Today I wandered the city again, taking more time to enjoy some areas, and coffees, and going to new neighborhoods. Zagreb is actually two old medieval cities, Kaptol & Gradec, that eventually agreed to be combined into one, and those two cities make up the “upper Zagreb” area. The lower part was basically the part that was outside of the walls of the city, historically.
I finally enjoyed coffee like a Croatian (sat outside sipping it and people watching for a long time), and then toured some areas.
Zrinjevac
This park is the “start” (where I started, at least) of something called the green horseshoe of Zagreb. The green horseshoe is basically a U shape of parks, town squares, and historical/important buildings in the lower part of town. This park is at the upper right corner of the U.
In 1884, a doctor and amateur meteorologist Adolf Holzer built a meteorological column in the square, including scientific instruments that are supposed to record temperature, humidity, and air pressure over time. He used the data to study and understand the impact of a changing climate on human health (yes – 140 years ago, doctors understood climate impacted health). These days, the readings are…close enough. The temperature is understood to be off a degree or two most days, for example.
Train Station
This is the main train station in the city. Trains aren’t a huge mode of transportation here – mostly because of issues with the rail lines. They were mainly installed when the area was controlled by others, and the main post was Belgrade, in Serbia. So all of the lines went in, and out, of Belgrade as the hub – and there was no reason to really connect Zagreb to other Croatia cities, or other international cities. So rail lines exist – just not in useful locations. This stop, however, has been here for quite a long time – it used to be one of the stops on the Orient Express.
Botanical Gardens
This is actually owned by the University of Zagreb, and is the bottom part of the U. There are more than 5,000 types of plants, and it has been open since 1889.
The National Theater
(which is also the end of the Green Horseshoe)
Tunel Gric
I also spent some time in these tunnels again today.
They were built as a bomb shelter; construction started in 1943 and finished in 1944. Zagreb was bombed twice (by the Allied forces), so it was used as intended.
The area was then worried about being bombed in 1993, but many were suffering from something they called “compassion fatigue.” I’m told it’s what we see in Ukraine now, with families visiting the beach, etc. – living under the pressure of fear will destroy you. Sometimes, you need to pretend like it is ok. Someone shared with me that her mother said the Homeland War was the height of fashion in Zagreb – everyone wore their best clothes to work every day. In the midst of everything, feeling beautiful was the only thing they could control.
Well, some teenagers had the same thought. They held a rave in the bunker, and printed 300 tickets. Someone started making copies though, and they wound up with 3,000 people partying in the tunnel one night.
Now, it’s used as a revolving art gallery, and in December as a Holiday market.
I also heard a bit more about the Homeland War, including about the 17 Croatians that were also tried for War Crimes, for their actions in Bosnia. Though Croatia eventually joined forces with Bosnia to fight against Serbia, there were a few years where they were also fighting each other. I was told that one of the most shameful moments for Croatia was in 2017.
On November 29, 2017, Slobodan Praljak (a Croatian, who had been tried and convicted of war crimes) argued with the judge when his appeal to an earlier verdict failed, that he hadn’t done anything wrong, and drank poison. I was told that it is important to remember people like Praljak with shame, so that they never make the same mistakes he made. The Geneva Conventions are there for a reason and in their view, anyone who violates them deserves the full punishment that comes with it, as there is never a justification for their actions, no matter how they might say otherwise. The fact that he was a coward when held accountable for his actions just made things worse.
Museums
Zagreb has a ton of them – including some rather peculiar ones. They have the traditional ones – archaeology museums, science museums, and lots of traditional art.
But then they also have things like a Chocolate Museum, a Museum of Hangovers, and their most famous museum: The Museum of Broken Relationships.
The idea came to two people – who had broken up – to tell their story, and display some of their memorabilia. They got their friends involved, it grew, and officially launched in 2006. It then traveled for a while – In the years that followed, the collection went on a world tour, visiting countries like Argentina, Germany, and the United States but now calls Zagreb the permanent home. (They’re open 7 days a week, whereas most museums are closed Sundays and Mondays, because heart break doesn’t take a day off.)
Memorial Day
I looked, but was unable to find any poppies to buy while I was out today. (Real ones, or the paper ones used as a fundraiser for American Legions and VFWs. Lots of memories of selling them with Grandma Tootsie and her sister Lorrayne, when I was younger.) Though they might not be thinking of WWII today, the people I’m surrounded with certainly understand the pain and loss of their own war, and I was happy to come across some wild poppies while I was in Split last week.
