Considering the time of year, with both Hallowe’en and mid-term break coming up very soon, we have been looking at some of the spookiest attractions in our favourite holiday destinations that make for perfect getaway locations, across all of our websites. If you’re talking about Croatia, for example, there are quite a few haunted spots and creepy locations to visit but if you have found a vacation rental in Zagreb then the one spooky attraction that you need to pencil in is a visit to the Old Jurjevsko Cemetery.
A forgotten cemetery that has largely fallen into disuse and little-known gem, which those seeking it out are often told to avoid as it is said to be haunted, the cemetery is first mentioned in writing all the way back in 1377, when it was noted as a “cemetery for the poor” or (more politely) the “Chestnut Cemetery”. It came into being when spaces in the existing cemeteries in town ran short and was established as an alternative burial space for free citizens with less money. By the 18th century, it, too, became crowded and was expanded in 1729. The chapel attached to the burial ground was also made more luxurious and the stigma of it being for the poor disappeared. Further expansion happened in 1825 but, abruptly, in 1876, it was closed and Mirogoj Cemetery became the city’s main burial ground.
A forgotten cemetery that has largely fallen into disuse and little-known gem, which those seeking it out are often told to avoid as it is said to be haunted, the cemetery is first mentioned in writing all the way back in 1377, when it was noted as a “cemetery for the poor” or (more politely) the “Chestnut Cemetery”. It came into being when spaces in the existing cemeteries in town ran short and was established as an alternative burial space for free citizens with less money. By the 18th century, it, too, became crowded and was expanded in 1729. The chapel attached to the burial ground was also made more luxurious and the stigma of it being for the poor disappeared. Further expansion happened in 1825 but, abruptly, in 1876, it was closed and Mirogoj Cemetery became the city’s main burial ground.
In addition to being abandoned, the remains of more prominent occupants were moved to the city’s new cemetery – such as the famous author Stanko Vraz and Ljudevit Gaj, who is still considered the father of the standard Croatian language – and many gravestones were moved out of the place. There is also no record as to what motivated this sudden exodus, which adds to the mysterious and creepy atmosphere of this silent and abandoned space. The houses built in the neighbourhood around it have also slowly emptied out and have been abandoned too in the years since its closure. It makes sense that locals who know about this place think that it is haunted. Tales of candlelight sometimes spotted floating through the rarely visited cemetery and lots of local legends have cropped up.
One legend says that when the cemetery was at the height of its popularity and there was not enough space to meet the demand, people would bury their dead around it. One such character was a four-year-old boy who died and was buried close to the home in which he had died. He is said to have become a vampire who never lets the other souls in the cemetery rest and wanders amongst the thousands of forgotten occupants laid to rest there. He suffered such a horrible death that he cannot rest in peace and, therefore, refuses to let anyone else in the cemetery rest in peace either. A “lady in white” is also said to roam in this part of the city, trying to prevent anyone from forgetting the occupants of the graveyard.
Oddly still, somewhat spooky, swathed in local legend and tales of terror, yet mysteriously lovely and beautiful, this is a spot to pencil into a trip to Zagreb over the next few weeks. Take a moment’s pause from your adventure and tourist attraction and come rest for a beat in this oasis of silence and peace…unless you get too creeped out, that is! Just find your vacation rental in Zagreb and come visit this spooky site during a Hallowe’en getaway over the mid-term break. It’s not the most obvious item to pop into an itinerary of a trip in Croatia but is something special and unique for those interested in getting off the regular beaten track of tourists visiting the area.