A complete guide to visting Zagreb
We arrived in Zagreb after travelling up the Croatian coast from Dubrovnik to Split. We didn’t know anyone who’d visited Zagreb before, so weren’t sure what to expect. We found it to be a lovely city and we’d recommend it as a stop on any Croatian trip!
Where is it and how to get there
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and is located several hundred kilometres inland. It’s served by an international airport (we caught an uber from central Zagreb to the airport which took around 20-25 mins and cost about 20 euros). It’s also well-connected to other locations in Croatia and internationally by bus. There are also some train connections although these are more limited and can be slower (we caught the train from Split and it took 7.5 hours).
What to expect
Zagreb is a really lovely city. It definitely has a very Austro-Hungarian vibe in terms of architecture in the city centre. The old town is centred around two hills and is very walkable. One hill contains mostly church-linked buildings, including the impressive cathedral. The other contains St Mark’s Church (famous for its colourful roof) and numerous other sites worth seeing. At the time we visited (September 2023) a number of buildings including the cathedral were closed and covered with scaffolding – Zagreb was hit by earthquakes in 2020 and repair works are ongoing.
There’s a lot of green space and parks in and around the city centre. We also found Zagreb to have a very lively café/bar culture. In the evenings there are many streets full of cafes, bars and restaurants and lot of people (both tourists and locals) out enjoying themselves.
How long to stay for
We stayed for two nights and found this gave us plenty of time to explore the centre of Zagreb. If staying for longer, you could consider using Zagreb as a base for day trips or visiting sites further out of the city centre.
Weather
We found daytime temperatures to be comparable to the coast, though slightly cooler. We travelled in mid-September and it was warm and sunny during the day (around 25-27 degrees). It was cooler than the coast at night, though still very pleasant to be outside!
Where to stay and getting around
We’d recommend staying somewhere central. We stayed in a small hotel/b and b overlooking the main square (Ban Josip Jelačić square) and thought this was an excellent location as we were within walking distance to everything (and we didn’t find it noisy at night). If staying centrally you won’t need to utilise public transport for sightseeing around central Zagreb as everything is within walking distance. However, there was an extensive tram network. Taxis and Ubers were also readily available – we were recommended to use Uber by the locals as the pricing is more transparent.
We’d recommend the accommodation we stayed in – Bed & Breakfast Sky City Center, which included a delicious breakfast. We booked though booking.com and found the whole process really easy.
Eating and drinking
We found the prices in Zagreb to be very reasonable and a lot cheaper than the coast! There are many cafes and bars, and if you’re visiting during the warmer months it’s really nice sitting outside. Some of our favourite places were:
La Štruk – we ate delicious štrukli, a traditional Croatian dish (which is all this restaurant serves). It’s cheesy, hearty and filling, and comes in sweet or savoury varieties. La Štruk is very popular, so we’d recommend coming mid or later afternoon. It will also take at least 20 minutes for your štrukli to come out, as all dishes are baked fresh.
Boban – this was an Italian restaurant and it was delicious. We didn’t book but were lucky to get a table, so we’d recommend booking ahead.
Pekara Dubravica – a bakery with a large range of hot, cold, sweet and savoury options. Good for lunch on the go.
Pizzeria Basta – a good option for pizza and drinks.
Activities
Some of the activities and sites we enjoyed were:
Doing a walking tour of the old town with Free Spirit tours. This took about 2 hours and gave an interesting and comprehensive overview of the history of Zagreb. The tour operates on tips (although the company also offered paid tours, which cover topics including the War of Independence).
Walking through the Tunel Grič, a pedestrian tunnel that was built during World War 2 and used as a bomb shelter during the Croatian War of Independence.
Watching the 12 o’clock cannon be fired.
Visiting the Market Dolac, a large market containing all sorts of fresh produce (as well as souvenirs) in the centre of Zagreb.
Checking out some of Zagreb’s many museums. We visited the Museum of Broken Relationships, and more randomly the Mushroom Museum (which was in the building we stayed in).
We took a walk through some of Zagreb’s parks, which form a rough u-shape. This was a really nice way to spend an hour or two on a sunny day.
