Croatia » Zagreb

The historical part of the city to the north of Ban Jelacic Square is comprised of the Upper Town and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are exceptionally popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The old town's streets and squares can be reached on foot, starting from Jelacic Square, the central part and the heart of Zagreb, or by a funicular on nearby Tomiceva Street.

Zagreb's numerous museums reflect the history, art and culture not only of Zagreb and Croatia, but also of Europe and the world. Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections.

The Archaeological Museum (19 Nikola Šubic Zrinski Square) possesses over 400,000 objects, not all of them exhibited. These holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in the area as well as rare samples which have made the museum world renowned. The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the Zagreb mummy and bandages with the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world (Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis), as well as the numismatic collection. A part of the museum is set aside for the collection of stone monuments dating back predominantly to the Roman period.

The city offers rich cultural and artistic enjoyment. There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theatres and stages. The Croatian National Theatre, built in 1895, is the most impressive building among them. The most renowned concert hall is named "Vatroslav Lisinski", after the composer of the first Croatian opera. It was built in 1973 and is visited by 760,000 people each year. The great hall has 1847 seats over 2,360 m², while the smaller one can seat 304 people on 360 m².

Zagreb hosts many domestic and international events. Animafest, the World Festival of Animated Films, takes place every even-numbered year, and the Music Bienniale, the international festival of avant-garde music, every odd-numbered year. The Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic and the famous flowers exhibition Floraart (end of May or beginning of June), the Old-timer Rally, the Week of Contemporary Dance, as well as Eurokaz, the international festival of contemporary theatre (in June) represent annual events. In the summer, theatre performances and concerts, mostly in the Upper Town, are organised either indoors or outdoors. The stage on Opatovina hosts the Zagreb Histrionic Summer.