The capital of Croatia is nestled in the inland northeastern part of the country. Away from all the islands and throngs of tourists, Zagreb is a laid-back city with cute streets lined with trees, trams, and beer bars. Lots and lots of beer bars! Take a look at this video to see some of the differences we found between coastal and inland Croatia.
Zagreb was formed from two towns that eventually grew and converged, and over its history has grown to absorb other suburban towns. Overall, the capital of Croatia is a city of around a million people, with a ton of green spaces throughout.
This is a great city to spend a few days walking around sight-seeing, as well as some great opportunities to drink local beer and eat Croatian food. If you are headed to Croatia, don’t skip a visit to Zagreb!
We stayed for three nights in a cute studio right in the heart of old town. Much of the neighborhood is pedestrian-only and it is fun to walk around the cobblestone streets and squares, admiring the quaint vibes and the many beer bars.
We were happy to meet up again with Capt. Filip, the skipper we hired for our island yachting trip. He picked us up our first night and drove us around Zagreb. As a native of the city, he showed us highlights of the history and sights of the city that we otherwise would not have been able to experience on our own. So thankful for a local guide!
For dinner we sat at a kebab joint across the street from our apartment and feasted on large sandwiches: falafel in tortilla and the Balkan favorite: cevapi in a thick bread. It was so filling and delicious! Many people were posted up in squares all over town watching the Euros (soccer game).
The next morning we slept in, which was a much-needed recuperation from our recent weeks of fast travel. We slowly got dressed and meandered down the road looking for coffee. I had accidentally broken our French press in Venice and the apartment did not have a coffee maker. Eek! So the search for caffeine ensued. Unfortunately, the beer bars were not open early for coffee service, and the places that were open seemed like they were catering to British breakfast tastes.
Above the central Dolac Market, we found a Croatian restaurant serving espresso and fresh dishes. Again we ate a nice meat-focused meal, with another order of cevapi. At least my chicken dish included a salad!
After lunch we started with the first of our errands on the list, exchanging kuna. The last time we were in Croatia, we withdrew more money than we spent. Then they changed currency to the euro! We had to visit the Croatian Central Bank, where we were escorted by a security guard to an exchange center. Judging by the line, we were not the only ones who still have leftover kuna on-hand!
With fresh euros in our pockets, we found a barber and Corey got a fresh new look. From there we stocked up on some toiletries. At this point the to-do list was short so we began a walking tour of old town. The streets weaved and inclined as we made our way past churches and old city gates.
The highlights for me were the two churches. The Zagreb Cathedral shoots into the sky with parallel spires and dominates the city skyline. It was under construction so we had to look from afar. This was a bummer but we could still see the stunning architecture. The other stunning church is St. Mark’s, which offers gawkers a beautiful view from the street. Instead of a painted interior, St. Mark’s has a roof covered in colorful tiles. Because of the proximity to government buildings, there is no access to the interior, so again we had to look at the exterior from a distance.
With roughly five miles walked we worked up an appetite for a garden dinner at La Struk, a restaurant that specialized in a Croatian dumpling called štrukli. We tried the traditional steamed version, one baked with truffle cream, and a peppery soup with štrukli. All the dishes were flavorful and different from each other.
The night was capped off with a one hour couples Thai oil massage! What a treat! And boy did it make us miss Thailand. Hopefully we will make it back there in 2025. A big storm had rolled in during our massage and we had to dodge rain drops on our walk home. But we were relaxed and life was not bad.
The next day we got an earlier start than the day before. We beelined for pastries and coffee at the Dolac Market. While strolling the market we found a bakery that was just putting out fresh sesame croissants. Wow! Steaming hot flaky croissants! I only ate one but I could have eaten a hundred!!
We then ducked into a real locals spot in the corner of the market for an espresso. Only after ordering the much-needed coffee did we notice that it was grimy, there were a few roaches on the floor, and that there were old men nursing beers. It was 9:30 AM. One patron took note of our American accent and had fun talking to the bartender in English with an American accent. The coffee hit the spot though. After coffee we walked upstairs to another bakery and ordered another one of our Balkan favorites, the meat-filled puff-pastry known as burek. We had to fight off some aggressive pigeons, but the plate-sized burek was worth it.
The Zagreb Botanical Garden was our next destination which we easily reached on foot. Founded in 1889 and associated with the University of Zagreb, the garden has survived quite a bit of Croatian/Yugoslavian history. With the temperature feeling about twenty degrees cooler than outside of the garden, we strolled through the various sections and enjoyed the greenery and flowers. Every time we visit a botanical garden, I learn something new. The highlight of this garden was the flower beds grouped by color with nice educational plaques talking about the role each individual color plays in nature.
Our day then continued with a nature vibe: We left the city and cruised over the tree tops in the Sljeme Cable Car, a cable car that heads to the top of Medvednica Mountain, just north of the city proper. This was a suggestion by Captain Filip. We typically do not enjoy cable car rides but this one is only a few years old, has an excellent safety record, and was only 20-ish minutes in duration.
It was a smooth ride and it was scenic. At the top, there are sweeping views back down over Zagreb. Since the area is a ski resort, there are a few restaurants on top and we took the opportunity to have another Croatian lunch.
After returning back to the city we joined up with Capt. Filip for a pizza dinner. He also helped us get to the airport the next day. Next stop, Ireland!