Croatia’s idyllic, rocky coastline contains many islands and headlands.
Zagreb is ideally located on a flat landscape that connects Central Europe and the Adriatic Ocean.
Nowadays, Zagreb is the heart of contemporary Croatian culture, sports, arts, and education.
Its colorful history cannot be overlooked too.
The remarkable mix of medieval towers, nineteenth century castles, outdoor markets, and ancient basilicas, make Zagreb the ideal city to visit.
Zagreb is a city built in the Roman Era; it is Croatia’s capital city and main center of industry and business.
It also has two of Europe’s oldest universities and world class theaters and old government structures.
Best time to visit Zagreb, Croatia ?
The temperature here is always moderate, with the normal winter temperature being just chilling and the normal winter high temperature for the most part staying beneath eighty degrees (November to February).
This implies that whatever time of the year is okay for going to the territory.
Then again, guests ought to realize that the summer months (June to August) may feel more humid but in a tolerable way.
There is reasonable amount of downpour that the city experiences all throughout the year, but not enough to dampen your interest in exploring the rest of the city.
The normal monthly precipitation is just three inches.
There is a huge drop in the course of winter, with February averaging two inches of downpour, yet this is because of the way that there may be snow in the region around then.
Most visitors find that the spring season (April to May), with its moderate atmosphere, equivalently low humidity level and somewhat lower possibility of downpour is the best season when you can enjoy a tour of Zagreb.
Zagreb is worth visiting.
This is because it is such a magical place
full of beauty and adventures.
Make sure you visit the following stunning places….
Best things to do in Zagreb
These are my favorite things to do and beautiful places to visit on your next holiday to Zagreb .
Tkalciceva
The Tkalciceva is a busy street full of bars and restaurants frequented by locals and numerous tourists.
It gets busier at night when it gets hard to find a clean and open table.
You can enjoy your tour of the city and visit various attractions and when you feel famished you can end your day on this street.
It is a great place to be and see the environment.
This street has plenty of options to bar hop, meet beautiful people, and see romantic couples going for a walk.
Amid a plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants, this “boulevard” offers a great option for late afternoon and early evening activities with dining areas offering varied menus and a vibrant atmosphere at any time of the year.
Most offers indoors and also al fresco or outdoor dining with tables and couches sprawled along the boardwalk.
One suggestion is to go down the high and historic part of the city and enjoy lunch in one of these charming places.
The cute and charming street is a part of the attraction that you must see in Zagreb.
My favorite stuff to do in Zagreb
Upper Town (Gornji Grad)
There are lots of options to see on a visit to the Upper Town .
It is located in the central part of the city and includes the following attractions you can see like; the St.
Stephen’s Cathedral (most important monument and church of the city), the Palace of Ban (now housing the presidency), the Church of San Marcos (see the colored tiles from the roof of this beautiful Gothic church that form the coats of arms of the three other regions in Croatia.
Some attractions can be reached by funicular ride like the famous Stone Gate which has a beautiful image of St.
George just ahead.
It is also worth climbing the stairs that lead to this gate.
Upper Town is a part of the city with many historical buildings.
There is a street (Tkalciceva) full of bars with young and beautiful people and where it is good to spend the afternoon or at night.
On Sundays, the museums do not open, but the street is packed with bars where you can have a taste of the Slavic cuisine with the famous Strule (baked pastry) as one of the main specialties offered by any restaurant along that area.
It is where most of the attractions one should visit in Zagreb are located.
The ideal way is to do everything on foot.
It is not necessary to use the Funicular when going up / down, since there are only about 400 steps that separate the high and low parts of town.
Allow yourself to be “lost” in that area, wander along and you will discover lots of interesting facts about the city.
The story about the rival villages, each with its church is worth the visit.
The cafes, the well preserved building and clean streets make the rest of the enchantment more exciting.
Zagreb as a whole is worth the visit.
Fun things to do in Zagreb
St. Mark’s Church (Crkva sv. Marka)
Dominating the Piazza San Marco, the church of the same name was built in the fourteenth century and rebuilt and modified after several earthquakes and fires.
It is a symbol of Zagreb because the temple has very unique roof tiles bearing the colors of the flag of Croatia – blue, red and white.
The roof contains a shield that represents the three areas that formed the country: the former Croatia, with the traditional checkered red and white; Dalmatia, with three lion heads; and Slavonia, with a marten running.
In fact, the mink is a mammal so representative of the country that bears its name in the Croatian Kuna, the country’s local currency.
Another shield shows the coat called the Zagrebina.
On each side of the church, two palaces come face to face; the Governor’s Palace and the Parliament building with classical style architecture.
The highlight of St.
Mark’s Church is the all squared ceiling.
It is a beautiful square with a very old lighting pole making you feel like you went back in time.
Located in the main square of the Upper Town, this church with a beautiful roof and medieval design is really interesting.
Popular Zagreb tourist attractions
Mirogoj Cemetery
The Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb is pretty much considered a tourist attraction.
True works of art, old churches, and tombs of different religions are present in a grand arena of beautiful vegetation.
This cemetery is full of interesting facts.
It is well constructed and practically located in the center of the city.
You can take a look inside and watch various details of famous Croatian personalities buried there, including the tomb of the former president.
The site is not just a cemetery, but a real threshold of memories that relate to the history of Croatia, Germany, and parts of Europe; because it is here where the actual war heroes, literati artists, and famous politicians during the Yugoslavian rule lies buried.
This is also a place that looks more like a garden of many flowers and too many bows.
Most of the photos from here are beautiful and amid the peace and tranquility, it is worth walking inside the park and take pictures beside a row of roses and statues.
You will also find it very interesting to see how the Croats remember their dead relatives like offering Easter eggs together with the natural flowers in most tombs.
The eggs are painted by the family and they take it to the cemetery as evidence of caring for their loved ones.
The sculptures, the tombs are decorated an art gallery in the open.
And there are always fresh flowers and lighted lamps.
Mirogoj is a place of great peace in Zagreb.
What else to do in Zagreb ?
Museum of Broken Relationships
For anyone who is accustomed to a museum in the truest sense of the word may be disappointed.
But calmly read the sentences and try to put yourself in those people who lived those situations and remember that any time you may also have a broken heart one time or another or (God forbid) in the future.
Access to the Museum of Broken Relationships can be done via the “Funicular”.
It is fast and allows a full view of the city.
The museum has a great diner in a very quiet environment.
It is an off the beaten path adventure where you can see old plane tickets, suicide stories, broken marriages albums, and stuff like old shoes left by a former lover.
Some love stories can appeal to the young, but the views are very subjective and everyone is tempted to be judgmental, but instead reverts to being sympathetic to the broken hearted.
It is actually very debatable.
As a tourist you enter and went inside thinking of finding some historical thing, but in fact the “museum” receives donations from illustrious unknowns who want to dispose of things that remind them of their former partners.
However, it is still worth a visit if you are in Zagreb City.
What else to see in Zagreb ?
Zagreb Eye Viewpoint (Vidikovac)
The overall vista of the city of Zagreb is spectacular when in Zagreb Eye Viewpoint.
The city is very charming and is divided into two, the old (or uptown) and the modern area (lower city) which can be seen from this point.
You can also admire the great Jelacic Square, which is the meeting point of the two territories.
From the main square you can go up to the 16th floor and enter the glass penthouse to purchase a ticket and get a good view of the entire city.
Upstairs there is a bar with very friendly staff and stunning panorama.
You can also have some wine and meet friendly Croatians.
In Zagreb, the viewpoint tower is located at the corner of the big marketplace.
The cathedral, the Church of San Marco and many other monuments is impossible not to see.
Cost of entry for the view is 20 Kuna.
Popular places to visit in Zagreb
Croatian Museum of Naive Art
The Croatian Museum of Naive Art is a museum not to be missed in the heart of the old city of Zagreb.
The exhibition halls are few but already contain a great repertoire of works, both of the most celebrated masters of lesser-known authors that are naïve and very representative of a painting movement that arose in these areas.
The bookshop is small but filled with books, guides, and souvenirs.
Be sure to come early because the visiting hours on weekends are really minimal.
The Museum of Naive Art in Zagreb occupies only five rooms and welcomes a little more than a hundred paintings, sculptures and drawings.
It contains works of various personalities that are always of the highest quality and conveys; aesthetic and poetic, enjoyable, accurate, and filled with colorful details.
The double opportunity to learn about a current art of matrix Croatian is vividly presented on the amount of work seen here.
It is a museum that can please both adults and children and does not require too much time to appreciate.
It can be found as one of the best places to see in the Upper Town area of Zagreb.
Things to do in Zagreb with kids
Maksimir Park (Maksimirirski Perivoj)
Dates back from the late ‘700.
The Maksimir is a huge English park with huge meadows, oak trees, and several lakes.
There is also a zoo and this park is accessible by a quarter of an hour by tram from the center of Zagreb.
It is great for long walks among the woods and along the forest trails that are indeed fascinating.
The possibility of dining in a cafe / restaurant can be found at the entrance to the pavilion or below the lookout.
There is a nice souvenir shop located in the cottage right after the big entrance gate.
The park in Zagreb is considered as the green lung of the city where you can spend a beautiful day.
The lush green atmosphere is exemplary and inside you can find moments of peace and serenity next to the busy city.
Located on the outskirts of Zagreb, near the Football Stadium of Dynamo is a huge park that is very well cared for.
Inside there is also a large playground for the happiness of the children themselves.
It is one of the largest parks that is located in the southeastern part of Europe.
If you go during sunset, you will have the best calm views of Zagreb’s horizon.
Things to do around Zagreb
Croatian National Theatre In Zagreb
The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb belongs to a region in the center surrounded by eight squares that form the letter U.
The fabulous looking center is known as the Green Horseshoe.
The squares are separated by monumental buildings that house museums and theaters, of which the most striking example is the National Theatre, where operas and ballets are proudly presented.
This theater is part of the most important monuments beyond St.
Mark’s Church.
It was constructed in Baroque style architecture with many columns and statues on the facade and richly decorated interior and beautiful paintings placed on the inside.
Must see places in Zagreb
Jarun Lake
The Jarun Lake is simply beautiful.
The lake is an ideal place for dating, strolling, contemplate nature, and feed the birds of the lake and the swans that queue on parade along with the ducks and other fishes.
The Zagrebians attend in the evening for cycling, walking, rowing and even swim in the lake (only in summer).
It is a picturesque and beautiful place to stay where you can enjoy sports (football, volleyball, tennis, badminton, etc.), have a picnic and party at night at the bars and discos located along its banks.
It can be reached easily by tram.
Free things to do in Zagreb
Lower Town
The lower city or the Lower Town of Zagreb is a pleasant place to enjoy long walks because there are a lot of pedestrian areas, shops, restaurants, shopping centers, and, most importantly beautiful and historic buildings.
Tourists especially liked the botanical garden with a huge number of exotic and endemic plants known only in Croatia.
What’s surprising is that, there is no noise or fuss that is inherent in the centers of most capital cities.
Part of it is situated along the “Green Horseshoe” area, in fact it is the front part lined with beautiful buildings, cozy parks, and lawns.
It is clean, beautiful, and pleasing to the eye.
In this part you can also find a museum, the Opera House and the Railway Station and a lot of beautiful architecture.
My vacation activities in Zagreb
Zrinjevac
The Nikola Zrinski Shubich area or just plain Zrinjevac is one of the eight areas of Zagreb that completes the “green shoe” or the “Horseshoe Lenuta”.
It occupies a total area of the park in which you can have a pleasant stroll.
It is surrounded by beautiful Art Nouveau buildings, making it the majestic and beautiful side of the city.
At the park you can see the first Zagreb fountain, busts of celebrities and fancy weather tools of the XIX century like the meteorological column that shows the air temperature, barometric pressure, and time.
It is a lovely park for recreation and one of the famous parks in Zagreb.
Jelacic Square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica)
The Jelacic Square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica) is a large populous area with shopping malls and restaurants, beautiful old buildings that is located at the intersection of various hiking trails.
The area is the center of the Zagreb’s pedestrian zone.
It is full of everything; different architectural style homes, equestrian statues, branded shops, local and international banks, and the famous historic fountain.
It is one of the most visited and important places in Zagreb.
