Night of Museums – Cultural Race Gleaming with History and Knowledge
If you’re feeling blue in January, you’re not the only one – a lot of people feel a bit down after very merry and festive December. But fear not, because January is also one of the best months to visit Zagreb. There aren’t as many people on the streets as there are during Advent so you can enjoy crisp walks around the city. If you’re lucky, you just might get a chance to see Zagreb in its full glory when it's covered in snow. But if that sounds too cold for you, don’t despair. After strolling around the city centre, you can warm yourself up in one of the many museums or galleries. Zagreb is full of them, and there's no better way to learn more about this city, especially if it is your first time visiting it.
Luckily for tourists, but locals as well, Museum Night is an annual event in January when entrance fee to most of the museums in the country is waived which draws thousands of visitors. Over the years, Museum Night paid tribute to many influential figures who had an important role in Croatian history. This event is traditionally held on the last Friday in January and it tries to implement activities which deal with the perception of museums as institutions of the Croatian identity.
Image Credit: Pixabay.com
My favourite thing about it is that it encourages activities that develop curiosity as a motive for visiting museums, but it also provides a space for fun and meaningful leisure activities. It was held for the first time in 2005 in Zagreb as a pilot project with only 6 museums participating. Today, I don’t know a single person who doesn’t go to a museum during Museum Night and embarks on an adventure in some museum they’ve never been to before.
Race you to the top – Upper Town museums
The Zagreb City Museum was founded way back in 1907 and it has a unique charm thanks to the diversity of themes and objects which range from rarities to common-or-garden objects of use, from the artistic to the popular. Basically, if you want to learn about the history of this city and mutations of its urban landscape, this is a great place to start your adventure.
Image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
Just a bit further from this emotional roller-coaster, there’s Croatian Museum of Naïve Art and an absolute must-see place in the city. The Naïve is a distinct segment of the art of the 20th century and in Croatia, at first, it had to do with the works of peasants and working men, of artisans and shopkeepers, clerks and pensioners, ordinary men and women. And what makes it so valuable is the fact that this concept includes the works of artists who were amateurs. Basically, this art tells a story about Croatian history through the paintbrushes of self-taught artists and it gives you an amazing insight into cultural heritage.
Nearby, you’ll also find the Croatian History Museum and the Ivan Mestrovic Museum so take your time and enjoy exhibitions because all of these museums are very close to each other so you won’t have to waste time on travelling.
An exhibition like no other
Nikola Tesla was, without a doubt, one of the top ten visionary inventors and engineers who changed our world for the better. He was born in Smiljan, a small village in Croatia, so it wasn’t a surprise to anyone when city officials decided to name the Technical Museum in Zagreb after this late physicist. This is definitely my favourite museum in the city because it has over 10,000 items in storage. Among them are objects of everyday use which are typical of the industrial era of the 19th and 20th century.
Just 10 minutes away is an amazing gem of Zagreb - Typhlological Museum. It is one of the rarest museums in Europe dealing with the problems of disabled people, especially of the visually impaired. You can find many different collections there such as ophthalmological collections, a collection of publications in relief alphabets and archival material.
Image Credit: Pixabay.com
Basically, just take your time and explore any museum that captures your attention, and if you have an interest that isn’t among any of these museums I’ve mentioned, then just ask a local to point you towards museums that might have exhibition you’d enjoy. Trust me, there’s a museum for everyone in Zagreb.
Header Image Credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
Author: Paula Bracko