The Secret Life of Zagreb
So, it is not hard to guess. This is a story about the secret life of Zagreb. More precisely, this is a story about secret tunnels of this metropolis whose center is literally hollow. And if you didn't know this before – you will now. Zagreb has an underground town which consists of many tunnels that are interwoven.
Each of us has walked a hundred times across the main Square or through the Upper town, Kaptol or Tkalča Street. During the walk, we passed some strange doors, staircases, holes, manholes and hidden streets, unknowing that these are the places where the most of the secret passages in underground city are.
Image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
As I was walking and watching all the people who were sitting in nearby cafes that evening when I met up with colleagues in one cafe in Tkalča Street, I never thought that I was walking over mysterious tunnels. As long as one of the guys didn't start the story about secret passages deep under Zagreb. As he says, some of this tunnels were built in the 18th century, and some of them in the era of the Independent State of Croatia. However, there are rumors that some of these tunnels are connected with those tunnels beneath Zagreb mountain Medvednica and the hospital Brestovac on Sljeme. But all this information should be checked with some local people because that guy was born in Split, and he is not a 'Purger' although he thinks he is. :)
Mystery Underground
Anyway, below this famous street, there is one of the most mysterious underground tunnels. It is located at the top of the Tkalčićeva Street in the courtyard of a building near those long stairways leading up to the Upper town. The tunnel is, of course, closed to the public and its entrance also as its exit is controlled by security cameras. The assumption is that the exit is in the Dubravka passage, more precisely near the former legendary Zagreb club Saloon. Some people say that the main reason for monitoring the tunnel lies in the speculation that there were secret offices of the Croatian Army. But also, because it is a tunnel which is connected to the main residence of the Croatian government. Apparently, so-called Ban Palace has a shelter that is 130 meters below the earth's surface, and it was used as a security passage in the war times, as well.
So, if you ever start exploring the Zagreb's underground, then you will recognize this passage for its large, metal, ornamented and closed door. Also, on the side, you can find a small window with a grid from which odor of stale air reaches your nostrils as well as the sound of its own echo. Furthermore, related to the tunnels on that side - behind the Saloon some 200 – 300 meters away hides the old Tuškanac, an open-air cinema which is neglected. There are also some open tunnels for which we don't know where they end.
Image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
However, there is another tunnel in the center whose entrance is in the Mesnička Street and the exit in the Radićeva Street, somewhere at number 10. During the war in the nineties, these tunnels were home to the Information Agency. But of course, there is always another part of the story, which says that this tunnel leads to the Zagreb Cathedral, and the tunnels are most often used by priests. There is even a legend that the church hid their gold there.
Wild parties in the Zagreb's underworld
Considering that we are still quite young, or, at least, some of us :), it is logical that conversation went in a totally different direction - one that is perhaps a little bit closer to the guy from the beginning of this story. And that is, of course, parties and fun. According to him, in the famous Villa Rebar that has been built during the Second World War, more precisely in 1942 by infamous Ante Pavelić, many parties were organized. That's because Villa Rebar had numerous shelters that were carved in Sljeme. The Villa burned down in 1968, and since then it has been abandoned, so the Zagreb youth decided to have the parties there. It all started with a big "Under City Rave" parties, which was held in 1993 in Tunnel Grič under Zagreb, even MTV reported about the party. The story says that some of these several parties were also held in the remains of Villa Rebar.
Image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
Seeing that these are only some of the stories about secret tunnels and that they simply have no end, the story of a mysterious Zagreb stops here. So my dear reader – the end of this article depends on you and your curiosity.
Will you just use your imagination or will you ask yourself why no one has ever given permission to enter these tunnels? What is hidden there? Where do they end? Why are they so mysterious? How do they look like? One thing is for sure. For some tunnels, we may never know, but some of them are known only to the old residents of the metropolis. All these tunnels are, of course, a public secret. And for me, this is just one of the many reasons why I #LoveZagreb.
So, I know what I am doing next weekend. Do you know? :)
Header image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak
Author: Nikolina Jozanović