Varaždin City Museum (in Stari Grad Castle)

The Varaždin City Museum occupies the Stari Grad, the Old Castle, of Varaždin, the baroque city in the far north of Croatia, together with several other historic buildings nearby. It is one of the most important museums in the north of the country, and a visit offers two experiences in one: the collections themselves and the extraordinary architecture that houses them.

The castle is the core of the complex. Stari Grad began as a medieval fortress in the fourteenth century, and over the following centuries it was extended and rebuilt, particularly in the sixteenth century, when new bastions, towers and a moat were added to resist the Ottoman threat. It later became the residence of the Erdődy family, a leading Croatian noble house, and it is today a striking mix of Gothic and Renaissance forms, with round corner towers, a courtyard with arcaded galleries, a drawbridge and thick walls surrounded by a park and a moat. Its position near the edge of the old town makes it one of the best-known symbols of Varaždin.

The museum was formally opened on 16 November 1925, founded by the Varaždin Museum Society, and it began with a modest collection of local gifts. It has since grown into a major cultural institution, whose displays are spread across several historic buildings. Visitors can explore four permanent exhibitions. Besides the castle, the Gothic-Renaissance fortress that houses the Culture and History exhibition on the development of the old town, there is the Baroque Sermage Palace, home of the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters, where paintings and sculpture show the artistic achievements of the city and the region, and the Classicist Herzer Palace, which hosts the Entomology exhibition of insects, a surprising and charming addition, and is to feature an Archeological and History Department. The Watchtower and an Ethnographical department add further interest.

The overall effect is a journey through Varaždin’s development, from medieval beginnings to the period when Varaždin was the capital of Croatia, between 1767 and 1776, and one of the leading centres of baroque culture in Central Europe. Rooms contain furniture, weapons, costumes, documents and works of art, and the buildings themselves, with their painted ceilings, stucco decoration and period details, are as impressive as the objects. The museum also manages restoration programmes and administrative services, which help preserve the historic fabric.

The location in the middle of the city is convenient. King Tomislav Square, the Town Hall, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the cobbled streets are all within a few minutes’ walk, so the museum fits well into a day of sightseeing. Opening hours and ticket prices vary, so check ahead. It suits history and art lovers, families and anyone interested in castles. Allow two hours for the castle and one more for the palaces.