Little Vienna – August 2020
After reading descriptions of Varazdin as “one of the most beautiful Baroque towns in the country” and “Little Vienna,” we decided to take a two hour train ride from Zagreb to see the city for ourselves. We spent quite a bit of the day exploring the old town pedestrian area, which is the ideal spot for hosting the large, famous street festival each year.
In 1756 Varazdin became Croatia’s capital. But just 20 years later a large fire burned the city almost totally to the ground and, as a result, the capital was moved to Zagreb. With a population of about 45,000, the city sits on the Drava River, quite close to the Slovenian border.
Stari Grad – Surrounded by two moats, a drawbridge, and a guardhouse, this Gothic-style defensive fort was built in the 14th century to protect the city against enemy invasions. It gave residents important protection against the Turkish invasion about 200 years later. We walked through just a few of the courtyards and passageways, but did not visit the museum, which occupies much of the castle. Both the city’s flag and shiny manhole covers display the castle image.
Drawbridge 
Cathedral of Assumption of the Virgin Mary – Originally a Jesuit and Pauline Church, this 17th century Baroque church became a cathedral in 1997.
King Tomislav Square – Varazdin’s town hall, constructed in 1523 with its copper-roofed clock tower, is one of the oldest city halls in Europe.
Townhall at the far end of the square, Draskovic Palace (ivory with orange trim) on the right
Franciscan Church of St. John the Baptist – We didn’t photograph all of the 11 churches in the city, but we did spend quite a bit of time taking exterior pictures of this one. The front courtyard statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin is a smaller version of the same statue in front of Diocletian Palace in Split. The church was not open on the day we visited, so we did not get to see the gilded pulpit and famous frescoes.
Sundial painted onto wall facing popular pedestrian street
Pritratki Gallery – We saw the front of this gallery when we went to the Varazdin information center. Miroslav Prikratki’s creations are all of metal and made from ordinary objects. The gallery is actually his house and is filled with souvenirs of all shapes, themes, and sizes.
Parish Church of St. Nicholas – The city’s oldest parish church dates back about 1,000 years. We were quite impressed with Baroque interior, including the very large stained glass windows and 1,229-pipe organ.
