Mimara Museum

Ante Topic Mimara gave his collection to Croatia in the 1980s and it opened in 1987 in a restored nineteenth century school building on Roosevelt Square: around three thousand objects spanning ancient glass, Asian art, icons, furniture and European painting attributed to a long list of major names. The attributions have been contested since almost the beginning - journalists and art historians have questioned both the paintings and Mimara's own account of himself, and the museum's labelling has become more cautious over the years. The building and the ancient and applied art holdings are solid; the picture gallery is where the argument sits.

What you actually see

• Around three thousand objects - given to the state in the 1980s.
• Glass, icons, Asian art and furniture - the strongest parts of the collection.
• Contested attributions - questioned since the museum opened in 1987.
• A restored nineteenth century school - the building itself.

When to go

Year round; check opening as the building has closed for works at times. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

Treat the big-name painting labels with caution - the doubts are real and long-standing. Parts of the museum have been closed for renovation in recent years. Labelling is thin in places and the layout is confusing.

Nearby

The lower town squares and the National Theatre are around it.