Tunnel Gric of Zagreb city was built in 1943 during the times of the Second World War, as a shelter for saving the local population of Zagreb from air bombardments.
Tunnel Grič has a length of 350 meters (or 1150 feet) and a width of 3.2 meters (or 10 feet). Besides, there is a central hall.
For a long time, the tunnel was used only as a store; it was closed and abandoned.
During the Croatian war for Independence in 1993, in the tunnel was organized the first mass disco-party of Croatia – “The Undercity Ravec” – with a participation of DJs from Germany and Great Britain. Despite the on-going war, the disco in tunnel attracted thousands of participants from all around the Europe. Dancing was continuing even outside, because the tunnel couldn’t fit everyone who joined the party!
In 1994 the Gric Tunnel has been a part of exposition of The Earth Day in Zagreb.
Later, it was decided to open the tunnel for public, and its reconstruction began. In 2016, in the Gric Tunnel opened the Museum of Senses, which was presenting to its visitors the history of Zagreb – that museum soon became one of the most popular Attraction in entire city! Tunnel is now equipped with the interactive screens, video projectors, holograms and exhibits from different eras of the story of Zagreb particularly and Croatia in general.
Gric Tunnel connects Mesnićka street and Radićeva street. Tunnel has six entrances, most of which are closed for public or just closed; today you can enter the Gric Tunnel from Mesnicka street or through the two entrances close to the Art Park, placed at the foot of the Lotršćak Tower.
Photo of entrance from Mesnićka street
The central hall of tunnel is used for the organization of temporal exhibitions, concerts and various theme events.
The Gric Tunnel is NOT connected with other Zagreb’s underpass at all.
Video of Gric tunnel – musical electricity of Nikola Tesla:
Underpass of Zagreb
Local citizens call the Zagreb’s tunnels – the catacombs.
Zagreb’s underpasses – one of the most interesting legends of our city!
There are many legends of the tunnels under the Upper town of Zagreb’s centre. These legends are telling us about existence of few medieval underground passages that connect, for example, the building of Croatian Parliament on a St. Mark’s square and the building of Zagreb’s Observatory above the Lotrscak Tower, or about the medieval underground tunnel from the St. Mark’s church to the outside of the old town, or about the tunnel under the central market Dolac, or about the tunnel under the Zagreb’s Cathedral.
One of these legends relates to the Zagreb’s coat of arms: on this coat of arms you can see the doors, which are showing the entrances to secret passages and tunnels. The coat of arms and its “secret” doors can be easily seen by everyone on the roof of St. Mark’s church (Zagreb’s coat of arms is the right one): there you can see the white castle on a red background, and, under this castle, you can easily notice the fourth one, underground, secret door. In according with a famous legend, exactly this door shows the entrance to a net of underground halls and passages, stretched under the entire Upper town of Zagreb city.
In according with other very interesting legend, most of the underground passages were buried because of the large earthquake in 1880, and – that’s the most interesting part – gold and jewellery of the most famous jewellers of Zagreb were buried in them. Some of these jewelleries and gold also belongs to the Catholic Church, which was very rich at these times, and which considered underground tunnels a perfect place for storing its wealth.
Searching and digging for the secret passages in Upper town of Zagreb are continue to the present day!
The treasure hunters of 21st century – let’s go!
Tunnel Gric open for visitors from 9:00 to 21:00 everyday
Entrance for visitors to the Grac tunnel is free
Tunnel Gric on Zagreb map