Mimara Museum

The Mimara Museum is a large art museum in Zagreb, set in an imposing nineteenth-century building on Roosevelt Square, on the edge of the lower town, and it displays the collection that the art collector Ante Topić Mimara and his wife Wiltrud gave to the Croatian people in the 1980s. The building itself is a neo-Renaissance palace, built in the 1880s as a school, with a grand facade, arcades and tall windows, and it was converted into a museum to house the gift. The collection is very large and very varied, and the museum is a place where you can spend a long time or choose a few highlights.

Mimara, who was born in Croatia and lived in various European cities, assembled the collection over many years, and it covers an exceptionally wide range of periods and regions, from prehistoric and ancient objects to the art of the twentieth century. Its holdings include paintings, sculptures, glass, ceramics, textiles, carpets, jewellery and furniture, and they are arranged over several floors, with different sections for ancient art, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and later periods, as well as for the art of the Middle East and the Far East. In the painting galleries, you see works attributed to masters of the Italian, Flemish, Dutch, French, Spanish, German and English schools, and the museum is known for having a rare opportunity in Croatia to see such a diversity of European painting in one place.

It is fair to add that the collection has been a subject of discussion among art historians. The attribution of some of the works to famous artists has been debated, and the story of how the collector acquired his holdings has been the subject of controversy. Visitors should therefore approach the labels with an open mind and enjoy the objects for what they are. The applied arts, such as the glass, the ivories and the oriental carpets, are often the most impressive sections, and the sheer variety is part of the charm.

The museum is a good choice on a rainy day, and a visit takes about one to two hours, depending on how many floors you cover. Opening hours and ticket prices vary, so check before you go, and note that the museum is usually closed on certain days. The staff can provide information on current exhibitions, and the museum sometimes hosts concerts and events.

The location is convenient, close to the Art Pavilion, the Archaeological Museum, the Croatian National Theatre and other cultural institutions, which are all listed in this guide, and a short walk from the main square. Roosevelt Square is surrounded by trees and has a quiet atmosphere. The museum suits art lovers, families and anyone who enjoys wandering through collections from many cultures.