Description of the attraction
Perhaps the first historical building seen by guests of Varazdin, arriving by train or bus, is the Gothic tower of the Church of St. Nicholas, located on Sloboda Square. Most city tours start from here. In addition to the tower of this temple, in the city there are very few buildings left over from the Gothic era.
The Church of St. Nicholas is the main parish church in Varazdin. Saint Nicholas is considered the heavenly protector of the city of Varazdin. This temple existed in the Middle Ages. There is a legend that it was built on the site of a bear den. In memory of this, a statue of a bear was erected on the bell tower of the temple. In the 15th century, the church underwent a major overhaul, as a result of which only the bell tower remained intact. In the old chronicles it is mentioned that the church, in addition to the permanent parishioners, was attended by those local residents who were found guilty of committed crimes. The condemned sought consolation in the temple and swore their innocence before the altar.
The current building of the church was built during the Baroque period, between 1753 and 1758. The project of the sacred building was developed by the local builder Shimun Ignaz Wagner. The construction of the temple was supervised by Matija Mayerhoffer from Ptuj. After his death, the construction was completed by the Austrian architect Ivan Adam Pock. Of great value in the interior of the Church of St. Nicholas is the main altar - the work of the carpenter Thomas Huetter and the sculptors Ignaz Hohenburger and Friedrich Peter. The altar dates back to 1761.
