True love tells us stories about situations and events that no Hollywood scriptwriter could ever dream up. Some of them are comical, ambiguous, unpredictable, some tragic.
Love is the fuel to all existence, and whatever happens, there’s always enough space in our hearts for love and the fantastic stories it brings us.
Aaaah Love
Stories you’re about to read are picked among thousands of love stories connected to our beautiful land – Croatia. One is a true story, a legend, and two folk tales. Each of them is outstanding in its way – just like the love that wrote them. We bring you four love stories from Croatia that warmed our hearts and made us love this country even more <3 Enjoy the read!
One of Zagreb’s greatest love stories <3
A love story about these citizens of Zagreb is one of our area’s most beautiful love stories. She was Ljerka Šram – an actress whom the whole city sighed between the 18th and 19th centuries (even Emperor Francis Joseph I). He was a respected doctor, journalist, and editor – Milivoj Dežman.
Growing up in the same neighborhood, they knew each other from the earliest childhood, but the love is born at one of Ljerka’s first performances, where Dežman had fallen in love and then decided that she is the only love of his life. Although Ljerka married someone else during Dežman’s studies in Vienna, Dežman’s love for her never stopped. Years later, Ljerka and her son were abandoned by her husband; Dežman used the opportunity to unite with the love of his life and accepted her son as his own.
Although unmarried, they were totally committed to each other till the end. Dežman fulfilled all of her wishes, and she gave him respect, gratitude, and loyalty.
Dežman stayed with her even when she got seriously ill, and because of her, he launched an initiative to build a hospital for lung diseases in Brestovac (Sljeme). Thanks to Dežman and his great love, Zagreb got the first specialized hospital of this kind in the South of Europe. Because of this story, we could say that the Brestovac sanatorium is like the Zagreb version of the Schwartzld Clinic.
Despite the enormous care he provided, Ljerka died in his’s arms.
Legend of Veronika Desinić
Once upon a time, in the reign of Ban Herman II. Celje reign, this tragic love story happened.
When Frederick, Ban Herman’s young son, stumbled upon Veronica- gentle golden-haired beauty, he was on the explorations of father’s estates. She was not of noble blood. Therefore, their love was not to his father’s liking.
Nonetheless, mutual love erupted between Veronica and Frederick. Despite his father’s opposition, Frederick and Veronica fled to the town of Friedrichstein in Slovenia, where they secretly married. When Ban Herman found out about their wedding, he sent his army to capture the lovers.
Frederick managed to save Veronica from the city, and she fled through Gorski Kotar and to the village of Sveta Margita. At the same time, Frederick was captured by his father’s soldiers and imprisoned in the Celje Tower, narrow and about 23 m high, and stayed imprisoned for over four years. Since then, that tower has been called Frederick’s Tower.
Lately, Veronica was imprisoned by Herman’s soldiers in Veliki Tabor. Herman accused the unfortunate Veronica of being the witch who seduced his son. After a two-day trial, the judges declared: “This girl did not do any wrong, let alone a crime. The only thing that burns in her is a great love for your son Frederick. Love is one of the most beautiful human virtues! So, with that, our job here is over.
She is not guilty. ”
Guilty of Love
Despite the verdict, Herman issued an order to kill Veronica as soon as the judges headed for the exit. In the yard of fort Veliki Tabor, they set up a wooden vessel full of water and drowned Veronica in it. They buried her body into the wall connecting the tower with the entrance to the castle.
Even today, especially on long winter nights, you can hear sobbing of the unfortunate Veronica with the howling wind…
Origin of the Savudrija lighthouse
Savudrija lighthouse is the oldest active lighthouse on the North Adriatic, and it is associated with a sad love story.
According to the legend, the Savudrija (Salvore) lighthouse was built in 1818 by Count Klemens Metternich, an influential Austrian politician, and statesman. He decided to build the lighthouse for a beautiful Croatian noblewoman he fell in love with at a ball in Vienna.
Unfortunately, the lighthouse never saw its owners happily moving in. Croatian woman who was a reason for building this lighthouse died during the last days of its construction, and the Austrian count, heartbroken, never revisited the lighthouse.
The Empress and the Baron made love seventy times
During the Jesuit’s time, Baron Trenk often visited the castle and the basement in Kutjevo (Slavonija). Kutjevo’s finest wines at that time attracted Baron Trenk and Empress Maria Theresa to the Kutjevo cellars for wine tastings.
On one occasion, the Baron and the Empress stayed in the cellar for seven days, during which time the guards kept watch and prevented any information from going public.
There is evidence of their passionate lovemaking by the notches they left on the walls. As many as 70 cuts on the walls are signs of lovemaking between the baron and the Empress.
A big dent in the stone table of the basement gave rise to one whole new story. Namely, it is believed that the dent on the table has great power – to fulfill the love wish of all who rest their palms on it.
Of course, these are all just stories, but it’s up to you to decide if you believe in them! Come and try it and let us know if anything has come true! ?
Which one do you like the most?
I would bet on the one with 70 acts of love 🙂
To experience your own love story in Croatia and about Croatia, all you need to do is come 2 Croatia!
And your Love story can be remembered as The Great Croatia Love Story.
