Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 196

The tile mosaic depicting the Croatian, Dalmatian, and Slavonian coats of
arms is St. Mark's Church 's most recognizable feature. Inside, the church at Trg Sve-
tog Marka 5 ( & 01/485-16-11) is rather ordinary except for a beautiful Me s trovi 5
crucifix. Hours are variable and posted on the door, but not always observed by the
folks who have the key to the church. Call to be sure it's open.
Think Grandma Moses interprets Croatia when you approach the Croatian
Museum of Naive Art at 6 irilometodska 3 ( & 01/485-19-11 ), a baroque man-
sion that houses works by such Croatian masters as Ivan Generali 5 and Ivan Lackovi 5 .
The enchanting museum focuses on the Hlebine School and its 1,500 colorful, his-
torical, and sometimes irreverent but utterly charming, works.
Atelier-Ivan Me s trovi 5 Foundation comprises the artist's studio and his
17th-century house at Mleta c ka 8 ( & 01/485-11-23 ), which are the settings for a vast
array of his sculptures and models. Renderings of famous people, religious icons, and
just plain folks are exhibited inside and outside in the garden. Not only are finished
works on display, but also sketches, models, and photographs, most notably a small
study of the Grgur Ninski sculptures in Split and Nin in Dalmatia.
The Museum of the City of Zagreb at Opati c ka 20 ( & 01/485-13-64 ) is sit-
uated in the renovated former convent of the Order of St. Clare. Displays illuminate
life in Zagreb from medieval times to the present through weaponry, religious objects,
furniture, ethnic costumes, an incredible collection of photographs documenting the
city through the years, and scale models of Zagreb at various times in its history. Cap-
tions are multilingual. There is also an nice restaurant on the premises open from
noon to midnight.
Kula Lotr s5 ak (Burglars' Tower) . A cannon is fired at this vestige of Gradec's
fortifications at Strossmayerovo S etali s te 9 ( & 01/485-17-68 ) every day at noon, sup-
posedly to commemorate a Croat victory against the Turks. You can climb the tower
to get a fabulous view of the city or just to say you did.
DONJI GRAD (LOWER TOWN)
A mixture of Greek, Macedonian, and Croatian artifacts fills glass cases throughout
the Zagreb Archaeological Museum at Trg Nikole S ubi 5 a Zrinskog 19 ( & 01/
487-31-01 ), a monument to prehistoric times. But it is the mummies and funerary
exhibits that draw the most oohs and ahs in the northernmost section of Zrinevac.
Skeletal remains and the Bronze Age baubles are exhibited as they would have looked
in situ. There is no museum map or audioguide available, but occasional English-lan-
guage histories and titles are available. The highlight of the collection is the “Zagreb
mummy” and its bandages, which are actually a linen book in Etruscan script.
Heart of the Matter
The shiny red hearts on display in nearly every Zagreb souvenir shop are actu-
ally licitar, honey-dough similar to gingerbread that is shaped in wooden
molds, hardened, and coated with edible red lacquer and decorated with flow-
ers, swirls, and other trim. The colorful hearts traditionally were used as love
tokens by young men, who gave them to their girlfriends as an expression of
love. Today, the decorated cookies still are given as a sign of affection, but they
also are given as special-occasion gifts or as remembrances.