New €5 million visitor centre at Medvedgrad in Zagreb opening this week

Medvedgrad (Photo credit: J. Duval/Zagreb Tourist Board)

ZAGREB, 18 Oct (Hina) – The new Medvedgrad Visitor Centre opens on 22 October, the Medvednica Nature Park has announced, adding that the reconstruction of that historic fortress above Zagreb has been completed, as part of the project worth HRK 38 million (€5 million).

The aim of the project is to improve visitor capacity for the purpose of sustainable management of the Medvednica Nature Park, and it included the reconstruction of the walls of the Medvednica fortress from the 13th century and of three buildings within the complex.

A new visitor centre was established within the walls of Medvedgrad, and there are two educational programmes and interactive toys and puzzles for children to help them learn about the natural and cultural values of the Medvednica Nature Park.

A museum exhibition “Enchanted History” has also been staged, and it interprets the history of Medvedgrad and Medvednica.

There is also a permanent museum exhibition, “Secrets of the Ancient Mountain”, which consists of a medieval pantry and a shadow theatre.

The south tower uses multimedia and creative exhibits with interpretive texts to showcase the natural and cultural values and the importance of the protected area.

Within the visitor centre, there is an area where various programmes, workshops and events can take place on the premises, the Medvednica Nature Park said.

Medvedgrad (Photo: J. Duval/Zagreb Tourist Board)

“The opening of the Visitor Centre places Medvedgrad on the tourist map of Zagreb and its environs,” said the director of the Medvednica Nature Park, Marina Popijač, adding that the project had been under way for the past three and a half years.

Most of the project was financed by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, which provided over HRK 24 million in grants from the European Regional Development Fund.