Varazdin Things to Do

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Arboretum Opeka is large and scenic park in English landscape style at the edge of village Vinica, near Varazdin. It is famous for its collection of variety of coniferous trees (like Thuja, Taxodium, Taxus...) - some of them grew into remarkable size - and wonderful broadleaf trees, a unique collection in this part of Europe. It's believed to be the most significant arboretum in Croatia on the 64 acres large area. Most scenic will be in the autumn when trees become colored and thus being in dramatic contrast to the coniferous trees and shrubs.

There are vast meadows and a fish pond, shaded paths, abandoned pool and many birds. Area borders to the forest and has important ecological and aesthetic role. When I visited the park for my fisrt time, there weren't many people there and it was silent all around, a pleasant and nice feeling. But sometimes there may be lots of visitors, old and young - on weekends on nice sunny day when lots of Varazdinians will come to enjoy the park. And isn't it then sad to see slow but continuous decline of once beautiful building from 19th century, a small castle? Nowadays it's only bare walls, 'decorated' with ugly graffiti. However, its details remind us of it's powerful days long time ago. I hope future generations of Panonnians will take better care of their heritage - or it will be gone forever.

Fist burials at Varazdin cemetery (Varazdinsko groblje) date back to 1773 and it was long time an ordinary place untill Herman Haller had an idea to make it more beautiful and park-like with large trees and alleys for citizens to stroll through. He had supervised its construction and design between 1905 and 1947 when it got the form for which it later became one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe and a member of Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe. It's nowsadays protected cultural and natural park.

Now the cemetery grows larger and its new design seems to be something different than Haller's idea. Some (many) people say that it doesn't fit in the place.

For its old part it's still beautiful and feels serene, green and quiet place with trees, monuments, old graves and recent graves. Trimmed Thuja takes form of columns of large cubes with more and less changing shapes, evergreen and unforgettable. It's one of the landmarks of Varazdin; I believe you shouldn't miss it.

The staute of the Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) is replica of the same statue in Split made by world known Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.
Gregory of Nin was a 10th-century bishop that strongly opposed the Pope and official circles of the Church and introduced the Croatian language in the religious services after the Great Assembly in 926. Until that time, services were held only in Latin, not being understandable to the majority of the population. Not only that this was important for Croatian language and culture but it also made the religion stronger within the Croatian nation.

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Varazdin chatedrale is one of the most important early barok chatedrale in Croatia. The building of the chatedrale started 1642. It is situated in the centre of the city, and gives wonderful place to visit if you come to this city. Especially if you go to see interior of the chatedrale.

The town hall of Varazdin is one of the oldest town halls in Europe (1523.). It was built in gothic style, after big fire (1776.) rebuilt in renaissance style followed by baroque style and todays it is in classicist style. If you come in right tme, you can se a guard-changing ceremony.

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Due to frequent fires, inhabitants of Varaždin built a votive church of St. Florian in 1669. As probably known, in christian belive Saint Florian is protector against the fire.Today's appearance of the church dates from the Rococo restoration in 1777.

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The Ursuline sisters bought this house and the church grounds in the mid of the 18th century, to build a convent and the girl's school, marking the beginning of their long educational tradition.

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The Ursuline sisters arrived from Bratislava in 1703 at the invitation of the Draškovic family. The single-nave baroque church was built in 1712, with the tower added in 1726. The tower is one of the mosr charming in the town.