Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

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old forts and fortresses at the tops of mountains, romantic
castles, fortresses and palaces, gorgeous churches and valuable
museums.
Central Croatia comprises a series of small historical regions
- the hilly Croatian Zagorje region in the north of Zagreb,
Međimurje between the rivers Mura and Drava, the plains
of Podravina along the river Drava, and Posavina along
the river Sava, Banovina in the rocky south, and also Prigorje,
Moslavina, Turopolje and Žumberak. Therefore, the
Croatian capital, Zagreb, in the centre of this region, offers
its citizens a number of different contents in its surroundings.
Since in its distant past, the centre of the Croatian state
was in its coastal area, the most valuable cultural monuments
in central Croatia refer to the late Middle Ages and
Modern Age, although it also has many prehistoric and ancient
monuments.
The densely populated Croatian Zagorje, known for its
beautiful hills, such as “Vinogorje”, the vineyard hill, holds a
special place in Central Croatia (1). To the picturesque rural
landscape contribute many votive crucifixes that can be
seen along the way. (14)
Croatian Zagorje is also known as the birthplace of many
famous Croats. The most famous among them was Josip
Broz Tito, leader of the anti-fascist movement and longtime
president of the Socialist Yugoslavia, born in the village of
Kumrovec. There is now a unique outdoor ethno-museum
in the village, which consists of a series of original country
houses in which the way of life of people in the past is presented
(11). One of them is the birth house of Josip Broz,
with a statue of him in front of it (3). Also from the Croatian
Zagorje is the leader of the Croatian national revival in the
19th century and the first president of the independent
Croatian state, Franjo Tuđman.
It is in the capital of the Croatian Zagorje, Krapina, that
the most important paleonthological site in Croatia can be
found - the site of the Krapina Neanderthal man. Next to
the discovery site is the Krapina Neaderthal Museum (10),
which opened in 2010. According to many, it is the most attractive
Croatian museum, depicting the evolution of man,
from prehistoric times to today. Next to the museum, in the
park on the hill, is a collection of statues of the Neanderthal
man (7) and of animals by which he was surrounded. The
importance of this site was depicted on the cover of the "National
Geographic" magazine in January 1996.
To central Croatia, unfortunately, are linked the most terrible
events and places of the Croatian past. One of these
places is Jasenovac in Posavina, next to which in the Second
World War was the notorious Ustasha concentration camp.
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