THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ZAGREB

Looking for ideas of things what to see and do in Zagreb? In this post we tell you our visit to the city for 2 days! Here we go:

The decadent, full of life, traditional convoluted, green, artistic, large, cultural, quiet and lively Zagreb. The capital of Croatia did not leave us indifferent at all. We liked it to the point of adding it to the list of “places where we would return with our eyes closed”. The reason is simple, after two days kicking on its streets and exploring it we go with the feeling that we have many things left to know about her.

It seems a topic but this does not always happen. And now I speak in the first person (ie Rober), in Ljubljana I felt amazed at the beginning, fun during and confusing at the end. The city is beautiful, it is "perfect" as we call it in the article, but you don't feel wrapped up in it, it's as if it doesn't whisper "stay" or "go" ... the personality touch is given by the incredible Metalkova, but no It's enough…

Zagreb showed me what Ljubljana did not know how to do (or I did not know how to find), in its streets, squares, markets, churches, in its people, its flavors and its coffees ... you can breathe certain decadent atmosphere, as if time had stopped a few years ago while waiting for your visit and the city has grown unintentionally. And if you don't tell me where in the world, when the streets get dark, a guy armed with a rod of several meters will light the streetlights of the entire historic center one by one. Actually it is not as before, does not use kerosene or wick, this uses the stick as a hook to activate the tabs of the lampposts that allow the passage of gas. At 7 p.m. the city smells like my grandmother's house when I didn't turn on the butane stove at first. Even with the changes in the mechanism, see a real lamplighter in the 21st century Leave your mouth open and not only for the amazement, but also for the fatigue, the race that hit me just after seeing the lantern to be able to take a picture I do not recommend it to anyone! The uncle is an ax, he does not even stand under the street lamps but lights them on the fly.

Zagreb is rich in history and stories, especially from ghosts and witches that apparently roam at night between their streets. As we are not very nocturnal, we stay with him local market, with their vegetable and fresh fruit stands and their old ladies, with the fish and flower market.

And we are left with its impressive architecture of Austro-Hungarian influence and its medieval streets. Zagreb at birth was divided into two parts that led to kill. As two brothers who argue constantly, but at the time of collecting the pay they put a good face.Gradec and Kaptol they only met on fair days, which happened 3 times a year, the rest of the time they took to kill. They were separated by a river that passed through the current Tkalciceva street. Both populations were joined by a bridge, the so-called “bloody bridge“, Krvavi Most Street, where they hit each other whenever they could. Today the name is maintained, but there is no trace of the bridge. In 1851 the two nuclei joined together becoming the current Zagreb. From this era are the palaces and buildings built during the Austro-Hungarian Empire and that makes some people call it "Little Vienna".

On a quick walk through the old Gradec and Kaptol, many points of interest, such as ban plaza Josip Jelacic, former meeting point of medieval fairs; the Assumption Cathedral, with its two huge towers; the Dolac market, where fruits, vegetables, cheeses are sold every morning ... and with a wonderful local atmosphere; the Tkalciceva and Radiceva streets, with its charming cafes and bars; the Stone Gate, the L-shaped entrance that overlooked the city and where the chapel of the Mother of God is located around the only painting that survived the fire of 1731; the church of San Marcos which stands out for its colorful roof with the shields of the kingdom formed by Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia and that of the city of Zagreb; the J.J. Strossmayer that leads to Lotrscak Tower, from where you get beautiful views over the city (it is not necessary to pay the entrance fee, from its base there are also good panoramic views); and the squares and parks of the lower part of the city.

What we call a great welcome in a country that seems to have a lot to give!

MORE THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ZAGREB

1. Take a trip to the Plitvice Lakes, some beautiful lakes that look like they're out of a Walt Disney movie!
2. Visit one of the rarest museums in the world: that of broken relationships, where you can see hundreds of objects that one day were part of great love stories (from letters to stuffed animals XD). Admission is € 5.
3. Get lost in the cobbled streets of Kaptol, the old part of the city.
4. If you want to know more about what happened in Zagreb during the War, you may like this tour.
5. Try a strukli, a puff pastry / salty pie stuffed with cheese. They say the best is in La Štruk.
6. Another excursion that is very worthwhile is the one that takes you to discover the capital of Slovenia (Ljubljana) and the beautiful Lake Bled. Check out this tour.
7. Relax in the Botanical Garden of Zagreb, a haven of peace!

• How to get from Ljubljana: There are quite a few buses throughout the day. We arrived at the station around 10:10 in the morning and there were plenty of places for the one leaving at 10:30. It takes about two and a half hours and costs € 11 (some cost € 12 or € 13).
• Where to sleep in Zagreb: We did it at the 4City Windows B&B.

Video: 9 REASONS TO VISIT ZAGREB + WHAT TO DO IN ZAGREB. Croatia Travel Vlog (April 2024).