Super Sport HNL
GNK Dinamo Zagreb v HNK Hajduk Split
Stadion Maksimir
Zagreb, Croatia
Tickets were readily available for the Eternal Derby/Croatian Derby but despite this we love a queue and so we joined the queue just for the hell of it. The locals were all after coveted seats in the Sjever Dolje (North Stand Lower) where the infamous Bad Blue Boys sit. We opted for the Zapad Dolje just to be on the safe side but as luck would have it we managed to get in with the BBB.
The East stand was not open which begs the question, if it is not open for the Derby then when does it open?
Dynamo Zagreb 4 v Hajduk Split 1
Attendance: 14,800
Day 1: Early start from Stansted to Zagreb
Arriving at our plush digs on Ferde Livadeceva
Tuk tuk tours anyone?
Small and querky just how we like it
Comfy bed
First stop is Trg Bana J Jelacica
Ban Josip Jelacis was the governor and a hero of Zagreb. He abolished serfdom and organised the first parliamentary elections
Just off the main square is the Dinamo Zagreb fan shop, we bought plastic bottles😆
Sue has discovered the Mandusevac fountain which derives from an ancient spring named after Manda; a gorgeous girl who legend has it scooped up some water and gave it to a thirsty knight on his way back from battle
First glimpse of the Cathedral which was sadly closed because of structural damage caused by the earth quake of 2019 which rocked the city.
First glimpse of St Mark's church
Skalinska Ulica
Zagreb is famous for its active gas lit lamp posts
.....oh and it's Cat Hotels
The entrance to the Stone gate which is the only surviving medieval gate to the city of Zagreb
An outdoor chapel for passer's by to pay their respects
Shrine
An Austrian statue which was gifted to Zagreb in 1937 and has been located next to the Stone gate since 1994
Selfie on Bar street - (Tkalciceva Street)
A statue of Marija Juric Zagorka, a famous Croatian writer who spoke up for women's rights
People watching after a long day
Do the locomotion with me
Monument to the Kumica, the hard working women who sell local products in the Dolac market
Back on the square to get the tram back to our local area
Dinner tonight at the highly recommended Budweiser Beer Garden did not disappoint. Huge portions, great beer and nice ambience.
Day 2 - Ticket collection and the upper town (Gradec)
Coco the Cockatoo
Breakfast was an eventful experience shared with other guests of differing nationalities; sampling the hosts home made honey, yoghurts, oils, all under the watchful gaze of Coco the Cockatoo.
After breakfast the first stop is the ticket office to secure Dinamo v Hajduk tickets
We are not the only ones that had this great plan
After nearly an hour of queuing we start to make progress
Love a good queue me 😎
The Maksimir has some decent graffiti on the West Stand
Meow!
It also has a remembrance garden which is a tribute to Dynamo Zagreb players and fans who fell in the Balkan (Homeland) Wars. The main epitaph reads "To all Dynamo fans for whom the war began on 13 May 1990 and was ended by them at the Maksimir Stadium by laying his life on the altar of the Motherland of Croatia"
The fan shop behind the West Stand
The North Stand and home to the BBB
Entrance to the North Stand at NE corner
From the NE corner
The West Stand Upper in the centre of the shot
North Stand Graffiti: Josip Kuze was a Croatian footballer. coach and a successful manager, managing the Rwanda and Albanian national teams. During his playing career he played as a defender for Dynamo Zagreb from 1971-81 clocking up 384 appearances. He is best known for defending Dynamo Zagreb fans during the riot between Dynamo and Red Star in 1990. He had a famous quote: "Am I a bigger gambler if I've lost money or if I've lost the smile of a child and cheerful fans"
Bad Blue Boys
North stand graffiti
More artwork behind the North stand
The Maksimir from the tram stop at Bukovacka
On the No 11 into town
Meet me under the Clock!
Dolac is Zagreb's largest farmer's market which first emerged back in 1930 in the square when it was an age-battered residential area. It is the place to buy Zagorje cottage cheese.
The beer ain't bad neither
Nazdravlje
The 800 hundred year old Cathedral dominates the Dolac
Many Croatian ladies wear white jeans
Entrance to the Gric tunnels which form a large network of tunnels stretching as far as Medvenica
The tunnels connect several city centre streets and was also used as a shelter in WW2 and the Homeland wars
From the Gric tunnel we pop out into the upper town
The Lotrscak Tower dates back to the 13thC but we just miss the daily cannon blast at 12 so need to come back another day
The funicular connecting the lower and upper towns (Kaptol and Gradec)
Lotrscak Tower - It is time to climb
Selfie with St Mark's Church
Cathedral across the pantiles
St Mark's Church in all its splendour
The cannon
St Mark's Church, Zagreb
Sue, Steve and St Mark's Church
New friend
Tucked away on Preradoviceva Street in the lower town is the Alcatraz Bar, a great find
Beer washed down with Travarica (herbal rakija)
Love this bar
Day 3 - Mountain Biking on Medvednica, we start at Slijme peak at 1035m
After getting fitted up we leave Sljeme believing the trails to be all downhill but this was a miscalculation as Sue discovered😂
Chapel of Our Lady of Sljeme, Queen of Croats. Built in 1932 to honour the 1000th anniversary of the Kingdom of Croatia
Next stop is the Puntijarka Mountain Lodge which is the largest of the lodges and only a short ride from Sljeme
Sue and Ana, our local guide
Ride on
Ana takes a detour to show us the tunnels that were used as shelter in the Homeland wars
Looking cool just before my puncture
Passing through traditional settlements
And then that monster climb (KOM)
Dropping down we reach the beautiful Maksimir Park
View from the cafe 'Vidikovak'
Finally we arrive back at our digs
Back into town to finish of exploring the lower town (Kaptol). This is the Croatian National Theatre in the Republic of Croatia Square
From there we get back on to the main shopping street on Ilica Street we pass the sign for the infamous BBB so had to have a little nosey
Leading to the courtyard of the BBB shack
Outside the shack
Get yourself kitted out as a hooligan
It is interesting that they sell pro Ukraine memorabilia and even T shirts of the Azov Battalion. The Azov Bn was formerly based in Mariupol on the coast of the Sea of Azov. The group has embraced Neo Nazi ideology in the past but claims that it no longer does. Its symbol is very similar to the 'Wolfsangel' but Ukrainian groups say that it represents the Ukrainian words for 'united nation'. Perhaps there is a neo Nazi theme going on as it wasn't that long ago that England's game against Croatia was played behind closed doors because of a Swastika that had been etched onto the pitch prior to a game against Italy in the Euro 16 qualifiers. The punishment was bound over and became effective for our Nations League game against Croatia which was played at Rijeka on 12 Oct 18.
I can't help but draw comparisons' with our recent trip to Belgarde where the Red Star ultras were selling pro Russian and 'Z' - (special operations) T shirts.
Back on Ilica and we pass the funicular which takes folk from Kaptol to Gredec (lower to upper town)
Next stop is the museum to the Croatian National Football Team. This is located right next to the Dynamo club shop.
Ivan Rakitic's shirt he wore against England in the Semi Final of the Russia WC on 11 Jul 2018. I was at the game!
Ivan Perisic finally lost is head when he came up against Steve Hesketh😁
Posing outside Harat's Pub
Next stop is Veliki Tolk which is next door to Tolkien's House
Sue has made some more friends at Veliki Tolk
Back on Bar Street (Tkalciceva) to see the night out
Day 4 - Matchday
After breakfast we head up the stairs of the funicular to the tower to catch the cannon fire at midday
As the queues build we aim our iPhones at the window waiting for the must capture video moment. And all of a sudden, Boom! we miss it.
And the ticker tape came floating down from the sky but no footage recovered. Sue pressed the wrong button and I missed it altogether.
After that foopah Sue makes a wish for better luck
Then we meet a gang of international travellers from France, USA, Germany, Denmark during some pre-matchday drinks at Harat's Bar
After the fun we had to run to get into the stadium for KO. This is the view from the West Stand upper.
The North stand is packed with the BBB
In the concourse we find 'Plavko', Dinamo's official mascot who can be seen consoling everyone at HT following the goal by Hajduk Split in stoppage time
The West Stand celebrate the 61st minute equaliser
The Banner that the Torcida unfurl in the away end translates to 'Freedom for Fans' and is a reference to the treatment that they have received from the Zagreb Police when attending matches in the capital. I'm assuming the 5 is a reference to this being the 5th time on the trot that they have suffered with over zealous and corrupt policing
Dinamo score in 64th and the North Stand bursts into song
The East stand remains unoccupied tonight due to damage it sustained in the recent earthquake
A view from the North Stand towards the vacant East Stand
After the 84 minute it is all over but Dinamo add a fourth in stoppage time to make it a comfortable 4:1 win
The West Stand from the North
Day 5 - Hiking on Bear Mountain
The Zagreb TV Tower standing at 169m is the first thing you see when you get out of the cable car at Sljeme (1035m) on Medvednica Mountain
The plan is to hike to the Zrinski Mine have lunch at a Mountain Lodge and then to the Veternica Cave to see the Bats but we haven't got a trail map
After just under an hour we reach Mountain Lodge 'Graficar' which is sadly closed due to the bank holiday
But we soon find a sign to the Zrinski Mine
It must of been a country mile because it took us another hour to reach our destination but the good news was that it was indeed open
On the threshold of the entrance to the mine we meet St Barbara who is the Patron saint to all miners. This is where the miners would come to pray before starting a 2 hour shift having already walked 2 hours from the outskirts of Zagreb
The 'Burgermeister' was the foreman of the mine and had the power of life and death over the miners. The Zrinski mine opened on the 16thC when galenite ore was discovered. It is useful because it can form a compound with Silver but the mine never really offered a great yield and in the mid 17thC the mine was abandoned by the owners.
The tradition was that the miners would name each tunnel with a girl's name as it was thought to bring luck.
Sue exiting the mine with our guide, Dominic
As luck would have it Dominic introduced us to the Park Ranger, who kindly offered us a lift to a Mountain Lodge that was open. Sue declined but I over turned her 😂
Enroute to the lodge we pass Medvednica Castle which was closed for renovations
Finally we reach Lugareva Kuca (Lugar's house)
The menu includes Bean Soup which was amazing
Day 6 - Time to go home. Early taxi booked for 0400
Hvlala Hrvatska
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