Neanderthal Museum in Krapina

Planet Earth. Europe. Croatia. Some 130.000 years ago. Not many people, neither roads nor borders, not many buildings, of course without electricity and without internet… only animals that run free and some people hunting and making simple tools. How did they hunt or rise their children; how did they cultivated plants; what was their logic and philosophy of living? Answers on these and many other questions you will find in Krapina in Neanderthal Museum.

The museum and archaeological site have an area of 1200 m2. Neanderthals were human predecessors of an extinct species of humans and they lived approximately 125.000 years ago, in the Stone Age. Krapina in Croatia in one of rare sites where scientists found Neanderthal teeth, bones (aprox. 1000 pieces), fossils and rest of the primitive tools. How life in their family looked like and how their rituals were you can see in this Neanderthal Museum in Krapina and in its multimedia exhibition. You will see great videos, sculptures, interactive maps. What took my attention is the way of life – from Big Bang to Homo Sapiens, that’s why we can name this museum as Museum of Evolution. Definitely you will learn a lot about human evolution and history. Afterwards you will have many questions to ask your friends, family or your professors.

While visiting this museum it is strongly recommended to touch the pieces of the exhibition. That means many interactive maps are present as well as interactive body figure where while touching specific point on the body message on the screen pops up. All those information will show you how human body was different in far, far history and how it was modified until present stadium. Discoveries started in last years of the XIX century. Among 1000 fossil bones found here, one of the most preserved is definitely piece of the skull of Krapina Homo neanderthalensis

Strongly recommended is to see nearby park of nature (Hušnjakovo brdo) and nature. Hiking is also interesting and here you can meet hikers from Croatia and Slovenia since this place is close to the border between Croatia and Slovenia. The museum is very easy approachable from the city of Krapina (close to Zagreb and Varaždin). For opening hours and tickets please check the museum’s webpage. The address of the Neanderthal Museum is: Šetalište Vilibalda Sluge bb 49000 Krapina.