Varazdin Local Customs

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There are all kinds of historic persons who are commemorated on plaques in our towns. But this one is rather unique. The plaque is placed on one small and insignificant one-story building and says:

"Mr. Nobody lived in this house in the 16th century. He is known for having left absolutely no traces in the history of Varazdin."

Maybe he left no traces, but he somehow deserved a plaque. Every citizen is important here!

The Iron Man "stands" on a corner building on Varazdin's main square. It was originally designed for an iron hardware shop of Eugen Redl, and later it belonged to another shop owner, Ivan Nestl, whose initials are engraved on the sculpture.

This is a copy of the original sculpture, donated to the town by Bank of Varazdin. It illustrates well the importance of urban details in this beautiful town.

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In today's globalised world historic towns and buildings are often "attacked" by neon shop signs that display the same "McDonald's", "Benetton" and other brands in their unique designs. Varazdin obviously has a history of beautifully designed shop and workshop signs on their historic facades. But it is also obvious that they have some special rules for international companies as well, so it is hard to find a regular plastic or neon signs in the historic area of the city. Even the "big names" have to try a bit harder in order to fit their signs on historic buildings.

The results are interesting details all over the central Varazdin.

Uska ulica (=Narrow street) is one of the streets close to the main square that has its own life and events. During the Spancirfest it is a home to "Paletafest" where local artists display and sell their works.

In the first part of October an additional festival - Jesen u Uskoj (Autumn in Narrow Street) - is organized when again the street is turned into a stage during the weekend. Performances and exhibitions happen once again, while the smell of the freshly roasted chestnuts is the introduction to the winter that follows.

As Varazdin is easily walkable place people of Varazdin love to walk around. They walk so much that one of the city logos (as displayed on this pic from electric transforming station) features Walkers.

There is even a Walking Festival - SPANCIRFEST - that takes place every year in the last week of August. During this week the streets and squares transform into a stage and everything turns into a big play with hundreds of thousands of visitors being the players. The festival is full of concerts, street performances, exhibitions, parade music, comedies and displays of historic crafts. To participate in the festival, you will need a "Varazdin passport" that is easy to obtain at one of the stalls in the center of town.

The website below should have more detailed programme of the street festival.

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Many buildings and squares of Varazdin are beautifully illuminated by night, so you can enjoy the walk or the night photo safari. But it is not only baroque buildings that Varazdin offers. Since the late 1960s Varazdin is a home to the Baroque Evenings festival ("Varazdinske barokne veceri"), one of the main festivals in Croatia. The festival takes place every autumn, in last weeks of September and early October.

Concerts happen not only in Varazdin halls and churches but also in nearby castles where the lovers of music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Stravinsky and others will not have a problem to find a concert to suit their taste.

The website below lists more information and programmes.
For some concerts there are special organized buses that depart from Zagreb (and return right after the concert).

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The designs for the historicist building of the Croatian National Theatre were made by the Viennese architect Hermann Helmer. The construction was entrusted to Zagreb master builder J.J. Jambrešcak. A. Freundereichmade the designs for an extension executed in 1955.

Well, I cannot say weather the twins are local custom or not, most probably they are not. This lovely couple, boy and girl, I've seen only by chnace when strolling around. The twins have always fascinated me by the way they look and think, there must be some mistery about them.