The Croatian town of Krapina has waited 11 years for this moment and its patience has finally been rewarded with the opening of its Neanderthal museum. Although it has just over 4,000 inhabitants, the town is recognized worldwide as the place where the discovery of the existence of this ancestor was made.
In 1899, an archaeologist paleontologist by the name of Dragutin Gorjanovic-Kramberger discovered more than 8,000 Neanderthal bones at Krapina. While the current site is commemorated by several statues, including a bust of the archaeologist, there was still no museum worthy of the importance of this major discovery in the history of mankind.
Covering 12,000 square metres spread out on two floors, the new museum will display the daily life of prehistoric man during this time. A life-size reproduction of 19 characters placed in a scene from everyday life is also one of the highlights of the new facility.