World of Insects, Herzer palace

Why it is worth your time

The World of Insects is set in the Herzer Palace and is one of Croatia's most unusual museums: a collection of some 4,500 insect specimens gathered over half a century by Franjo Koscec, a Varazdin professor of natural history, and given to the city in 1954. Koscec not only collected but also made the dioramas himself: he reconstructed habitats, built backgrounds and branches, and set the insects into scenes showing how they live, not only how they look. It is precisely that authored display that makes the museum special; it is preserved almost untouched and is today considered a monument of museum presentation, and the whole collection is protected cultural property.

The Herzer Palace is an 18th-century baroque building with a courtyard, and the visit takes some forty minutes and works equally well for children and adults. It is five minutes from the main square, the ticket is modest and valid in combination with the other city museums.

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