My beautiful Croatia! (Part 7)

Day 1,520, 09:28 • Published in Croatia Croatia • by dRobi1990


Hi there, dear readers.

My goal is to make 50 articles about our small country and show the world all the beauty Croatia has. I`ll do my best to show you Croatia most honestly and with great honour.

! Notice: These article is only made to promote Croatia and Croatian nature, culture, cities, heritage, history, art, cuisine, sports and people (either born in Croatia or others) and is not made to usurp, tease or start any sort of controversy, so please have this on your mind when you post comment.

If you are interested in some places and have any question about them, please send PM or comment and I`ll answer you as soon as I can.

Part 8 will be published on January 27th 2012. Enjoy!













The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (Croatian: Hrvatsko narodno kazalište u Zagrebu), commonly referred to as HNK Zagreb, is a theatre, opera and ballet house located in Zagreb.



Croatian State Archive (Croatian: Hrvatski državni arhiv) is the national archive of Croatia located in its capital, Zagreb. The history of the state archive can be traced back to the 17th century.



Ante Starčević Square with Hotel Regent Esplanade in background.



King Tomislav Square with Art Pavilion in background



Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square (Zrinjevac).

Lenuci horseshoe is a complex of seven squares and parks in central Zagreb.

A forward thinking urban planner by the name of Milan Lenuci (1849. - 1924.) came along at the end of 19th Century and was instrumental in creating the so-called Green Horseshoe or Lenuci's Horseshoe.

Unmistakable green U-shape explains the name, famous both for the green spaces and the architecture inside of it.



Lenuci or green stream is representative of an area that provides an important feature of Zagreb's urban identity.

The west part is comprised of three squares: Marshal Tito Square with the Baroque and unmistakably yellow Croatian National Theatre (360° view); Mažuranić Square and Marulić Square (360° view) with beautiful art nouveau buildings, and the State Archives.

The southern part is entirely comprised of the wonderful Botanical garden (360° view). This glorious return to nature is home to over 10 000 plant species and numerous park benches.

The east part consists of four squares: Ante Starčević Square (360° view), King Tomislav Square (360° view) with its Art Pavilion, Strossmayer Square (360° view) with the Gallery of Arts and Sciences and finally Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square (360° view) and Music Pavilion (360° view) in it.

! Video: Zagreb aerial footage - Must see!
! Tourist info: Zagreb on Croatian National Tourist Board











Josip Jelačić, one of the most important figures in Croatian history



Statue of Josip Jelačić on Ban Josip Jelačić Square

Ban Josip Jelačić (1801, Peterwaradein – 1859, Zagreb) was the viceroy (Croatian: Ban) of Croatia between 1848 and 1859.

One of the most important figures in Croatian history, Josip Jelačić was in 1848 appointed by imperial decree Croatian Viceroy and General.

At the same time, because he was a supporter of Illyrianism, the National Assembly unanimously elected him Viceroy of the Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia.

He was a member of the House of Jelačić and a noted army general, remembered for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848 and for his abolition of serfdom in Croatia.

! More info on: The Zagreb City Museum
! Tourist info: New Jelačić palace on Zagreb Counry Tourist Board











The Red Lake sinkhole is named after the reddish-brown color of the surrounding cliffs, colored by iron oxides.



The Blue Lake, like the nearby Red Lake, presumably emerged when the ceiling of a large cave hall collapsed.



Blue Lake, the favourite promenade and bathing place in Imotski, is situated next to the western outskirts of the town.

Red Lake (Croatian: Crveno jezero) is a sinkhole containing a karst lake near the city of Imotski, Croatia.

It is known for its numerous caves and remarkably high cliffs, reaching over 200 metres above normal water level and continuing below the water level.

The total explored depth of this sinkhole is approximately 500 meters, thus it is the third largest sinkhole in the world.

Water drains out of the basin through underground waterways that descend below the level of the lake floor.

Blue Lake (Croatian: Modro jezero or Plavo jezero) is a karst lake located near Imotski in southern Croatia.

The total depth from the upper rim is around 220 meters, while water depth varies with season.

In spring, when the snow from surrounding mountains melts, it can reach 90 m overflowing the southern rim.

The lake is a popular destination for hiking and sight-seeing.

! Video: Red and Blue Lake - HD video
! More info on: Red Lake on Wondermondo
! More info on: Blue Lake on Wondermondo
! Tourist info: Imotski on Croatian National Tourist Board











The Neretva Delta contains some of the few wetlands remaining in Europe and is internationally recognized as a Ramsar site. On the photo: Neretva river meets the Adriatic sea.



Part of the delta in Croatia has been reduced by extensive land melioration projects, and now the river flows in four branches (previously twelve).



Neretva briefly expands into a wide valley which provides fertile agricultural land.



The Valley presents a variety of habitats which form a beautiful and remarkable landscape. Area is an important agricultural region in which citrus fruits are grown mainly (Mandarin orange).

Neretva river runs thru towns of Metković, Opuzen and Ploče and spills out into the Adriatic Sea.

In the lower valley in Croatia, Neretva splinters into multiple courses, creating a delta covering approximately 12,000 ha.

Wetlands, marshes, lagoons, lakes, hummocks (limestone hills) and mountains combine into a mosaic of natural habitats of the Neretva Delta.

On the area of Neretva Delta, there are five protected localities (ornithological and ichthyologic reserves and the protected landscapes) with a total surface of 1,620 ha.

Did you know?

The batlle of Neretva was a 1969 movie based on the true events of World War II.

! Video: Neretva fotosafari
! More info on: Neretva river on Wikipedia











The fortification's good location and its observation tower made it safe and easy to defend.



The facility's essential core is a Romanesque fortification consisting of a housing unit, a small fortified yard, and a massive high tower.

Trakošćan Castle (Croatian: Dvorac Trakošćan) is a castle located in northern Croatia (Varazdin County) that dates back to the 13th century (first written mention is in 1334).

Trakošćan was built within Croatia's northwestern fortification system, as a rather small observation fortress for monitoring the road from Ptuj to Bednja Valley.

For several centuries, it used to be a fortification, so that the reconstructions undertaken during that period were functional rather than aesthetic. The castle itself reveals different phases of building.

It has been maintained for years and is currently one of the best preserved historic buildings in the Crotia.

! Video: Trakošćan Castle
! More info on: Trakošćan Castle on Wikipedia
! More info: Trakošćan Castle History
! Tourist info: Trakošćan - Bednja municipality Tourist info











This small fortified habitation has maintained all the features of medieval urban architecture and organization.



A bell and watch tower were built in 1552 as part of the town's defenses beside the town loggia.

Hum is a town in the central part of Istria, northwest Croatia.

It is situated on a hill above the Mirna valley at the elevation of 350 m and it has a population of only 17 people (2001 census), but is officially a town.

On its western side the town is enclosed by walls which protected the town from frequent intrusions of the Venetians and the Turks.

Did you know?

Hum is the Guinness World Record holder for the smallest town in the world.

Hum is also known as a Town of Biska. Biska is mistletoe brandy whose original recipe comes from Hum.

Hum was first mentioned in documents dating from 1102.

! Video: Hum - the smallest town in the world HD
! More info on: Hum on Wikipedia
! Tourist info: Hum on Buzet Tourist Board









The pearl of Dugi otok island is the Lighthouse Veli Rat, the biggest on the Adriatic's, 42 meter high. Lighthouse, which was built in 1849., is surrounded by pine trees, beautiful bays and pebble beaches.



Porer lighthouse was built in 1833., on the islet of the same name, southwest of Istria's southernmost cape. The 35 m lighthouse tower is central with regards to the rest of the stone building.



Lighthouse Islet Sestrica Vela was built in 1876. on the islet bearing the same name, on north-eastern side of the Kornati National park.



Lighthouse Palagruža was built in 1875. on the top of the islet bearing the same name, situated in the middle of the Adriatic Sea, between the Italian and the Croatian coast. is the most far-away Croatian island, known for its exceptional beauty and rich history.

Due to exceptional well - indentended coast sailing the Croatian Adriatic coast in the past was convenient, but dangerous - depending on weather conditions.

During unfavorable weather conditions and night, many islands, islets and rocks would pose a great problem during the voyage

Croatian lighthouses in the Adriatic have been built since the early 19th century by Austro-Hungary and Croatia itself.

What is lighthouse?

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.

Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational devices.

! Video: All Croatian lighthouses photos
! More info on: Croatian lighthouses
! Tourist info: Croatian lighthouses on Croatian National Tourist Board











Entrance to the Krapina Neanderthal Museum.



Dragutin Gorjanović - Kramberger realized that evolution was the source of variability which created human individuals of different stature. His research helped prove the theory of evolution of human species.

Krapina is a town in northern Croatia (Krapina-Zagorje County), a founding site of the European prehistoric period.

Next to the prehistoric habitat of the Krapina Neanderthal (Hušnjak hill) is a Krapina Neanderthal Museum with multimedia contents that will take you back to the age of the Neanderthal and to the beginning of the origins of our species.

In virtual semi-cave of the Stone Age people, you can see the museum’s representation of the far-away past and enter a labyrinth of knowledge about pre-historic times.

Museum shows interesting story about the life and culture of the Krapina Neanderthal with a use of multimedia components and other interactive contents.

The Krapina Neanderthal Museum covers a surface area of 1,200 m² and is one of the most modern museums in Croatia and central Europe.

Did you know?

Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger (1856, Zagreb, - 1936, Zagreb) was a Croatian geologist, paleontologist, and archeologist whose epochal discovery approached us to the man who lived 30000 years before.

! Video: Krapina Neanderthal Museum review - Croatian language only
! More info on: Museum description and collection
! Tourist info: Contact details and opening hours









Slama (English: Straw) - Land art festival



One of the sculptures

Slama - land art festival is an art concept which combines both the event and the area of artistic endeavor.

Besides, it connects cultural heritage, using natural resources and promoting sustainable development principles.

In the field next to the Nature park Kopački rit, during the few days of festival, artists create sculptures of thousands of bales of straw under the open sky of Baranya region.

! Video: Slama 2011 HD
! More info on: Slama Land art festival Official webpage









Professor Balthazar is a cartoon series for children about an old inventor.

It was created for television by the Croatian animator Zlatko Grgić at the Zagreb Film studio, Croatia.

59 episodes of the cartoon were made between 1967 and 1974.

! Video: Professor Balthazar - Victor's egg-o-mat
! More info on: Professor Balthazar on Wikipedia





Read, vote and sub similar articles:

My Beautiful Bulgaria -- Unique Greece -- The Beauty of Israel -- Wild Beauty of Montenegro
Amazing Pakistan -- Introducing Turkey -- Spectacular Turkey -- Beauty of the World

My favourite newspapers: Blowin' in the Wind

PART 1 * PART 2 * PART 3 * PART 4 * PART 5 * PART 6 [/s]