Crniches go to the Adriatic North

Finally we are settled in enough that we could walk around Varazdin a bit.  It is an old town, first mentioned in printed form in 1100 AD and now a city of nearly 50,000 people. At the center of town is the Varazdin Castle, which now houses a museum and tours are conducted within the castle.  We haven't found time to take the tour yet.





Surrounding the castle, along with it's abandoned moat, are small cobblestone streets lined with little shops housed in old rock and brick buildings. There are quite a range of shops, something for everyone and "Yes", Sestre Crnich HAD to buy some new shoes in one of them!
















Many beautiful and unique doorways remain closed to mysterious areas hiding behind them.
Usually these give space to parking the home occupant's cars or small gardens by their homes.

Along the northern side of the city runs the Drava River/Canal.

Our apartment is within walkable distance to the canal and we are beginning to enjoy the occasional walk, watching the "patka"..ducks!

Varazdin was once the capitol of Croatia but changes came along with the war and the established government was moved to Zagreb.


There is a beautiful story regarding the castle.

"One of the most beautiful love stories from Croatian literature"- The love of Lieutenant Milic, is set in early 19th Century Varazdin.  Lieut. Milic was living in Varazdin while attending school, and saw a young girl, fourteen year old Anastazija fall into the water of the moat around the castle. Lieutenant Milic rescued her.

From that moment on the Lieut. was welcomed every day at the family home.  When he was about to be sent to the front, Anastazija gave him an old family locket to protect him from mortal danger during the war.

Like all these fabled love stories, it does not have a happy ending.

On her birthday and what would have been their wedding day, 20 September 1819, Anastazija dies and the distraught Lieutenant foregoes his military service and twice a day for the next 50 years visits her grave, and walks around the castle moat looking at the window on which he always sees the silhouette of Anastazija.  His death years later reunite them.

Near the castle on a side street is "This Love Crinoline", a symbol of unbreakable love, and by placing a padlock on it, you will become a co-creator of the sculpture.  To make the ceremony complete the keys for the locket padlocks must be thrown down the well in the Old Town and like the love story of Lieutenant Milic and Anastazija, it seals the power of unbreakable love.