There’s so much more to Croatia than the dazzling Dalmatian coast. From top attractions and famous landmarks to architectural wonders and hidden gems, Zagreb should be on your list of places to discover and explore.
Zagreb is home to a quarter of the Croatian population, approximately 1 million people, and is often referred to as “The City of Million Hearts.” This charming medieval capital is a brilliant weekend destination, but also an excellent starting point before you explore more of Croatia.
Zagreb is crammed with stunning architecture, all-day-breakfast places, hidden alleys and lanes, many green parks, and cozy restaurants. It’s a relaxed, fun, vibrant and welcoming city to visit.
The first city actually originated from two small towns on the opposite hills, Kaptol – which was a church town and Gradec – the craftsmen town. In the place of the creek which was dividing them, today is located one of the most popular streets in town for hanging out – Tkalieva ulica.
Today Zagreb is a modern city bustling with life, cute coffee bars and unique museums. It is a place where you can slow down and enjoy life for a day or two. It is a perfect place for a city break before you continue to explore Croatian coast or nearby European capitals.
Check out my full Croatia Itinerary here!
Where To Stay
We stayed at the Esplanade Hotel right in downtown Zagreb. This grand luxury hotel is absolutely stunning and was the perfect location for our 2 nights. The grounds are surrounded by trees and little picturesque courtyards. Croatians will sit and enjoy coffee for 2-3 hours, so there were always people around enjoying a cup of espresso.
What To Do
Zagreb may be the biggest city in Croatia, but it is extremely walkable. The old town is where we spent the majority of our time. City centre of Zagreb is full of interesting places to see. Lately, many new original museums opened, as well as coffee bars and restaurants where you can relax after the walk. However, there are some traditional landmarks every visitor should see in Zagreb.
- Main Square: It was founded in the foothills of two medieval towns and for the long period of time it was the main city’s market. Here you can admire beautiful architecture, throw a coin in Mandusevac fountain and take a selfie with ban Jelai, whose statue can be found in the center.
- Upper Town: The other name for old medieval town Gradec. Small, but extremely charming and attractive Upper Town offers you to explore its numerous passages, hidden stairs, churches, promenades and museums. Be sure to stop by the flower market and Dolac market to check out all of the fresh fruit, veggies, and little gifts. I love visiting markets in a new country and city to see how the locals live day to day! We picked up some cherries that were SO YUMMY!
- Free Spirit Walking Tour: You will see me mention this company a ton throughout my Croatia guides, but they were so good and definitely recommend. We love talking a walking tour on the first day in a new city to get the lay of the land and learn about the things we are exploring. This company uses locals as guides so they are extremely passionate about their cities and culture. We had Luca and he was so good!
- Museum of Broken Relationships: This creative and unique museum is absolute must visit to remind yourself about true love, but also some comic break ups. This is one of the unique things to do in Zagreb for this is the only museum of it’s kind in the whole world!
- Food Tour with Roundabout Tours: Something new that we have been adding to our travels is going on food tours. Clearly our trips revolve around eating, so we have been finding food tours which end up being some of our favorite memories. We had Antonio, and it was just mom and I. He brought us to four different restaurants where we tried traditional Croatian cuisine and a glass of wine at each spot. It was so fun to walk around with him, hear his stories, talk about his culture all while eating and drinking the night away! We enjoyed truffle cheese, ćevapčići, Croatian charcuterie, and štrukli (all pictured above!).
Where To Eat/Drink
The food scene in Zagreb is bustling. While I only have a few specific restaurants you really can’t go wrong strolling down the streets and picking a place. Our tour guide Luca said, it is all about the vibe, just wander until you find a place that you enjoy the vibe and that should be your choice.
- Bakery Dubrovnik: A pastry shop where we stopped by to pick up a few pastries/croissants to enjoy in the square
- L’oro Di Napoli: After our walking tour we stopped here for a prosciutto pizza and a beer. It has a huge outdoor dining area that takes up a whole alley way.
- Tkalieva ulica (Ilica Street): This strip is definitely a place that you can’t miss. Full of cafes, restaurants, and bars this is where the action is. We had a flight of 6 Croatian beers to kick off our trip! Again you can’t go wrong just picking any cafe along this strip.
- Craft Beer Street: One street up from Ilica Street is known as the craft beer street. Lined with microbreweries and pubs, if you want to try local Croatian beer this is for you. But don’t fall in love with a certain beer, the microbreweries usually only brew a few kegs of each beer, so the chances of you finding it again are slim.
- Korcula: Our only dinner we had in Zagreb was at Korcula. We had fuži (traditional Istrian pasta) with Adriatic shrimps and truffles as well as homemade basil-infused gnocchi with crab. Both dishes were delicious.
- Pingu: The best gelato in Zagreb! I had the cheesecake, and it was delicious. Definitely find this spot while strolling down Ilica.
Zagreb may not be your first choice when visiting Croatia, but we fell in love with this unique city. Flying into Zagreb is a great way to kick off your trip before heading down to the coast!
[…] Zagreb […]