Trsat Cemetery in Rijeka

Trsat Cemetery (Croatian: Gradsko groblje Trsat) is a municipal cemetery in Rijeka, Croatia, set in the Trsat district, which was once part of the separate town of Sušak. It is a working burial ground, a memorial park and an open-air gallery of funerary sculpture.

How long have people been buried at Trsat?

Burials at Trsat go back to the 17th century. In 1648 the Franciscan Franjo Glavinić described an older cemetery in front of the Church of St. Mary, beside the hilltop's well-known Marian shrine.

The present municipal cemetery was officially opened on 3 June 1901, and the first burial took place the next day, 4 June 1901. It started small, but as the population of Sušak grew it was regularly maintained, improved and enlarged.

What is there to see at Trsat Cemetery?

The grounds hold many crypts and tombs designed by Croatian and local architects and sculptors from Rijeka and Sušak. Numerous sculptures are by Ivan Rendić, a leading Croatian sculptor, mostly from the second phase of his career, between 1900 and 1925.

The cemetery is also described as a memorial park with notable grave horticulture, so a walk along its paths is as much about landscape as about history.

Who is buried here?

The City of Rijeka lists graves of people important to Croatian history, including members of the Trnski, Ramous, Turković and Ružić families. The family tombs are worth a look for what they show of Sušak's local elite around the turn of the 20th century.

Heritage protection

Since 2006 the Kozala and Trsat cemeteries in Rijeka have been permanently protected as cultural and historical complexes with the status of cultural heritage. The city also runs a programme to rehabilitate and renovate historic grave sites at both cemeteries.

Trsat is managed by the municipal company Kozala, which looks after eight cemeteries in and around Rijeka, among them Kozala, Trsat, Drenova, Zamet, Draga and Sveti Kuzam.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Trsat Cemetery? In Rijeka's Trsat district, on the hill above the city, close to the Marian shrine.

When did it open? The official opening was on 3 June 1901, with the first burial on 4 June.

Is it a protected site? Yes. Since 2006, together with Kozala Cemetery, it has been protected as a cultural and historical complex.

Who made the sculptures? Many are by Ivan Rendić, alongside other sculptors and architects from Rijeka and Sušak.

How should I visit? It is still in use by mourners, so keep quiet and show respect. A walk here pairs well with a visit to the Trsat shrine.