Sljeme, Zagreb

From the final tram stop we first proceed through the Tunnel and then, immediately below the bottom station of the Sljeme cable car run, we take a right turn to the access road, following it downwards to the parking lot at the start of the Sljeme road. At the edge of the parking lot a path leads off to the right, climbing towards Puntijarka, one of the most popular spots in the whole of Medvednica. Taking that path, after 20 minutes we come to a resting place sited by a well, and a further 20 minutes take us across Bistranjsko sedlo (Bistra Saddle), while 7 further minutes bring us to a shelter, at Njivice. From here, we continue uphill left of the shelter and immediately come upon a crossroad. The path leading straight ahead is the shortest, but is also rather steep. After 30 minutes of fairly steep climbing we come to the WW2 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and shortly afterwards to the small house known as Vila Samoze (Villa Solitude), and then to Puntijarka, from below. There is another option: a pleasant approach via Gornji Mrzljak - if we turn right at the above mentioned crossroad. Gornji Mrzljak (Upper Frosty) is a powerful spring at an altitude of 752 m., next to which a comfortable shelter has been built. Beyond it stretches a somewhat more serious ascent which, after 2 minutes, brings us to an intersection: to the right lies the route to Hunjka, to the left a steep uphill climb to Puntijarka. The path then continues on, passing the overgrown ''South Downhill'', coming out onto the direct route at Villa Solitude.

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The medieval castle of Medvedgrad is situated in the Nature Park of Medvednica, the hill that rises-up above the town of Zagreb. The huge complex of the castle has been long time neglected, now it is partly reconstructed and opened for the public visitors.

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Take one of your sunny days to visit Medvenica gora, the big mountain near Zagreb. Go up by "linbana" (electrical boxes on a line, hahah!??) and go down by foot. On the way down don't miss Medvedgrad, and old fort (borg?) with a breathtaking view over all of Zagreb. G-R-E-A-T!

From the time Medvedgrad was built and throughout the following seven centuries, it had a total of 107 owners. Until the 16th century, it was owned by several distinguished noble families, such as Bela IV, Draškoviæ, Gregorijanec, Radiæ, Zrinski, Andrija III, Zagreb Kaptol, and King Matijaš Korvin.

Zagreb’s Bishop Filip built the Medvedgrad fortress in the 13th century, after King Bela IV granted him a deed authorising its construction. The fortress on Medvednica had great strategic significance. It could be easily defended during times of war, and it was situated near the west border of the Hungarian-Croatian state. The double-ringed protective walls were impressively high and thick and the strong towers, together with the well-defended accesses and entrances to the town, show what a well-organised defence structure this really was. Access is possible only from the north, where the entrance to the town is located. From the first gateway, there is a long, narrow, funnel-shaped corridor between the inside and outside ring-like walls leading to the second gateway, emerging on an area of open space. If an invader managed to get past all of this, he would be surprised by yet another door. All these facts were no secret to potential invaders, so Medvegrad has not seen many attempts at invasion in its history.

The medieval noble town at the top of the southern slope of Medvednica is the most important example of medieval civil architecture in Zagreb. Some of its parts have extraordinary monumental value, and the recently discovered Chapel of Saint Philip and Jacob is undoubtedly a prime example of early Gothic church architecture in Croatia. Thanks to extensive restoration, Medvedgrad has become an integral part of the city's panorama, daily inviting people to visit it. As the fortress was built on a steep slope, the view from its walls is magnificent. With its ideal location, close to the city, yet far away enough to give the visitor a sense of remoteness, tranquillity, romanticism and mystery, a short trip to Medvegrad makes for a relaxing journey through medieval history

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Medvedgrad is a fortress situated on the slopes of Medvednica mountain above Zagreb. It was constructed in 13th century and it's the most important example of medieval civil architecture in Zagreb region. It was, however, destroyed by a huge earthquake in 16th century and remained in ruins as far as 1970's, when restoration took place.

Medvedgrad had great strategic significance, as it could be easily defended during times of war, and it was situated close to the border of the Hungarian-Croatian state. It was owned by several prominent noble families and feudal lords, later becoming a military base until its destruction in 1590.

You will probably have to hike up there, but believe me, it's worth it. It's location is simply perfect - very close to the city, yet far enough to provide you with a sense of remotness, tranquility and romanticism. The view from the walls is stunning - on a clear sunny day it is possible to see as far as Sisak.

Noun 1. flint - a hard kind of stone; a form of silica more opaque than chalcedony
gunflint - the piece of flint that provides the igniting spark in a flintlock weapon
firestone - a piece of flint that is struck to light a fire
flintstone - pebbles of flint used in masonry construction
silica, silicon dioxide, silicon oxide - a white or colorless vitreous insoluble solid (SiO2); various forms occur widely in the earth's crust as quartz or cristobalite or tridymite or lechartelierite