King Tomislav Square and the town hall

Why it is worth your time

King Tomislav Square is the main city square and the best proof of why Varazdin is called Croatia's baroque capital: a rectangular space surrounded by facades in pastel colours, with the town hall on the northern side, one of the oldest in Europe that has continuously served its purpose, for the city administration has sat in it since 1523. The town hall is recognisable by its clock tower and by its guard: from May to October, every Saturday at noon, the Purgar Guard steps out before the building in blue uniforms of the 18th century and performs the changing, a custom the city keeps as its trademark.

The square is pedestrian and full of cafés with terraces, and in winter it carries an ice rink and an advent market, in summer the Spancirfest stage. Everything worth seeing in Varazdin is at most a five-minute walk from here: the Stari grad, the cathedral, the palaces, the museums. Sit with a coffee opposite the town hall and look at the facades: each carries a different detail, and none is out of tune.

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