In 1242 King Béla IV granted Gradec the status of a free royal town through the Golden Bull, and its citizens surrounded it with walls and towers. At its centre stands St. Mark’s Church, whose origins go back to the 13th century. Its famous roof, laid with colourful glazed tiles during a 19th-century renovation, shows the coat of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia alongside the emblem of Zagreb. The square around it is also home to the Croatian Parliament and the government.
A classic way to arrive is by the historic funicular, opened in 1890 and one of the shortest in the world. At the top stands the 13th-century Lotrščak Tower, from which a cannon is fired every day at noon. Nearby, the Stone Gate, the only preserved medieval city gate, shelters a shrine to the Virgin Mary whose painting is said to have survived a great fire in 1731. Strossmayer Promenade offers fine views over the city.
The Upper Town is best enjoyed on a slow stroll, ideally in the soft light of late afternoon.
