changing so that all the collections get an airing
Boasting a rich cultural heritage that dates back to medieval days, Zagreb remains delightfully alluring. It's museums and art collections offer exhibits from around the whole world having considerable historical and artistic value
Mimara Museum
This museum was built as per project conceptualised by German company Ludwig-Hulsner while the construction was overseen by Zagreb architect Kune Waidmann. The museum was named after the art collector Ante Topic Mimara (1898-1987), who donated his collection to his homeland and the Croatian people. It consists of more than 3,750 pieces from various periods and regions. The archaeological section consists of almost 200 artefacts dating from prehistoric times, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Pre-Columbian America, Crete, Greece, Etruria, Rome and early medieval Europe.
Croatian National Theatre
The building housing the Croatian National Theatre is as much a national treasure as the world-class dramatic, opera, music and ballet productions that take place on its stage. Construction began on the theatre building in 1894. Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac painted the ceremonial curtain while Viennese artist Alexander Goltz decorated the ceiling of the auditorium. The building was officially opened by Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz-Joseph I at the end of 1895. The theatre is constantly busy with full performing arts programmes.
Croatian Museum of Naive Art
The collection of paintings is an excellent insight into Croatia’s naive art movement. A small permanent exhibit of colourful peasant life representations executed in the traditional way. A particular emphasis is given to Hlebine school, including works by the internationally famous Ivan Generalić and Ivan Lacković Croata. Guided tours are available if arranged in advance.
Galerija Klovićevi dvori
The high-profile gallery set in the stunning space of a former Jesuit monastery in Gornji grad is known for first rate temporary exhibits of well known local and international artists. Recent shows have focused on the Hlebine school of naïve art. China, Picasso, the Russian avantgarde and Dutch self-portraits.
Ivan Meštrović atelier
Ivan Meštrović is Croatia’s most internationally renowned sculptor. The collection is spectacular, representing major works from the artist’s prolific first four decades. Marble, stone, wood and bronze sculptures, as well as reliefs, drawings, and graphics grace two floors of the house, the front atrium and his atelier just off the ivy-covered courtyard. The venue’s dimly lit interiors are lined with beautiful wood panelling and exude an intimate ambience.
Highlights – Discover pockets of a modern city with a distinguished past
Trakosćan is a legendary 13th-century Gothic castle that was home to various influential families for centuries before finally falling into abandoned disrepair in the second half of the 18th century when it belonged to the Draskovic family. In the 1950s the castle was taken over by the state and turned into a living museum, reconstructing life in a medieval castle. Visitors can explore four levels, including the dungeon, and finish their exploration by enjoying the surrounding parklands.
See the Bloody Bridge where Zagreb’s medieval history was fought out. Spend the morning at the Dolac, Zagreb’s daily outdoor and indoor produce market. Take the funicular from Ilica to the Old city. Wander around the Botanical garden or Maksimir Park & ZOO. Go for a cycle around lake Jarun or ski down Sljeme (link to Croatia Ski CUP-Janica-later on). Observe some neat handiwork by Ivan Meštrović in the Cathedral, St Mark’s Church and his own Atelier. Catch a contemporary exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Galerija Klovićevi Dvori. Wander around the Monet & Rembrandts at the Mimara Museum or the Breughels and El Graecos at Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters.
Town Squares
Praška Street in the lower part of old Zagreb leads on to a sequence of attractive park squares, each flaunting their own attractions and definitely worth a walking tour. Zrinjevac Square features a music pavilion dating from 1895 and fountains, with the Archaeological Museum. This square also features a row of busts of distinguished Croatians and the palace of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences (1876), which houses the Strossmayer Gallery of old masters. On Strossmayer Square is a monument to bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, founder of the Academy, and several other historical buildings. Tomislav Square features the Art Pavilion, fronted by a monument to Croatian Renaissance painter Andrija Medulić. King Tomislav rises on horseback at the southern end of the square. Starčević Square is home to the City Library and gives access to the Botanical Gardens and Frane Bulić monument. In Marulić Square the University Library building stands as a magnificent example of Art Nouveau. Mimara Museum is located on Roosevelt Square, and the neo-Baroque Croatian National Theatre stands on Marshal Tito Square.
Andautonia Archaeological Park
Near the village of Ščitarjevo, close to Zagreb, are the remains of the ancient Roman town of Andautonia, which have been excavated and provide a fascinating tourist attraction. Andautonia was a prominent administrative, economic, cultural and religious centre about 400 years ago. Archaeologists are still excavating the site, but visitors can view a 26,910 square foot (2,500 sq m) area of the Roman City including parts of the main street, city baths, colonnades and side streets. Tourists can also visit the present-day village of Ščitarjevo, which offers examples of typical rural farms with their characteristic wooden houses.
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