Flying Under the Radar: Zagreb, Croatia

Even though it’s the capital, it’s easy to be tempted to pass up Zagreb for more well known places like Dubrovnik (thanks Game of Thrones).  But it’s for this very reason that you should go.  Zagreb has all of the charm and history of a major European city but hasn’t been bloated by tourism and the price hikes that go with it. Instead, you can enjoy your $2 wine at an outdoor cafe and pretend you’re a local. 😀

Zagreb, Croatia nighttime outdoor cafes

Zagreb, Croatia night time outdoor cafe

Zagreb is also a lot cleaner than a lot of cities we’ve seen in Europe.

tram at Ban Jelacic square, Zagreb, Croatia

It has so much liveliness, history, and culture wrapped up in an easy to navigate, compact town center.

Zagreb cathedral, Croatia

No Euro-town is complete without a grand cathedral. And Zagreb Cathedral does not disappoint! I love the way buildings in Europe (and elsewhere?) cover their construction work with scrims to hide the scaffolding.  Check out the upper right side of the cathedral.  Guess she’s getting a bit of a makeover. 🙂

Square in front of Zagreb Cathedral, Croatia

Despite a lot happening in the city center, there are a lot of wide open spaces.  This is the square just in front of the cathedral.  I’m sure it gets packed on big Catholic holidays like Christmas and Easter.  We heard from many folks that Zagreb’s Christmas market is second to none! It was voted Best Christmas Market three years in a row by European Best Destinations. So this means I will definitely be back.

Gulliver painting in Zagreb park

There are so many parks! Some are big, some are small. All are filled with greenery and character and this one even had a cool graffiti painting of what I think is Gulliver from Gulliver’s Travels.

Dolac market, Zagreb, Croatia

You can’t miss the big market in the town center.  Dolac Market is huge and is open every day.  A farmer’s market that is open daily is my dream come true.  It was filled with tons of local, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as local olive oil, cheese and honey. (Lots of the bees came along with the honey it seems.  Brian had to come to terms with his bee phobia very quickly.) There’s an indoor section underneath the market with butchers shops and stands selling homemade sauerkraut.

Dolac market, Zagreb, Croatia

St. Mark's Church, Zagreb, Croatia

The other must see Church is St. Mark’s which is also Roman Catholic.  It’s unusual because of the unique colored tile roof – very different from most cathedrals! The picture on the left is the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia, and the one on the right is the emblem of Zagreb.

St Mark's Church in Zagreb, Croatia

St. Mark’s is supposed to be open only on Sunday for Mass but I got lucky and was able to see the inside and snap a photo on a weekday.  That was before I realized it was open because there was a wedding rehearsal happening. Whoops! Still glad I got to see it though. 🙂

Museum of Illusions, Zagreb, Croatia

We spent some time in the Museum of Illusions which was quirky and fun and cost about $6.

Museum of Illusions, Zagreb, Croatia

Luckily there is better food to eat in Zagreb than Brian’s head on a platter!

Zagreb rooftops

Just walking around the city was awesome.  It’s a little hilly at times and you can choose to walk the hill slope or go up staircases.  Either way, it means you get some pretty amazing views over the rooftops.

giant beer in Zagreb, Croatia

Did I mention Zagrebians know how to drink? Forget 40 ounces to freedom – how about 2 liters to blacking out?

fountain in Zagreb, Croatia

Of course, the beautiful parks and fountains provide a great back drop to sit for a moment and contemplate life. (Or at least appear to be, for posterity.)

Ban Jelacic statue, Zagreb, Croatia

Our hotel was right outside Ban Jelačić Square which is a main area in the town.  That’s him behind me! There was a cool organic/vegan outdoor market set up in the square when we arrived (remnants of the stands are to the right) and I bought that t-shirt I’m wearing from an animal rights group.  The lady who sold it to me translated it as saying something like “those who bark are good.” Agreed.

magic carpet street in Zagreb, Croatia

This was our first stop on the Croatia tour and I’ll admit, we came partly just for the cheap airline ticket. But we were pleasantly surprised at the magical carpet ride we found ourselves on!

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3 Replies to “Flying Under the Radar: Zagreb, Croatia”

  1. Zagreb sounds so awesome! I definitely want to check out the Christmas market too though 😂

    1. I know, I wish I could go back this year for it! But…probably not going to happen. 😛

  2. […] were in Zagreb before we came here and bought some great picnic supplies from Dolac market, the huge open air marketplace in the city center.  We brought bread, cheese, sausage, and figs.  […]

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