2 Best Sights in Zagreb and Environs, Croatia

Built in 1773 and thoroughly relandscaped in 1905 by Herman Haller, a self-taught landscape architect who revolutionized traditional notions of what graveyards should look like, Varaždin's City Cemetery is as pleasant a place for a restful stroll as can be. Replete with flower beds and rows of tall cedars and linden trees flanking ornate memorials, all laid out in geometric patterns, the cemetery sublimely manifests Haller's conviction that each plot should be a "serene, hidden place only hinting at its true purpose, with no clue as to whether its occupant is rich or poor, since all are tended equally, surrounded by every kind of flower . . . producing perfect harmony for the visitor." Haller, who ran the cemetery from 1905 to 1946, is buried here in a rather conspicuous mausoleum. You can reach the cemetery by walking about 10 minutes east of the castle along Hallerova Aleja.

Designed by architect Hermann Bollé and opened in 1872, Zagreb's most celebrated cemetery is set on a hillside north of downtown and features an imposing entrance: a long massive brick wall topped by a row of green cupolas. This parklike cemetery, marked by paths lined with horse chestnut trees and black marble graves, is the final resting place for those of many creeds, from Roman Catholic and Serbian Orthodox to Jewish and Muslim. This satisfying, if somber, outing can be had by catching Bus 106 or 226 on Kaptol, in front of the Zagreb Cathedral, and riding it about 10 minutes to the fifth stop, Arkade. On November 1, the cemetery is lit up by thousands of red candles for All Saints' Day, when people honor their relatives, as well as famous figures buried there such as Herman Bollé himself, renowned author August Šenoa (1838–1881), and basketball great Dražen Petrović (1964–1993).