Eastern Europe - Zagreb. Croatia

Oil on glass

Naive Art

St Mark's Church

No 31 Email – Zagreb. Croatia

I was ready to board my early train to Zagreb when I decided to show my ticket to an attendant. Sure enough, he pointed to the last coaches. The last two coaches had a sticker stating the destination “Zagreb”. Had I boarded any other coach, I would have ended at another destination! (In Vienna I think)

I have learned my lesson well !

Stepping out of the train station brought me to a wide boulevard at the edge of a large park, definitely a welcoming sight and a first great impression.

The wide park extends almost all the way to Zagreb’s main square. For once, I decided to stay in a “rea’l hotel and I ended up at the Dubrovnik Hotel, right on the square. This square is the central focus of modern Zagreb and this is where everything happens, it is also marks the division between the Lower Town and the Upper Town where most of the sights are.

On Sunday they held a market with a strong medieval flavor. Many vendors were wearing medieval clothing and were hand-making dolls, toys, decorative wooden objects. There was even a complete set up of a huge hand-operated blower feeding an open coal fire for the heating of iron. A man was making different decorative steel objects, and a potential customer had to help by operating the blower.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the main sight. The Cathedral is surrounded by defensive walls built at the time when the threat from the Ottoman Turks was at its height.

Several museums as well as other interesting buildings, and a huge colorful open-air food market are also located in the upper town. I visited the Museum of Naïve Art, which features the work of over 20 Croatians masters. What I found amazing where oil paintings on glass.

You are looking at the painting thru the glass. I other words, the painting has been painted with the close details first and the background last! There is no way that one can redo part of a picture by painting over it.

I also joined a Segway two-hour guided tour, which of course is a lot of fun!

Zagreb was a very pleasant city to visit.

Next Belgrade.