Strolling & shooting, Zagreb

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If not for other reasons I am in particularly grateful for joining to VT because this membership have teach me to walk the streets of my hometown with open eyes. It is completely new sensation, now I see things which have never seen before. Now I understand much better what my school professor used to tell; "learn your own country first and only then start exploring the world around". I bet most of the fellow members got the same sensation regarding their hometowns too.
Curia or kurija in croatian, is the residential seat od Kaptol's canons, all of them built between 16th and 19th% centuries and located in Nova Ves street, right next to the cathedral.
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Nicolo Alighieri, the great-grandson of the world wide famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri, came to Zagreb in 14th century bringing here the glory of his ancestor. In 1399, he opened here, right on this site, the chemist's shop. The first chemist's shop in Zagreb was opened here in 1355, and it was the second oldest in Croatia after the one in Dubrovnik.
The pharmacy is called "K crnom orlu".

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"Zdenac života", the Well of Life, is a small fountain, work by the greatest Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. It stands in front of the building of the Croatian National Theatre, which is situated on Marshal Tito Square, as many think, the most beautifl square of the city of Zagreb.

Mogila is a mound of earth made in 1925 of the soil brought from 155 places in Croatia - all the places where some important cultural or historical event took place. In the foundations of this hilloc valuable objects of Croatian cultural heritage were stored. At the hillock top is the block of stone slabs - a big stone with Croatian historical coat of arms and a falcon.

This wall in Zagreb is a memorial for all Croatians who died or disappeared during the war of the 1990s. It consists of 13,650 red and black bricks. Relatives wrote the names of missing people on the red ones, the black ones symbolise the deads.

Croatia is still looking for 1,189 persons who went missing during the war.

To get to the wall take tram number 2, 6 or 11 to Sveti Duh (2nd last stop of the line to Crnomerec). You will see it on your left side.

***LATEST NEWS 2006*** Niksa told me that the wall has disappeared. Too bad, I really think that an impressive memorial like this should never be destroyed.

Mesnicka ulica, (Mesnicka street), where the monument to Andrija Kacic Miošic stands, border the western side of the Upper Town area. It is another point from where one can starts its walking tour in exploring of Gradec, what was the former name of the Upper Town.

Dolac is the city's main market, also called the belly of Zagreb. The open market square, situated in between the Cathedral and Jelacic Square, covered with fruit and vegetable stalls, is actually the ceiling of the indoor area of the market. This square was built in 1926, when the old houses in a network of narrow streets covering the area were pulled down.

Maksimir is a huge city park, 18 hectares of lush greenery and forest, opened to the public in 1794, and was the first of its kind in this part of Europe.
It is a perfect half-day outing for both locals and tourists. Blaring car engines have been removed from this place and as such it is a great escape. An added bonus, the city zoo is housed within it.

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The fountain Manduševac is built on the site of the previous one, just a few steps away from the original spring. It is an attraction but also a meeting point for both tourists and locals.
There are couple of legends about Zagreb's name. One of them says Zagreb got its name from a chance meeting at this square, when a viceroy called out to a beautiful girl standing near the well: "Mandušo, ZAGRABI (scoop)", and that is how the well came to be named Manduševac and the town Zagreb.

One of my favourite churches in Zagreb. Maybe because I've been going there all my life and 'cause it's in my street, but I find it somehow most warm of all the chuches I've ever been into. It's small and the interior is definitely worth seeing. Just go right from Trg Marsala Tita in the street Gjure Dezelica and you can't miss it.