Must see sights

Coming to Varaždin means immersing yourself in its past, atmosphere and lifestyle, and of all the attractions you should definitely not miss these.

THE STARI GRAD CASTLE (OLD TOWN)

The central place of Varaždin’s identity is the monumental Stari Grad Castle, located in the very center of Varaždin.

Built, extended and rebuilt, architecturally refined by the legacy of styles from the 14th to the 19th centuries, the Stari Grad Castle was a noble estate, a military fortress, a Renaissance Wasserburg, and since 1925 it has housed the City Museum. The Stari Grad Castle complex with its powerful watchtower and the lawn on its former earthen bastions are extremely important in the minds of the people of Varaždin. People walk, hang out, fall in love and get lonely under the walls, and the Stari Grad Castle as the heart of numerous events – summer concerts and plays, winter ice rink and a toboggan run – continues to live a full life.

CITY HALL

The main town square is named after King Tomislav, but for the people of Varaždin it is simply Korzo. As befits a medieval town, which saw its architectural flourishing in the Baroque period, Korzo is located in the center of the historic core, surrounded by the sumptuous facades of palaces and civic houses, and the main attraction is the Town Hall. The Town Hall, along with the Stari Grad Castle, is a symbol of Varaždin. While the castle symbolizes the heritage, the elegant bell tower of the Town Hall is a sign of Varaždin’s eight centuries of civic freedom. Since the 16th century, when it got its current function, it has been the seat of the city administration.

PALACES AND CHURCHES OF THE HISTORICAL CORE

The historic core of Varaždin is like a time machine. The luxury and richness of European architectural styles are summarized in a relatively small area of the city center, which allows you to see and get to know them almost in a breath – palaces, houses and public buildings boast baroque, rococo, classicism, art nouveau, and all with medieval notes of the urban whole. This opulence and wealth are summarized in a relatively small area of the city core, which allows you to see and get to know them almost in a breath.

Particularly attractive are the facades of the elegant palaces – Drašković on Korzo itself, Patačić, which is a step further on Franjevački Square, where the Varaždin County palace and the Herzer palace are located, the palace of the Zagreb Kaptol in Draškovićeva Street and the Prassinsky-Sermage palace on the Miljenko Stančić Square.

An indispensable part of the fabric that makes Varaždin the architectural and historical pearl of continental Croatia are sacred buildings, and each of them has an interesting story. Varaždin churches host the Varaždin Baroque Evenings, they were once associated with places of education, and their medieval and baroque spaces preserve some of the most valuable heritage treasures.

THE CROATIAN NATIONAL THEATRE IN VARAŽDIN

Varaždin proudly displays the luxurious building of the Croatian National Theatre, which in many ways symbolizes the growth of the historical into a modern city. The historicist building of the theater was built on the site of the former city ramparts, and was built by the famous builder of numerous European theaters, Hermann Hellmer.

The Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin is a place where art, humanism and the spirit of freedom intertwine and connect in a unique combination that makes Varaždin a place of deep and developed civic culture.

THE VARAŽDIN CEMETERY

It sounds morbid, but it really isn’t. The Varaždin cemetery is a “must see”, and the people of Varaždin will definitely tell you about it. The city cemetery is the result of the incredible vision and desire of Herman Haller, a man who wanted to make the last resting place of Varaždin residents a park monument that their descendants, friends or admirers will be happy to visit. He completely succeeded in this because the Varaždin cemetery is not just a place of sadness but an elegant, shady oasis of peace, inspiration and contemplation.

Must see sights

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