Discover the quirky magic of Zagreb, Croatia

We’ll admit, the Balkan countries were not high on our list for a visit. Croatia is an up and coming location for tourism, especially the beaches. But Zagreb?

Why Zagreb?

This past fall, some friends of ours were interested in visiting the Christmas Markets of Zagreb since they were voted best Christmas Market in 2016, 2017, and 2018. They asked if we wanted to come along and of course we said “yes!” I mean, who says “no” to Christmas magic?

Turns out that Zagreb and Croatia have a lot to offer travellers. There are many museums, galleries, monuments and parks to visit as well as great restaurants. We were there mostly to experience the Christmas Markets which peppered the city with holiday joy.

Since they switched over to the Euro, money exchange for us was easy. However, we learned while we were there that the switch made many products in Croatia more expensive, up to 100% more in some cases. We found that we could eat at a restaurant for about 30 Euros without ordering a bunch of drinks.

Exploring lower town Zagreb

We stayed at an Air B&B about 3 blocks from Joseph Jelačića Square and one block from Kralja Tomislava Park. On our first day, we headed up to Kralja Tomislava Park to check out the Christmas Market and see the ice skating rinks. It was rainy and cold but that did not stop a few people from getting out and skating. The park is beautiful and surrounded by amazing architecture and just a great place for a walk.

Ban Jelačića Square is in the vibrant heart of Zagreb and is surrounded by cafes, shops and restaurants. The tram runs through here and although it looks a little dangerous, it is easy to walk across the road to the square have a cafe.

If you continue up the hill to the roundabout, you will see the spires of the Zagreb Cathedral just above the buildings. Right now (2023), the entire cathedral is wrapped in scaffolding so that they can repair the damage from the 2020 earthquake. Stones cover the ground on the outside, each labeled as to where it was found and where it should go. Even though it is covered, it is still a sight to behold.

Upper Town, Zagreb

There is a reason this area is called upper town: it is up a rather steep hill. But this is part of the city that should not be missed. Many museums and landmarks are in this area as well as some fantastic restaurants.

You can get up the hill with the funicular for about .66 from Ilica Street or you can do what we did and climb a lot of stairs. We came up the back alley by the love rails (where love birds have put locks on the rails) and take amazing pictures of the top of the city. At the very top of the funicular or the walk is the Lotščak Tower where you can see fantastic views of the city.

Just up the hill is St. Marks Church and its famous roof. Thousands of tiles make up the two seals on the church which are the City of Zagreb (left), and the Triune Kingdom of Croatia. Admission is free but was closed to the public except for mass while we were there.

So, instead of visiting the church, we turned down the street and ran into the oldest pharmacy in Zagreb, dating back to the 14th century. The great grandson of Dante worked there as a pharmacist. Unfortunately, it too was closed for the evening but we took a few pics and wandered on further down the road.

Old Stone Gate

Just down the hill from the old pharmacy is the old stone gate. It is the oldest gate in the city but has been consistently destroyed by fires and rebuilt over the past 500 years. What stands today is not the same structure.

There are many stories about this gate but the most important includes the painting that resides there today. The painting of the Virgin Mary with Jesus on her lap is now one of Zagreb’s most holy shrines. It is said that in one of the fires that destroyed the gate, but the painting was the only thing that survived. As we entered the gate, all conversations stopped. Many people stopped to say a prayer or cross themselves as they walked through. There is also a table with candles set up for prayers and memories of loved ones.

Museum of Broken Relationships

Upper town also has the fantastic Museum of Broken Relationships, which we highly recommend everyone see. Admission is 7€ and totally worth the money. It has exhibits related to broken relationships from all over the world. People donate their items along with their stories. Some of these were hilarious, and some of course, were heart wrenching. It is a truly unique museum.

MMMM the Food!

If you are like us, you will be hungry after all the sight seeing. Luckily, Tkalciceva Street is a part of the upper town leading to lower town and is full of restaurants. You can find anything from an Irish pub to Sri Lankan food along this strip. We ate at the Curry Bowl and were not disappointed.

But the one not to miss is La Štruk. Here they make štrukli, a traditional Croatian dish of pastry, cheese, and whatever else you may want to put in it. It is a mix between a thick dip and really creamy mac and cheese. It is baked in a ceramic dish and brought to you hot and bubbly. We had the blueberry and the red pepper and could not stop eating it. It was one of the best meals we had.

Also, we recommend the Pivnica Medvedgrad, a brewery that has several locations around the city. Beer is amazing and the food is pretty darn good too. Beth says the beef soup was delicious! I had the ribs and couldn’t eat them all, but I wish I could have.

If you want simple chicken dishes or hamburgers, The Plac Kitchen is great. We dug into our food so fast we didn’t get any pics!

We also had our first meal at Lari and Penati, where they boasted a true reuben sandwich made with brisket. It was pretty good but the best thing was the butternut squash soup.

Zagreb’s Christmas Markets

The main reason we were on this trip was to visit the Christmas markets as we had heard that they were some of the best in the world. We very much enjoyed them but there were not what we expected. The markets didn’t have a central location; they were scattered about the town which made it fun to just wander upon one.

They were mostly food and beverage huts, but a lovely Croatian barkeep told us we were also rather early for all of the advent fun. Some sold Christmas ornaments, souvenirs, jewels, wallets, and hats.

We had no complaints really. We bought a few things here and there at the booths but mostly indulged in the hot wine and ..wait for it…HOT GIN?

Yes, as the barkeep also said, “we Balkans cook everything.” The hot gin was mixed with some spiced apple cider and was quite lovely. We will no doubt be making this at home this winter.

We also tried out the local fare being a couple of sausage dogs with kraut under them. It was perfect.

We also did a little shopping at the markets. There were some ornaments and souvenirs for sale and we did our best to support the Christmas markets. However, we bought most of our gifts at a local shop called Zagreb Crafts Shop. We happened by it on the way to the brewery and decided that was the best place to get some original gifts made in Croatia.

We only spotted Santa once, but it was magical! Zagreb has one tram that they decorate for the season and Santa himself is the conductor. We happen to see it come through the square as we were walking back to the Air B&B.

We are definitely going back to Zagreb and the rest of Croatia

Zagreb is an amazing city just in itself. We spent hours walking the streets and finding it very easy to navigate. The sidewalks are wide, the streets are mostly flat, and there is something beautiful and interesting around most corners.

Lucky for us, most everyone spoke some English and the people were very friendly. We had the best time trying out the new restaurants and walking through the markets. Next time, we want to visit when it is warmer and take a walk along the beaches.

If you want to hear about our adventures, make sure you listen to the podcast!