Not writing frequently any more - work demands curtail my time!
Not writing frequently any more - work demands curtail my time!
Member since:26.07.2000
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The title might sound less than complimentary, but there is a reason for this, namely that “Bog!” is an everyday Croatian term meaning “Hello!”. If you are worried that a lack of Croatian might be something that will deter you from visiting Zagreb, then a vague knowledge of German will stand you in very good stead. Speaking German I found that I was at least able to talk to people, even if only to exchange pleasantries.
Zagreb, Croatia’s capital is a hidden gem, in fact much of Croatia is, with a lot of the tourists having been deterred from visiting the country since the war with Serbia. I first visited Croatia in February 1998, when Bosnia was still a no-go zone, and many people had wondered whether the war might spill over into Croatia again. People probably have visions of Zagreb being a ruined city, but the damage was in actual fact minimal to non-existent and it was very much business as usual, with the rocket attacks of 1995 very much consigned to history.
To emphasise the “Business as Usual” maxim, the people of Zagreb have quickly adopting a westernised lifestyle, choosing to ally their lifestyles to those of neighbouring Slovenia and Italy. Many of them in fact visit Italy for shopping purposes, with a lot sacrificing a holiday to be able to afford new clothes in towns like Trieste and Udine. They enjoy street cafes and restaurants,
most of which have terraces and serve exceptionally strong espresso for around 9Kn.
In comparison with Slovenia, where the prices are still very much below those in Western Europe, prices in Zagreb are steep, with accommodation being especially pricey. As with any Eastern European capital city, there are touts offering you accommodation from the second that you step onto the platform, and these should be avoided, especially as accommodation near the station is pricier than accommodation elsewhere, although in comparison with other Eastern European cities, Zagreb is not that cheap. This is partially attributable to the fact that the Croatian government tries to get cheaper foreign currency into the country by overvaluation of the Kuna. You are likely to spend around HRK 300 for a basic single room in the city centre (whereas in Slovenia you will probably only pay half of this), and obviously rooms at the more luxurious chains (such as the InterContinental and the Sheraton) are a lot steeper.
A lot of hotels publish prices in US Dollars and in Deutschemark in addition to Kuna, although these prices are automatically generated using an official rate. The current exchange rate for the Croatian Kuna (this means a fur – dating back to mediaeval times when furs were used as units of currency) is approximately 11.7 Kuna (HRK) to the pound. Most credit cards and bankcards are accepted at ATM machines, although friends have had some difficulties using Visa Cards in hotels. One thing to be aware of, although it is becoming less of an issue now, is unscrupulous money changers, who have been known to give tourists Yugoslav Dinar banknotes, which are of course worthless and not legal tender.
The cathedral, St Stephen’s is relatively modern, being completed are the turn of the last century on the site of the original mediaeval cathedral, which dated from around the 13th century. When I visited in February 1998, they were re-facing the façade of the cathedral, which had suffered considerable erosion due to high air pollution. It is eclipsed somewhat by St Mark’s which had an impressive tiled roof, which is a sea of red, blue and white and is truly a sight to behold.
It is possible, if you choose not to go in to too many museums, to see most of the sites of Zagreb in a day, with some museums even now not having re-opened, because their treasures were put in secret storage to prevent them getting destroyed from rocket attacks. Others are closed because they are currently undergoing a certain cleansing i.e. pro Serbian content is being taken off display and being replaced by Croatian artefacts. The Strossmayer Gallery contains a collection of paintings by the Old Masters as well as (tucked away in a courtyard) a stone tablet, taken from a monastery on the Croatian island of Krk, which is the oldest example of the Croatian language.
The Archaeological Museum is the home of a lot of artefacts from antiquity, although sadly it is far inferior to the British Museum, and a lot of the items on display look slightly the worse for wear and tear, although the Roman sculpture garden is worth taking a look at. To the West of the city centre is the Museum Mimara, which is an incredible place, easily amongst Europe’s best art galleries, set in a late renaissance building and filled with thousands or objects donated by Ante Topic Mimara, from his private collection. There are a great selection of paintings by Spanish, Italian and Flemish/Dutch painters as well as displays of glassware, sculpture and Oriental art. Just as Budapest is renowned for its cemetery, Zagreb’s Mirogoj is well worth a visit, located in the north of the city, with landscaped grounds, an arcade and some exceptional mausoleums.
Towards the end of March and start of April, there is a Spring Jazz Festival, and there is another jazz festival in October. The Summer Festival in July is more classical and there are also an international animation festival and a folklore festival then, with a drama festival, taking in all tenets of European drama in June, so really the place is very vibrant throughout the summer, and there are other festivals in Dalmatia and Istria (the coastal regions of Croatia).
In terms of shopping, Zagreb is nothing to write home about, which explains why many Croats also go elsewhere for their fashion shopping. Shopping hours are pretty long, with some stores open 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 8am-2pm on Saturday, and Post Offices are open from 7am to 7pm in general with a few open to 10pm. Stamps can be bought in Post Offices and also at newspaper kiosks.
Mobile phone networks are now very good in Croatia, and there should be roaming partners for the network your phone is on in GB. However, whilst crime is generally low, there is nothing more obvious as marking you out as a tourist than parading your phone around, and it is far better to use a call box (these all take phone cards). You do not require a visa if you hold a passport from most countries in Europe (with the exception of Serbia) or the United States to enter Croatia. On one trip, a customs officer did try to convince me otherwise, but I was not falling for it.
As far as getting to Zagreb is concerned, there are flights with British Airways from Gatwick to Zagreb (the airport is about 10 miles south-east from the city centre) and these take about 2h 15mins. Trains connect Zagreb to Austria (Villach, Graz and Vienna) as well as Italy, Germany, Hungary and Romania, and are reliable, but are not always recommended for female travellers travelling alone. Eurolines offer buses, which are a cheap solution, although not the most comfortable.
The website www.zagreb.com provides a lot of accommodation links, although for those on a shoestring, it may be more advisable to either stay outside of Zagreb, or to try and get a place in a hostel or to get a private room, as these are often very reasonable, and of course in summer, the weather is usually pretty pleasant, making camping an option. For more information about Croatia in general, the Croatian Tourist Board has a very comprehensive website with information about Croatia and its heritage (cuisine, language, accommodation etc.) at www.htz.hr (English Version there).
All in all Zagreb is well worth a visit, be it for a long weekend or as part of an extended holiday. Croatia overall is a highly recommendable holiday destination, with its stunning coast-line, in excess of 1000 islands and Mediterranean climate.
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Thanks very much for this - I'm off there tomorrow for a couple of days, and will print this and bring it with me! Cheers again! Would have liked to have heard about the pubs and clubs too, but you can't have everything!
PJE_ 29.04.2001 04:45
400 not out...staggering!
Michael-S 28.04.2001 23:31
My congratulations to your 400th op! Mach weiter so. Take care, Michael.
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