| Page Views: 816 Last Visit to Zagreb: March, 2008 | Zagreb - Croatia by pure1942 - last update: Apr 7, 2008 |
Don't Believe All You Hear | Tiled roof of St. Mark's - Zagreb Coat of Arms |
I didn't really know what to expect from Zagreb. I planned well ahead of time for my trip to Zagreb as I only had two nights here and wanted to make the most out of my time and I was really looking forward to exploring the city. However, having talked to some people who had visited the city and who had some negative impressions I was beginning to reconsider making the trip to Zagreb. People described the city as boring and drab and having very little to see and do.
However, I decided to follow through with my trip and in hindsight I am so happy I did. Maybe it was because I didn't expect too much after the negative reports or maybe it's because I have not yet visited the more popular coastal areas of Croatia but I really enjoyed Zagreb.
Anybody who says there is nothing to see or do in Zagreb is either blind, ignorant, or devoid of any cultural appreciation. Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't consider myself a cultural and architectural buff in any sense, but anybody with any sense of culture and taste can see that Zagrebs city centre is a beautiful area to wander around especially the areas of Kaptol, Gradec and the Lower Town.
So for anyone considering skipping Zagreb and making straight for the coast, don't believe anybody who says you're not missing out on anything. YOU ARE. You are missing the centre of Croatia's cultural, artistic and architectural traditions...not to mention a great night out! You will regret not pencilling in at least one full day (two nights) in the Croatian capital. |
| Tkalciceva Street - Gornji Grad |
|  | City of Two Halves Zagreb is the largest city in Croatia and has a metropolitan population of around 1 million people, with around 780,000 people living in the city itself.
The city is divided into two main areas. The newer Lower Town ( Donji Grad ) houses many museums, shops, restaurants, businesses and public parks as well as a large number of cultural buildings and and embassies. The other main area is the Old Town (Gornji Grad) made up from two hills, Gradec and Kaptol. The Old Town is a beautiful area containing many of the citys main tourist attractions, incuding St. Mark's Church, The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archiepiscopal Palace, Lotrscak Tower, Stone Gate, St. Catherine's Church and the lively Dolac Market as well as the lovely Tkalciceva Street, lined with cafe's and bars and a great place for a stroll on a sunny evening.
The two different areas of the city can be roughly divided by Trg Jelacica, the citys busiest square. |
| Croatian National Theatre |
| | Zagreb in Two Days As I mentioned earlier, Zagreb has plenty to see and do, but you can see a lot of what the city has to offer in two days or if you're really stuck for time you can see a fair amount in one full day (If you get up early)
The city tourist map is well designed with two different walking routes marked clearly on the map. One route takes in Kaptol and Gradec and the other route takes you around the Lower Town (Donji Grad). The two routes take you by most of the main tourist sites.
Here's the route I took for the Old Town which takes in most sites:
Start at Trg Jelacica and walk along Jurisiceva to get a feel for everyday life along the busy commercial streets and then turn left towards Kaptol. Turn on to Vlaska Street which will lead you up to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with its tall spires and beautiful gilded fountain/statue of the Virgin Mary. I wandered up along Kaptol and turned in left onto Opatovina Street and made my way down towards the Dolac Vegetable market which has stalls selling much more than just vegetables. After this stroll up Tkalciceva Street and enjoy the atmosphere along this charming street. Now climb Gradec Hill up to Markovicev Trg to see one of Zagreb's most famous sites, St. Mark's Church, with its beautiful galed tile roof showing the coats of arms of Zagreb and the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Nearby is the Banski Dvori Palace (Presidential Palace) and Sabor (Croatian National Assembly).
Make your way south down Cirilometodska Street towards the Lotrscak Tower and enjoy great views over the Lower Town (Donji Grad)
The most interesting parts of the Lower Town is laid out in a U-Shape. Again start from Jelacica Trg and go south along Praska towards the train station. Along the way you will pass through Trg Nicole Subica Zrinjskog, Strossmayerov Trg and Trg Kralja Tomislava. These three beautiful garden parks contain a number of galleries and museums including the Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters and the Exhibition Pavillion. Reaching the train station (a beautiful building in its own right) turn right and pass through Starcevicev Trg and along Mihanoviceva passing Zagreb's Botanical Gardens (Closed during my visit). At the end of this street turn right into what is a extensive series of squares and parks (Marulicev Trg, Rooseveltov Trg, Trg Mazuranicev, Trg Marsala Tita) filled with beautiful buildings and monuments. The Ethnographic Museum is located here as well as the impressive Museum Mimara. The Croatian National Theatre is in Trg Marsala Tita and is one of the most impressive buildings in Zagreb.
For nightlife return to Tkalciceva Street where there are a varity of busy bars. |
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pure1942's Zagreb Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 9 - Photos: 27 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 5 | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | Transportation
Tips: 3 - Photos: 5 | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 pure1942's Zagreb Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for pure1942 about Zagreb | | | | |
easterntrekker Sat Dec 20, 2008 00:25 UTC
Hey thanks for visiting my pages on Belgrade and Mostar. It was an amazing trip . I enjoyed your Zagreb pages....we almost went there...there are so many places to visit! | Maurizioago Mon Oct 6, 2008 09:47 UTC
I have to visit Zagreb one day! Ciao! | HORSCHECK Wed Apr 23, 2008 21:32 UTC
Another fabulous little page of yours. It brings back memories of my time in this amazing city. I agree that Zagreb is indeed very worth visiting. | blint Tue Apr 15, 2008 23:06 UTC
Great page, you went at a beautiful time of year. So did I, but a very different one ;) |
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