Zagreb (Croatia)

...we took my parents to Zagreb for the day. Of course, we set out from Slovenia so it wasn't the enormous undertaking that sounds. The Croatian capital is well worth a stay of at least a couple of days, but it also makes an excellent day trip and is a viable destination from the holiday resorts of Croatian Istria, the coastal towns and other places in Slovenia, Venice and Trieste in northern Italy and the Plitvice Lakes in northern Croatia. I wouldn't ...
...system and some traffic-free streets, Zagreb is not the kind of city that lends itself to open-topped bus tours ( I did read about a segway tour of Zagreb recently though) so you do need to walk a fair bit if you want to see a lot. Fortunately, café culture is an intrinsic part of Zagreb life so you should do as the locals do and take regular breaks at pavement cafes.

On of my favourite things about Zagreb is the view when you exit ... more

A couple of weeks ago, to celebrate the auspicious occasion of my mother's birthday, we took my parents to Zagreb for the day. Of course, we set out from Slovenia so it wasn't the enormous undertaking that sounds. The Croatian capital is well worth a stay of at least a couple of days, but it also makes an excellent day trip and is a viable destination from the holiday resorts of Croatian Istria, the coastal towns and other places in Slovenia, Venice and Trieste in northern Italy and the Plitvice Lakes in northern Croatia. I wouldn't recommend it as a day trip for people staying further south in Croatia as distances take longer to cover in this part of Europe. The train to Split (as far south as you can travel by train in Croatia) is an overnight one and you may have a few hours to kill before it departs, fortunately the station is central so you can easily take in a few sights before you leave.

I still haven't over-nighted in Zagreb, my visits have always been for a day, and so far I've navigated the city on foot only. However it's clear from the outset that there are plenty of hotels, with the ones closer to the centre being more expensive - some are in very grand buildings, and the cheaper ones being closer to the train station. If you are looking for cheap hostel accommodation you can find several advertising at the train station, and there is always the possibility of private rooms though these tend to be further out of town.

If you do need to go further afield you'll probably want to take advantage of the comprehensive tram system. The two main hubs are the area in front of the train station and the main square. At the main square in particular, pedestrians should be aware that the trams can move quickly. On the subject of walking, it's also important to know that the city is essentially on two levels (Gornji grad - the upper town and Donji grad - the lower town) connected either by a moderately steep hill, a short funicular ride or stone steps, depending on where you go up or down. Due to the narrow streets, the one way system and some traffic-free streets, Zagreb is not the kind of city that lends itself to open-topped bus tours ( I did read about a segway tour of Zagreb recently though) so you do need to walk a fair bit if you want to see a lot. Fortunately, café culture is an intrinsic part of Zagreb life so you should do as the locals do and take regular breaks at pavement cafes.

On of my favourite things about Zagreb is the view when you exit the train station. If you arrive by train the first impression you'll likely get (of the centre, certainly not the suburbs which team with tower blocks) is of an elegant and stately place and typical of the great cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Just beyond the tram stops, is a big lawned square surrounded by fantastic nineteenth century buildings with their differently coloured facades. Breaking up the square is the stunning National Theatre, still sadly under partial scaffolding, as it has been since my first visit to Zagreb in 2003. The square continues beyond the National Theatre but here it becomes less formal and there are lots more shady trees; this is a good place to sit in summer to get some relief from the sun - Zagreb is very hot in the summer months.

Next you'll encounter the main square, Trg Bana Jelacica, but first you'll have to carefully cross the tram lines. The centrepiece of the square is the statue of Croat nationalist Josip Jelacic but it's not nearly as impressive as the buildings around the square. The only downside is that some of the stores now have big signs incorporated into their facades that do spoil the overall impression. In summer a daily craft market is held here; I was impressed by how tasteful the goods were - they might not all necessarily be typically Croatian but the quality seemed good. At different times of the day there might be street musicians or traditional dancers on the square which makes it a lively place. The city's main tourist information office is in the square and the staff there are very helpful; drop in to collect a free map of the city.

If you have approached the square from the train station, head for the north east corner of the square and climb the hill to the cathedral and city walls. The neo-Gothic cathedral of St Stephens (built 1899) with its twin spires is worth at least a quick visit to see a remarkable tryptich by Albrecht Durer, but it is somewhat overshadowed by the striking tiled roof of St. Marks. Also worth a look on this level are the Banski Dvori - the presidential palace, and the Sabor - the parliament building.

I am almost unable to visit any new place and not take a look at the food markets. Zagreb's is called Dolac and is situated just behind the main square, you'll easily spot where the market starts with a flower market. Just beyond the flower market is the market hall where mainly meats and dairy produce are sold; look out for the huge hanging joints of ham from the Dalmatia area of the country. In the dairy section there were tables where local ladies were selling homemade cheese; it's common here for people to bring to market whatever surplus they have and sell alongside more commercial traders. On the roof of this building is the main market place which sells mainly fruit and vegetables. Each stall has a matching sun shade which makes the market look even more colourful - not that it needs to look more colourful; the deep red tomatoes, glossy almost-black aubergines, golden apricots and mottled pink bean pods paint the market with a rainbow of gorgeous colours. At the far corner is the fish market building and while this isn't particularly big, it is worth a look inside, and nestled at the end of this level behind a bar are a handful of stall selling traditional embroidered linens. Up one more half level is the final part of the market, this time the stalls are half closed in, so that traders close the windows at the end of the day to lock the whole unit. This section sells mainly handbags, shoes, clothing (including the very practical multi-pocketed "reporters gilet" that you see most old men wearing in the countries of the former Yugoslavia) and household items.

Of course, this being a capital city there are opportunities for more upscale shopping and some top international names such as Gucci and Dior are represented in Zagreb. If this is your thing, you can find such boutiques around the main square. You should also know that the cafes in this area are also the most expensive too and, in spite of how many times the media reminds us that Croatia represents good value because it is outside the Eurozone, even a cup of coffee sitting at one of these pavements cafes, comes with a fairly moderate price tag. One of the best looking cafes is K&K - the initials stand for Kniza & Kava - "Books and Coffee" which has a really interesting interior with the walls covered with old prints and photographs of Zagreb over the centuries. To find K&K keep walking along Jurisiceva past the tourist information office and it's on the left.

Like most capital cities, Zagreb has a good number of museums covering the arts, natural history, national and ancient history. I must confess that, so far, I have only visited one Zagreb museum because I have found that I still wanted to explore "outdoor Zagreb" before moving "indoors". Museum Mimara is a brilliant museum in the centre and it comprises the eclectic private collection of Ante Topic Mimara which includes paintings by Spanish, Italian and Dutch artists as well as large amounts of glassware, sculpture and Oriental art.

A short bus ride from the centre is the fascinating Mirogoj cemetery with its grand mausolea and exceptionally attractive landscaped grounds. Alternatively you could take a tram to Maksimir Park which boasts the first public promenade in south east Europe, dating from the end of the eighteenth century; the park has artificial lakes, several pretty pavilions and is a great place for a picnic.

Zagreb is not just a nineteenth century city, there are some older parts such as Tkalciceva which is quite pretty and quaint, but much of it has been rebuilt. Still this is a nice area for strolling and shopping (there is some interesting little galleries and shops here) and it's also a good area to eat as there are lots of restaurants including one or two konobas (a konoba is a traditional restaurant serving typical Croatian fare). However, while the food is simple and traditional the prices can be quite high in this part of town - we paid over Euro80 for a lunch for four adults - without starters or desserts and with only beers to drink. There are cheaper places to eat, of course, and one of the best places is on the first level above the indoor section of the food market; here you can buy delicious burek - a highly calorific flaky pastry filled with cheese or meat, and simple Balkan grill dishes.

If you weren't going to stop off at any museums or galleries you could easily navigate the chief sights of Zagreb in one day, but a visit of a couple of days would be enough to take in some of the parks, a museum or gallery and still allow plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere. Zagreb looks beautiful at any time of the year but the very cold winters and the very hot summers may influence your decision. The city also plays host to a variety of different festivals over the course of the year (see the end of this review for a link to a list of them) and this might also help you decide when to visit.

There are still no budget flights from the UK but you could pick up cheap flights to Pula, Trieste or Rijeka and travel to Zagreb from one of those airports. Zagreb is well connected on the European rail network and there are regular trains to cities such as Belgrade, Ljubljana, Vienna, Venice and Budapest. Buses also connect Zagreb with destinations across Europe.

Zagreb is a lively and elegant city but it's still quite modest and when you are walking around you get the sense of a working city more than you do in many European capitals. My recommendation would be to visit if you are already holidaying in this part of Europe, but, although it's a place I like very much, I'd be hesitant to recommend it as a sole destination for a weekend trip, for example.

http://www.croatiatraveller.com/Zagreb_region/Fes tivals.html

 

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