Graz – To reach a medieval fortified settlement, one should go back from the cathedral to Dolac and from there follow Skalinska, Tkalćićevą and Radićevą (up).
Stone Gate
It was the entrance to Gradec (and still is) Stone Gate (Stone door), which is reached by a short street to the side of Radićeva. The building dates back to the 13th century, and its present shape gained after the reconstruction of the 1760 r. The miraculous image of the Madonna was placed in it, who survived the fire in 1731 r. According to superstition, walking through the middle of the gate may be unlucky – better to sneak up against the walls.
Mark's Square
The main square of Gradca leads from Kamienna Brama along ul. Stony. The oldest pharmacy in the country is located near the gate (1355), and there is a pillar in front of it, to which adulterers were tied in the Middle Ages. On the right, you pass the Art Nouveau parliament building (Sahar) z 1910 r.; from his balcony in 1918 r. the independence of the Croatian state was proclaimed. On the other side of the square is Bana's palace (Banski dvori), baroque seat of the viceroy, in which the president of the country now resides. In the fall 1991 r. the palace was bombed by federal forces, attempting to assassinate the then-president Franjo Tudjman. Every Saturday and Sunday (IV-IX) at noon there is a ceremonial change of guards here.
The most characteristic building of the square is the Church of St.. Brand (Church of St. Brand; in the summer 2004 r. under renovation; masses. pn.-sb. 18.00, nd. 7.30,11.00, 18.00), erected in the Gothic style on Romanesque foundations. The oldest documents mention him in 1334 r. First of all, the roof decorated with St. 1880 r. tiles in the colors of Croatia and the coats of arms of the state and Zagreb (on the right). The Gothic southern portal is valuable, built in the 14th century, and a romanesque window about a hundred years older. The white belfry with a baroque cupola replaced the original one, destroyed during the earthquake in 1502 r. The expressive sculptures by Meśtrović stand out among the furnishings, m.in. an interesting image of the Virgin Mary as a Croatian peasant woman. The history of the church is closely related to the history of Croatia: further bans were sworn in there, here also in 1573 r. stracono Matija Gupca, leader of the peasant uprising.
Gradac Museum
Close to St. Mark's Square, Behind the church is Meśtrovic's Atelier (the. Venetian 8, tel.01/ 4851123, fim@zg.tel.hr; wt.-pt. 10.00- 18.00, sb. i nd. 10.00-14.00), presenting part of the legacy of the great Croatian sculptor, who lived in years 1883-1962. They were arranged in complex XVII- and 18th century buildings, where Meśtrović lived from 1922 do 1942 r. The exhibition covers approx. 300 sculptures in various materials (wood, brown, stone). Interesting is the crucifix with the face of the Buddha above the face of Christ.
Going further along ul. Mletaćka and turning right, in Demetrova, you come to the City Museum (Zagreb City Museum; the. Abbess 20, tel.01/ 4851364, muzej-grada-zagreba @ mgz; wt.—pt. 10.00—18.00, sb. i nd. 10.00-13.00; 20/10 kn, family ticket 30 kn, children to 7 free years), which was opened in 1907 r. in the former convent of Poor Clares. Since then, over 74 thousand. props. The exhibition presents chronologically, from the Neolithic to Lata 90. XX century, history and development of local culture.
Coming back to the intersection with Mletaćka and going further along Demetrova, meets the Natural History Museum (Natural History Museum; the. Demetrova 1, tel.01/4851700, hpm@hpm.hr; wt.-pt. 10.00-17.00, sb. i nd. 10.00-13.00), which presents the animal and plant world of individual Croatian regions. An additional attraction is the collection of minerals. Nearby is the Historical Museum of Croatia (Croatian History Museum; the. Matosa 9, tel.01/4851900, hismus@zg.tel.hr; pn.-pt. 10.00-17.00, sb. i nd. 10.00-13.00; 10/5 kn).
At ul. The Ćirila and Method works by the Museum of Naive Art (Museum of Naive Art; the. Cyril and Methodius 3, tel.01/4851911, hmnu@zg.tel.hr; wt.-pt. 10.00-18.00, sb. i nd. 10.00-13.00). Its collection consists of approx. 1500 works of primitivists – paintings, sculptures, graphics. Croatian artists dominate, such as Generalić, Smaljić or Mraz.
Southern and eastern part of Gradca
The buildings of the former Jesuit monastery stand by the Jesuit Trog, where the Klovićevi dvori gallery is currently operating (Jesuit Square 4, tel.01/4851926, info@galerijaklovic.hr; wt.-nd. 11.00-19.00), organizing temporary exhibitions on contemporary Croatian art. In the square itself, the fountain depicting a fisherman with a snake is noteworthy, by Simeon Roksandic (1908). The post-Jesuit baroque church of St.. Catherine (Church of St. Catherine; Katarina Square) from the first half of the 17th century. The frescoes on the vault show scenes from the life of the church patron.
Many tourists start their tour of Gradca from the massive white Lotrścak tower (Strossmayer Promenade; wt.-nd. 11.00-20.00; 10/5 kn), built in the mid-thirteenth century. as an element strengthening the southern city gate. It stands at the top station of the Uspinjaća cable car, which runs from ul. Tomiceva, connecting the lower and upper parts of the city (queue 6.30-21.00 co 10 min; 3 kn / person, the entire cabin 27 kn), The panorama from the top allows you to get acquainted with the topography of Zagreb. As the legend says, during the Turkish siege, the bullet fired from here fell into the tent of the Sultan himself. This had a negative impact on the morale of the aggressors, who gave up any further attempts to capture the city. To commemorate such a momentous event, you can hear the roar of a cannon shot here every day at noon.