There are many sights for sore eyes in Zagreb, but some sights are real eyesores.
Let’s be honest. Zagreb has its ugly side, too. Just like any other city. These are some of the ugliest places and buildings, some of which need immediate attention and response of the local authorities, according to the article published by Zagreb.info on October 4, 2017.
We love Zagreb – the streets, the smiles, the people and the old facades that remind us of some older times. We enjoy the city when it is bathed in sunshine, we like it when raindrops roll down the city streets. We are in love with Matoš’s whisperings about our lovely city of Zagreb, and we take pleasure in discovering its hidden corners. Mysteries, urban legends and fascinating history have been arousing our curiosity for years. But we have to confess – there are places in the city we might have loved before, but due to wrongdoings and neglect of the local authorities have become real eyesores.
Kvatrić Square
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
We really liked this square, but now it’s just a grey dull piece of concrete and simply put not a pretty sight to look at. Due to the unhappy architectural solution, Kvatrić Square became a weird and ugly place without much sense or function. A decade ago, this charming square was teeming with colourful and vibrant images of lovely kumice (peasant women) selling fresh produce, who made the place even prettier with their warm smiles, while the different scents lured the passers-by to pop in and take a look. Today, after being renovated, one of the favourite Zagreb squares has become a dull grey place where people don’t want to linger and socialize, but just want to get away as soon as possible.
Dinamo Stadium
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
As much as we like Zagreb, Maksimir and Dinamo we have to admit – Dinamo stadium today is a true eyesore of the city. This stadium holds many beautiful memories, it has a rich history and long tradition, but let’s be honest, nowadays when we pass by it we feel nothing more than bitterness and even sadness. The alleged renovation of the Dinamo stadium is estimated to have cost over 45 million euros, which is quite unbelievable when you look at it, and just by looking at it, the Maksimir Stadium needs a serious facelift (again).
Remiza Tram Terminal
Photo: Hajrudinka Mehmedovic / Naša Trešnjevka, naš kvart Facebook
‘When you first enter the Remiza tram terminal, it is hard to hide the excitement and awe due to its momentous and vast space and modern construction’ were the words which Novosti journalist used to describe the new tramway storage facility in Vurovčica some 80 years ago. Today, hardly anyone is charmed by the tram terminal Remiza, located in the city district of Trešnjevka. Slowly this part of the city has turned into a place where people reluctantly hang around and wait for the tram. There are just a few sticky posters, scribbled graffiti, and various unpleasant smells. It is sad and disappointing how it looks desolate, while the surrounding buildings are whole other story. Few bums and lowlifes can sometimes be seen hanging around the nearby bars, and it reeks of urine and faeces everywhere you go.
Paromlinska Street
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dražen Komar, Zagreb.info
This monstrosity of a building is located just a few steps away from the City Government Office. Unbelievable? Yes, we thought som too. It is even more astonishing and mind-boggling because there is not only one decaying building nearby, but three! These three hotbeds of infectious diseases, where litters of rats hide along with other potential dangers, are located in one of the most frequent streets in the city, seeing the Main Station bus terminal is located nearby. The (former) building of Zagrebačka banka, the old shop building and the Paromlin building stand there decrepit and neglected – in the very centre of the city! None of the competent authorities seem to be bothered with this issue in the slightest. Waste, dilapidated walls and discarded needles are just some of the “props” near which hundreds of citizens go by every day, while the tenants from neighbouring buildings are forced to coexist with rats which are attracted by accumulated waste in this complex.
Old Cement Factory Podsused
Photo: Dražen Komar, Zagreb.info
Cement Factory Podsused has been closed for 30 years. Today, this vast object towering above Podsused is abandoned and completely derelict. It was closed in 1988, due to the lack of necessary raw materials and environmental pollution. When the cement factory first opened, there were no houses in its surroundings. In the meantime, the entire city district of Podsused emerged, where mostly factory workers lived in the beginning. Today, most of the ceilings have collapsed, the walls are demolished and pulled down, which prompts one to ask the question: how long can the construction sustain until it completely collapses? Once a stately building, today the Podsused cement factory is in disastrous, dilapidated condition.The cement plant was torn between dozens of owners and co-owners, and although there was a possibility that a recreational centre will be built at the site of this dangerous facility, nothing has been done so far.
These are the buildings that require the immediate response of the local authorities. However, it seems that they have their own priorities, so one can only hope that some of these dangerous eyesores will one day be on the agenda of some future city government, who will take into account the priorities of the Zagreb citizens, and not just their own.
Translated from Zagreb.info
