2 Best Sights in Zagreb and Environs, Croatia

This imposing landmark, one of Europe's oldest city halls, has been the seat of Varaždin's public administration since December 14, 1523. It was completely restored after the great fire of 1776. From May through October you can stop by on a Saturday morning between 11 and noon to watch the changing of the guard called Purgari ( www.varazdinska-garda.com), a 250-year-old tradition that lives on.

The palace rivals City Hall (on nearby Trg Kralja Tomislava) in terms of sheer visual appeal, even if it is more than two centuries younger, what with its flamingo-pink facade and its location right across from the Franciscan Church. Opened in 1772, it boasted a late-Baroque pediment for four years only, until the fire of 1776 did away with that; the replacement was a triangular neoclassical one. Today regional authorities use the building, so the interior is generally off-limits to the public, but the outside is worth a look.