Page 213 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

THE NOR THERN C OUNTIES  211

the first half of the 19th century
he was a prominent figure in
the movement which promoted
the revival of Croatian politics
and culture.
E Museum of Krapina
Neanderthal Men
Šetalište V Sluge bb. Tel (049) 371 491.
Open Mar & Oct: 9am–6pm Tue-Sun;
Apr–Jun & Sep: 9am–7pm Tue–Sun;
Jul & Aug: 9am–6pm Tue–Fri, 9am–
7pm Sat & Sun; Nov–Feb: 9am– 4pm
Tue–Fri, 9am–5pm Sat & Sun. & 8
by appt. ^
Castle of Trakošćan, now a museum
Environs
During the second half of the presentations and exhibits Just northeast of Krapina is the
19th century, it was transformed explore the life and culture of sanctuary of the Madonna of
into a splendid Neo-Gothic Neanderthal man. Jerusalem in Trški Vrh, a magnif-
residence by Juraj Drašković. Krapina is first documented in icent example of Baroque art in
He also added an artificial lake, 1193 as the site of a castle, Croatia. Built in 1750–61, on
a park and gardens, while at now destroyed, built to a square plan, the façade
the same time preserving some guard the river of the has a bell tower with an
of the military aspects of the same name. After the onion dome. Inside is
castle. It stands on a wooded danger of Turkish an arched portico with
hilltop and is surrounded by a attack had passed, rounded corners
high wall with a tower, which it was conceded and four chapels
encircles the imposing palace. to the Keglević similar to the
All 32 of the rooms of the counts and tower. The walls,
castle are now a museum became an vaults, ceilings and
where furniture, armoury, important dome of the church
vestments and paintings, as administrative town. are covered with a
well as a rare series of portraits It also became a religious cycle of frescoes of biblical
of the Drašković family, are centre. In the mid-17th subjects and scenes from
on display. century, a Franciscan Mary’s life by the
mona stery and the Bust of Ljudevit Styrian artist, Anton
P Castle and Museum Baroque Church of Gaj, Krapina Lerchinger. The
Tel (042) 796 422. Open Apr–Oct: St Catherine were built. ornate main altar
9am–6pm daily; Nov–Mar: 9am–4pm The sacristy and some of the (with a statue of the Virgin
daily. & 8 ^ = mona stery rooms are decorated brought from Jerusalem in
with vivid frescoes by Ivan Ranger. 1669) is by sculptor Filip Jacob
In one of the town squares is Straub of Graz, while the pulpit
7 Krapina a monument to Ljudevit Gaj, and the other three altars are
born in Krapina in 1809. During the work of Anton Mersi.
Map D1. * 4,500. £ Frana Galovića
bb, (049) 328 028. @ A. Starčevića,
(049) 315 018. n Magistratska 28,
(049) 371 330. _ Week of music
and Kajkaviana culture (Sep).
∑ tzg-krapina.hr
This town is well known in the
scientific field because of the
remains of Krapina man, Homo
krapinensis, who lived in the
Palaeolithic age, that were
found nearby. The Neanderthal
skeleton, discovered in 1899
in a hillside cave, is now in the
Archaeological Museum in
Zagreb. The Museum of
Krapina Neanderthal Men
is one of the most modern
museums in Croatia. Multimedia Fresco in the Baroque Church of the Madonna of Jerusalem in Trški Vrh

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