Maybe you won’t get to know and experience all the charms of Varaždin in 24 hours, but a well-planned day will allow you to visit all its most important sights and peculiarities, feel the lifestyle of the people of Varaždin and the atmosphere that reigns in the streets. Saturday is the ideal day to discover everything that makes Varaždin unique.
VARAŽDIN CITY MARKET
Most Varaždin residents start their Saturday mornings at the Varaždin City Market, which is not only a location for buying proven, domestic products, which were still in the gardens and fields just a few hours earlier, but also an unavoidable place to meet and socialize. On Saturday mornings, the offer and visits are the largest, and the square is an unavoidable meeting point where friends meet, exchange recipes, and comment on current events. Visit the famous Varaždin Plac, where you will get a great feel of the everyday life of the people of Varaždin.
COFFEE WITH A VIEW
After shopping at the city market, walking through the city center and enjoying a coffee in a favorite cafe is another indispensable Saturday ritual for the people of Varaždin. For a relaxing coffee, choose one of the locations with a view, such as the charming Miljenko Stančić Square, which offers a beautiful view of the walls of the Stari Grad Castle, the city cafe on Korzo (Trg kralja Tomislava), which is dominated by one of the oldest city halls in Europe, or one of the terraces surrounded by greenery in the Vatroslav Jagić Promenade, which provide a saving shade on hot summer days.
MUSICAL SATURDAY
Varaždin Saturdays from mid-May to the end of September are peppered with music at every turn. While walking through the streets and squares of the first Croatian UNESCO city of music, enjoy music from the balcony (County Palace on Franjevački Square from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Sermage Palace on Miljenko Stančić Square from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.), a special experience on Korzo will be made by music from the music camper (from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). Famous works of classical music and popular musical themes from movies that you may first hear with the sacred space resound through the Varaždin Cathedral on Saturday morning, performed by Višeslav Jaklin on the grandiose organ (from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).
SQUARE OF TRADITIONAL CRAFTS
In this hidden space opposite the Ursuline Church, the guardians of the Varaždin tradition present and sell their products – a blacksmith, a shoemaker, a hatter, a beekeeper, a potter, and there is also a souvenir shop. All of them present somewhat forgotten skills and promote indigenous products. Here you can buy various honey products, mint a lucky coin, get various useful ceramic items or souvenirs, renew your wardrobe with a new hat or cap, shoes, bags… and on Saturdays from mid-May until September from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. traditional culture workshops are held, often accompanied by a musical stage program. (The market of traditional crafts is open from April to October, and the working hours are from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
CHANGING OF THE GUARD OF THE VARAŽDIN CIVIC GUARD
The role of the Varaždin Civic Guard throughout history has been the protection of the city walls and its citizens, and today the Purgari are a real attraction that preserves the identity and tradition of Varaždin. On Saturdays from April to September, don’t miss the ceremonial changing of the guard from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in front of the Town Hall on Korzo, and then head with the Purgars to the Stari Grad Castle, where exactly at noon their loud cannon shot rings out, the string of which is pulled every Saturday by one of the deserving Varaždin residents.
OLD TOWN
Everything is close in Varaždin, including the main sights that you simply must not miss. The most famous image of Varaždin, its most recognizable part is the Old Town – castle. Take a walk along the ramparts, Štrosmajer’s Promenade, experience this imposing fortress outside its walls, and then step into its interior, which today serves as the City Museum. (The museum exhibit is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
The Varaždin City Museum has its displays in a total of three beautiful historical buildings, in addition to the Old Town, the Sermage Palace houses the Art Gallery, and the “World of Insects” in the Herzer Palace is one of the most valuable entomological collections in Croatia (All museum displays on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.).
HISTORIC CITY CENTER
Continue exploring Varaždin by walking through the city center filled with the splendor of architectural styles. You will discover numerous palaces, villas, a wealth of sacred heritage with 11 churches, seven bell towers and three monasteries, hidden angels in the magical “Anđelinjak” on Franjevački Square, flats that were once the trade mark of craftsmen, and you will come across a number of other artistic interventions.
MUSEUM OF ANGELS
Stop at Kranjčevićeva Street at number 14. The wealth of cultural and historical heritage, but also valuable collectors and creative people are responsible for numerous museum attractions. Did you know that Varaždin has its “secret” inhabitants that you can meet at every turn, and most of them are in the Museum of Angels, an author’s project by the artist Željko Prstec. In addition to the museum’s permanent exhibition, in the Rajski vrt (Garden of Eden), view the exhibition of art installations. (The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and by appointment).
GASTRO RESPITE
Take a break during your sightseeing and enjoy the gastronomic delicacies, numerous restaurants await you with a rich offer of indigenous dishes and invite you to treat yourself to a real Varaždin feast.
VARAŽDIN CEMETERY
You should not leave Varaždin without visiting the most beautiful cemetery in this part of Europe, which is not only the final resting place of many famous and unknown Varaždin residents, but also an outstanding example of park architecture and a monument of nature. Immediately opposite the cemetery, take a walk through the Ivan Pavao II Park, the city’s youngest green oasis with a contemporary design and a water motif that imitates the Drava River, and with plant species that are not found elsewhere in the city.
DRAVA
At the end of the day, head by car just ten minutes from the hustle and bustle of the city where a real natural gem is hidden – the Drava River and the forest park of the same name. The sound of water, the chirping of birds and the beautiful landscape create a relaxing atmosphere ideal for the calm of the day. One of the most romantic ways to end your visit to Varaždin is a walk along the river as the sun slowly sets, creating a spectacular scene in the sky that you won’t forget, just like Varaždin that is waiting for your return.
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