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Varaždin is one of the most important tourist centers of northern Croatia. The old town fortification, the central part of the town, numerous museums, galleries, collections, and the Varaždin cemetery, protected as a horticultural monument, represent the main tourist attractions of this Central European Baroque town and ancient Croatian capital. Varaždin is located on the right bank of the Drava river in north-western Croatia, 79 km north of Zagreb.
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Stari grad
is a beautiful medieval fortress. Although its construction began in the 14th century, it was greatly expanded in the 15th century when the rounded towers that typify the Gothic architecture of northern Croatia were added by the Earl of Celje. In 1925 it was turned into:
Gradski muzej
Which houses paintings, furniture, weapons and decorative objects important for the Varaždin's history. In 1994, it was the first Croatian museum nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award.
Galerija starih i novih majstora
Hosted in the rococo-style Sermage Palace built in 1759 and donated to the museum by the City of Čakovec in 1947. The gallery's holdings include over 3,000 pieces. Many old masters' works served as the basis of today's permanent collection displaying 61 paintings from the 15th to the end of the 19th century. The most valuable pieces are those by Dutch masters from the 17th and 18th centuries and the portraits by both local and naturalized masters: A. Moses, M. Brodnik and M. Stroy. The gallery also holds works by the famous Croatian contemporary masters: V. Bečić, Lj. Babić, R. Frangeš-Mihanović, as well as by a number of local painters and sculptors from Hrvatsko zagorje and Međimurje. Particularly valuable are the collections of Miljenko Stančić's and Ivo Režek's works (Tu-F 10:00-17:00; Sa Su 10:00-13:00; closed on M; Trg Miljenka Stancica 3; +385 42 658 754).
Entomological Collection
Is located at the early Classicist Herzer Palace in the center of the town. The first collection was established by Franjo pl. Koščec (1882-1968), the local high-school teacher and entomologist. He donated his large natural scientific collections to the City of Varaždin in 1959. His work was, in the 1962-1980 period, continued by his daughter Ružica Koščec. Since 1903 some 50,000 specimens have been collected. The collection also includes enlarged models of certain insect species. Over the years, the holdings have been expanded by entomological material from the territory of northwestern Croatia. Its scientifically valuable collections, including several tens of thousand specimens, bring testimony of natural properties and environmental changes, thus constituting an inevitable source of information for the elaboration of the Croatian fauna inventory.
Owned by two chefs and has been in Michelin guide for many years. Vegan options.
Aleja kralja Zvonimira 1, 42000 Varaždin; telephone +385 42 395-395
A 3-star hotel with 46 single rooms, 58 twin rooms and 5 suites of total capacity of some 100 beds. The suites and the rooms are equipped with a bath, TV/SAT, telephone and a mini bar.
A 3-star hotel located outside Varaždin. It has 26 double rooms and 2 suites. There is a mini bar, a satellite TV set and a direct telephone line in every room, plus a small kitchen in all the suites.
By bus
hr for times. Services into the neighbouring areas are quite frequent, some going over the border into Hungary. Buses also leave from other major Croatian cities almost daily for Varaždin.
By car
Those travelling from Graz in Austria should proceed to Maribor taking the M3 road to Ptuj from which they can cross into Croatia.
By train
Varaždin railway station The most scenic and cheapest (but slowest) way to get to Varaždin from Zagreb is a local train (2hr 20min) stopping at every station between the two cities.
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Velika Gorica · International · ZAG
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