Zagreb: A Guide to Croatia’s Underrated Capital City

November 27, 2022April 12, 2023 Koen 1 Comment

In this destination guide we make a trip to Zagreb, Croatia’s underrated capital city which is well-worth a visit.

A visit to Zagreb

Zagreb is one of those cities for which I always had a soft spot but never understood why it doesn’t have the same appeal among other travellers.

Sure, Zagreb may lack the name and fame of other European capitals and even inside Croatia the city lags behind destinations like Dubrovnik, Split, Istria and the islands when it comes to tourist numbers and international appeal.

Although Zagreb might be overlooked by many tourists, it certainly is a lively and highly interesting city to visit – and I surely didn’t mind returning to Croatia’s capital on my trip.

Tkalčića street zagreb croatia — *Bars on Tkalčića street in the city centre of Zagreb ©Paliparan*

Zagreb arrival

While I flew into Zagreb the last time I visited the city, this time I arrived by taking the ICN tilting train from Split.

There is simply no better way to arrive in Zagreb than by train.

The city’s main railway station (Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor – which simply translates to ‘Zagreb main station’) is located on what is perhaps the finest train station squares in the world.

This square, called Trg Kralja Tomislava (King Tomislav Square), starts immediately in front of the station and actually feels more like a pleasant park.

If you walk out of the station you will enjoy a great view over an equestrian statue of King Tomislav and the Art Pavilion at the far end of the park.

I don’t think there are many other train stations in Europe with such a grand entry into the city!

icn train croatia zagreb split — *The ICN tilting train from Split to Zagreb stops at the station of Gračac. ©Paliparan*

zagreb croatia — *View from the train station towards the statue of King Tomislav and the Art Pavilion. ©Paliparan*

zagreb train station — *Zagreb’s main train station is beautifully located at the end of a park in the city centre. ©Paliparan*

Into the city centre

Zagreb’s main train station is centrally located and most of the city’s sights are within walking distance or a short tram or bus ride away.

It takes an extra 15 minutes on foot to reach the heart of the city centre from the train station.

On your way you to the city centre you walk along a number of beautiful small parks such as Josip Strossmayer Park and Zrinjevac Park and pass by a couple of Zagreb landmarks such as the Art Pavillion and the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences.

If you just walk straight ahead from the train station, you end up at Josip Jelačić Square (called Trg bana Josipa Jelačića in Croatian), which is the very heart of Zagreb’s city centre.

This square is always busy with people walking around and the city’s blue trams passing by.

zagreb art pavillion — *Zagreb Art Pavillion. ©Paliparan*

city park — *Josip Strossmayer Park and the Library of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences. ©Paliparan*

strossmayer statue croatian academy arts sciences — *The Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences with the statue of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in front of it. ©Paliparan*

mazuranic monument — *Monument to politician and poet Ivan Mažuranić. ©Paliparan*

*Walking to the heart of the city centre along a leafy road. ©Paliparan*

zrinjevac park — *Zrinjevac Park. ©Paliparan*

zagreb visit guide croatia Ban Jelačić Square — *Ban Jelačić Square is the heart of Zagreb’s city centre. ©Paliparan*

tram zagreb — *Trams driving through a side street of Ban Jelačić Square. ©Paliparan*

zagreb city centre street — *City centre street. ©Paliparan*

Coffee with a view

Croatia has true coffee culture and even in the far-flung corners of this country you can get a quality brew.

Needless to say, there are many nice cafés in Zagreb to stop for a coffee.

On of my favourites is Ritam Grada, which is a café-bar during the day but turns into a night club after dark.

The entrance is a bit tricky to find, but once you make it up to this place you are treated to fantastic views overlooking Ban Jelačić Square.

ritam grada cafe-bar — *The outdoor terrace of Ritam Grada. ©Paliparan*

zagreb coffee croatia — *Enjoying a coffee overlooking Ban Jelačić Square. ©Paliparan*

Dolac

Just one block behind Ban Jelačić Square you can find another famous city centre square.

Called Dolac, this elevated square is home to the famous Dolac Market (Tržnica Dolac) where you can buy all kinds of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

The Dolac farmers’ market in Zagreb is great fun to visit during the morning, although you will find it pretty much deserted if you arrive later in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, this was the case during my visit.

Instead, I headed to the outdoor terrace of Harat’s Pub where I enjoyed a tasty Croatian craft beer overlooking Dolac Square.

dolac market zagreb — *This picture which I took on a previous trip shows how Zagreb’s Dolac Market looks like in the morning when it’s bustling with activity. ©Paliparan*

dolec — *Unfortunately, the market was already over when I visited this time around in the afternoon. ©Paliparan*

Harat's Pub zagreb — *Located just behind Dolac, Harat’s Irish Pub is a great place to enjoy a beer. ©Paliparan*

dolac square zagreb beer — *Enjoying a pint of beer while overlooking Dolac Square. ©Paliparan*

Zagreb cathedral

When you stand on Dolac Square you can already see the spires of Zagreb Cathedral towering high above the houses.

Located in a part of town called Kaptol, Zagreb’s cathedral was built in the 13th century, although much of what you see now is a reconstruction in Neo-Gothic style which was completed in 1906.

The cathedral is formally known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary and besides Mary is dedicated as well to kings Saint Stephen and Saint Ladislaus.

cathedral street — *Alley leading up to the cathedral. ©Paliparan*

zagreb cathedral croatia — *Zagreb Cathedral as seen from Dolac. ©Paliparan*

zagreb cathedral — *Zagreb Cathedral. ©Paliparan*

Tkalčića Street

A trip to Zagreb is not complete without a visit to lively Tkalčića Street.

Also known as Tkalčićeva Street (given that the street can be called both Ulica Ivana Tkalčića and Tkalčićeva Ulica in Croatian), this famous Zagreb street is full of bars, pubs and restaurants.

The street is named after Ivan Tkalčić, a famous Croatian historian and priest.

As the street is located in the heart of the city centre and is close to all the sights, you’ll likely find yourself returning to Tkalčića Street many times on your Zagreb trip.

tkalcica zagreb — *Tkalčića Street. ©Paliparan*

Tkalčića pivnica mali medo — *Tkalčića Street is a great place to grab a beer or some food. ©Paliparan*

*Enjoying some pljeskavica (a traditional Serbian spiced meat patty) and a beer at Mali Medo on Tkalčića Street. ©Paliparan*

Upper Town

The Upper Town of Zagreb (called Gornji Grad in Croatian) is the true historic heart of the city centre.

Here, the citizens of Zagreb started to build defensive walls around a hill named Grič in the Middle Ages out of fear of a Mongol invasion.

This part of Zagreb became known as Gradec and is nowadays home to Croatia’s government offices and the National Parliament (Sabor).

The best way to enter Gradec is through the Stone Gate, which is home to a streetside shrine to the Virgin Mary.

In the centre of Gradec you can find the beautiful 14th century Saint Mark’s Church with its magnificent tiled roof showing the coats of arms of the city of Zagreb and the old Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia.

Other famous churches in this part of town are the Greek Catholic Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius (located next to Zagreb city assembly) and Saint Catherine’s Church.

upper town zagreb — *Street leading up to the upper town. ©Paliparan*

stone gate zagreb — *Approaching the Stone Gate. ©Paliparan*

shrine virgin mary stone gate — *Inside the Stone Gate you can find a shrine to the Virgin Mary (sadly behind some wooden boards on my picture as it was being renovated). ©Paliparan*

saint mark's church zagreb croatia — *Saint Mark’s Church. ©Paliparan*

zagreb upper town — *Street in the Upper Town of Zagreb. ©Paliparan*

*Greek Catholic Cathedral of St. Cyril and Methodius. ©Paliparan*

St. Catherine's Church — *St. Catherine’s Church. ©Paliparan*

Museum of Broken Relationships

If you visit just one museum on your Zagreb trip, make it the Museum of Broken Relationships in the Upper Town.

The Museum of Broken Relationships evokes many different emotions, as some exhibits are just extremely sad or full of melancholy, while others will raise a smile.

While the more modern break-up stories are often more funny, there are also more tearful tales, especially the ones related to World War II or the Yugoslav Wars.

museum broken relationships zagreb — *The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb. ©Paliparan*

*A child’s wartime love letter. ©Paliparan*

museum of broken relationships — *Some exhibits in the Museum of Broken Relationships are hilarious. ©Paliparan*

portrait crayon box — *Portrait and crayon box. ©Paliparan*

museum broken relationships exhibit — *The sad story behind the portrait and crayon box. ©Paliparan*

Viewpoint

At the south side of Gradec there is a park from where you can enjoy some commanding views over Zagreb.

When I arrived at the viewpoint, a small rainbow even appeared over the city centre buildings.

Lotrščak Tower zagreb — *Lotrščak Tower at the south side of Gradec. ©Paliparan*

park Grič — *From Park Grič you can enjoy a great view over downtown Zagreb. ©Paliparan*

zagreb view — *View over Zagreb. ©Paliparan*

zagreb rainbow — *Rainbow suddenly appearing in the sky over Zagreb. ©Paliparan*

gradec viewpoint — *Gradec viewpoint. ©Paliparan*

zagreb cathedral gradec viewpoint — *Zagreb Cathedral as seen from the Gradec viewpoint. ©Paliparan*

Evening walk

After my visit to Gradec, I had another walk on Tkalčića and the surround streets, stopping for a kebab at a fast food restaurant.

I couldn’t resist another beer as well, for which I headed to Tolkien’s House, another fun Zagreb pub located on a quiet side street just off Tkalčića.

Zagreb is a great destination as well for those who enjoy late night drinks or are into partying.

However, as I needed to get up early the next day, I had no choice to head back to my hotel after a beer or two.

Besides, as I was sleeping in what is possibly the best hotel in Zagreb – the lovely Esplanade Hotel with its fine Art Deco design – I also wanted to make sure I enjoyed my wonderful accommodation to the fullest.

lower town alley — *Walking through some alleys back into the Lower Town. ©Paliparan*

kebab zagreb — *Quick kebab on Tkalčića Street for dinner. ©Paliparan*

tolkien's house zagreb — *Tolkien’s House is a nice Zagreb pub. ©Paliparan*

beer tolkien's house — *Pint of beer at Tolkien’s House. ©Paliparan*

zagreb evening — *Evening walk through Zagreb. ©Paliparan*

downtown bars shops — *Downtown bars and shops. ©Paliparan*

esplanade hotel zagreb — *Back at the Esplanade Hotel where I stayed at during this Zagreb trip. ©Paliparan*

art deco zagreb esplanade hotel — *The wonderful Art Deco interior of Zagreb Esplanade Hotel. ©Paliparan*

Conclusion

Zagreb is a fantastic city to visit as it has some interesting historic sights and a charming, fun-loving atmosphere.

Although this underrated city might lack the instant appeal of other European capitals and the Croatian coast, I have always tremendously enjoyed my Zagreb visits.

This time around it was no different.

Especially those who like to wander around charming streets and to stop frequently for a coffee or drink will love Zagreb’s Mitteleuropean vibe.

If you are looking for an out of the ordinary and lively European capital to visit, then Zagreb will certainly make for a great trip!

Trip report index

This article is part of the ‘Across Europe by Train: Interrail in the Age of Corona‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: LOT Polish Airlines Economy Class Bucharest to Warsaw (Embraer ERJ-175)
2. Walking Through an Empty Warsaw in Corona Lockdown
3. Review: Four Points by Sheraton Warsaw Mokotow
4. Review: LOT Polish Airlines Economy Class Warsaw to Zurich (Boeing 737 MAX)
5. A Stopover Walk Through the Old Town of Zurich
6. Review: Railjet Train Zurich to Feldkirch
7. An Evening in Friendly Little Feldkirch
8. Review: Nightjet Train Feldkirch to Graz
9. A Short Walk Along the Sights of Graz
10. Review: Emona EuroCity Train Vienna – Ljubljana – Trieste
11. Zidani Most: Europe’s Most Picturesque Train Station
12. Review: Ljubljana to Zagreb by EuroCity Train EC 1211 ‘Sava’
13. Flying With Trade Air on a Let L-410 Turbolet Across Croatia
14. Review: Palace Derossi, Trogir, Croatia
15. A Visit to the Tranquil Island City of Trogir, Croatia
16. Cycling on Ciovo: A Trogir Day Trip by Bike
17. Split: Croatia’s Bustling Seaside City Full of History
18. Review: Croatian Railways ICN Train Split to Zagreb
19. Review: Esplanade Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia
20. Zagreb: A Guide to Croatia’s Underrated Capital City (current chapter)
21. Review: EuroCity Train “Croatia” Zagreb to Vienna
22. Review: Dacia Night Train Vienna to Bucharest

One thought on “Zagreb: A Guide to Croatia’s Underrated Capital City”

Ed
November 28, 2022 at 9:10 pm

Thanks Koen, Incredible photos, some of the best of Zagreb that I’ve seen! ZAGs been on my radar for a while but you’ve convinced me that it deserves a look in. I’d love to take the train from Ljubljana…

Koen

One thought on “Zagreb: A Guide to Croatia’s Underrated Capital City”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply