The Gardec in Zagreb

From there we meandered to the “Stone Gate”. It is the oldest surviving gate from the old city and has an interesting small chapel incorporated into it. The focal point of the Baroque style gate is a painting of Mary that somehow survived a fire that destroyed nearly everything else in the church. It was not unusual to see people kneeling on the few rows of benches and many candles lit in the front.


The gate opens onto the upper part of the city called Gradec. There are beautiful scenic views of the city as well as the vast majority of the city’s museums. The old buildings are standing in various states of repair, and inside you can find numerous museums, official offices and who knows what else. The largest, most impressive building is the Church of St. Mark. Sadly, the original church was built in the 12th century but, of course, little of that is left. It has a gorgeous tile room from the 1800’s that includes two different coats of arms - one for Croatia and one for the city of Zagreb
The last picture here just is a contrast I like...the old building with water stains, peeling paint and plaster, broken windows with an early 20th century lamp and the fresh basket of flowers for a festive air. You can find things like that everywhere here.