Zagreb Sightseeing Guide

The city has some interesting monuments (most of them well-known for their lovely architecture- good examples are church of St. Marko (with a distinctive coloured tiled roof and fine sculptures); St Stephen’s Cathedral with its twin spires and 13th century frescoes; and the beautiful Mirogoj cemetery, supposedly one of the most lovely in Europe- it has some very fine tombs. 

The Mestrovic Gallery & Atelier, one of the highlights of Zagreb is the art gallery devoted to the works of the renowned twentieth-century Croatian sculptor, Ivan Mestrovic. The sculptor was a native of Split, but some of his best works- including the famous `Woman by the Sea’ are in the Zagreb Gallery, which is located on the site of his workshop. Among the other items on display are sketches, photographs and representations of the artist’s work- worth a visit, especially if you’re keen on art.

Like the Mestrovic Gallery, the Mimara Museum is also named after one of Croatia’s natives- Ante Topic Mimara, whose excellent collection of art and archeological finds is housed in this museum. Although Mimara belonged to Zagreb, he spent much of his life in Austria, and during that time built up a considerable hoard of collectibles. The museum is a very good representation of works of art from all over the world- you’ll see Chinese art down the ages; Oriental carpets, Greek glass, and paintings by the European masters. All in all, a good place to get a feel of art at its best.

The original Archbishop’s Palace dated back to the 18th century, and had been described by someone as a `sumptuous Kremlin’; what you see today, ivy-covered towers and all, is a reproduction of the original, which was destroyed in 1880 in an earthquake. The building is today regarded as the centre of Croatian Catholicism (it's also the place where the Archbishop Stepinac- head of the Croat Church during World War II- is buried). The church is a large and imposing one, and is built in a rather opulent neo-Gothic style. Among the few medieval `treasures’ that still remain in the church, are 16th century benches and a painting of the Passion, part of which is attributed to Albrecht Durer.

One of Zagreb’s most famous- and best- art galleries, the Strossmayer Gallery is named after the Bishop Strossmayer, who had founded it in 1861. The gallery is regarded as a symbol of the Croatian Revival that took place in the late nineteenth century, and it’s certainly got a good collection of Croat art. The museum is housed in the gloriously designed Croatian Academy of Science and Art (an opulent building constructed in a style characteristic of the Italian renaissance), and has a permanent collection of some 250-odd works. Most of these are paintings that date back to about the 1300s to the 1800s- worth a look for any art enthusiast.

Also worth seeing are Zagreb’s many museums- among them the best ones are the excellent Museum of Zagreb, the ethnographic Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Historical Museum of Croatia- all good collections of exhibits relating to the history of the country and the city, with some foreign elements thrown in here and there.