What is the most beautiful cemetery that you have visited?
Mirogoj Cemetary in Zagreb is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe and has become an off the beaten path tourist attraction. Not many people find this place as it is not in the center of the city. We had a peaceful walk around admiring the vast displays of flowers and other decorations at each gravesite. Each tells a story of someone’s life.
The cemetery was a pleasant break from all the craziness in the city center. Inside we found many Renaissance-style domes, cupolas, arcades, sculptures, and tombs. The cemetery opened in 1876 and was open to all religious denominations, which was odd for the time. Each denomination had its own section of the allotted proportionally to their number of supporters.
This isn’t the typical touristy thing to do, which is great as we don’t just want to do what everyone else does. There were plenty of other photographers around, but everyone was quiet and respectful. It is such a large place that we rarely ran into others.
Famous writers, poets, architects, violinists, and musicians are buried here. In some places, entire families were buried together. There were memorials for war victims from WWI and the Croatian War of Independence.
A small connection to our hometown of Portland is an NBA basketball player is buried here, Drazen Petrovic. He started his career in Portland and was traded to New Jersey. He died young in a car accident at the age of 28. I remember when that happened.
The trees were beautiful and very green. What a magnificent place to spend an afternoon.
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