Mirogoj

A 10-minute ride north of the city centre on bus 106 from the cathedral takes you to Mirogoj at the base of Mt Medvednica - it's one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe. One wag commented that the people here are better housed in death than they ever were in life.

The cemetery was designed in 1876 by one of Croatia's finest architects Herman Bollé, who also created numerous buildings around Zagreb. In Mirogoj he built a majestic arcade topped by a string of cupolas, which looks like a fortress from the outside but is calm and graceful on the inside. The cemetery is lush and green and the paths are interspersed with sculpture and artfully designed tombs. Highlights include the graves of poet Petar Preradović, the political leader Stjepan Radić, the bust of Vladimir Becić by Ivan Meštrović and the sculpture by Mihanović for the Mayer family. The newest addition is a Memorial Cross in honour of the fallen soldiers in Croatia's Homeland War.