We spent one night in Zagreb as part of our long weekend escape to northern Croatia. On the map it made sense as a stopover for us, coming from Austria by car through Slovenia and then on to the coast.
I visited Croatia for the first time last summer, spending a few days in Dubrovnik in the very southern part of the country, as part of an eastern European train trip. I loved it so much - the iconic Croatian coastal waters and the beautiful old town.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Dubrovnik!
So, when the chance came around this summer to spend more time in Croatia, this time in the north, I was looking forward to it. I was already expecting the country to be expensive, having experienced that last summer, but was still excited. Our first stop of Zagreb though unfortunately did not impress us.
I suppose it was good to see it and check it off the list but it fell flat for us in pretty much every area, although the brunch we found was good. We’ve heard it’s better at Christmas time, but if you’re planning your Croatian summer trip and deciding between the capital or somewhere else, you can probably leave Zagreb off the list. I strive to always be honest in my work and that's simply my personal experience - I am sure others have different opinions!
Having said that, if you've already booked your trip and are planning to visit Croatia's captial city, here is everything we did in our 24-hour visit:
By flight: Franjo Tuđman International Airport in Zagreb is the busiest in all of Croatia, given that it services the capital city. From the airport, it's a half-hour drive; otherwise, bus 290 takes just half an hour to Trg Eugena Kvaternika just east of old town Zagreb from where you can transfer to other buses and trams to reach your final destination.
By car: We traveled to Zagreb by car from my home in Salzburg in neighbouring Austria.
By train: Zagreb is serviced by a train station just south of the old town with trains arriving from across Europe. Tickets can be bought with HŽPP. It's just a 15-minute walk from the train station into downtown Zagreb, or you can grab tram 6 or 13 bus from the station.
By bus: FlixBus services Zagreb with direct connections from a whopping 571 cities!
The old town of Zagreb, where most of the tourist attractions are located, is easily walkable. You might also want to join a walking tour with a local guide to learn more about the city.
If you'd like to get somewhere quicker or a bit further away, a network of buses and trams service the city.
While we didn't necessarily love our time in Zagreb, we really did think our hotel was a pretty great find and can highly recommend it.
We spent the night at the Pod Zidom Rooms which were in the perfect location to walk around the old town. The room was really well-designed with self-service check-in and we were super comfortable.
→ Book your stay at the Pod Zidom Rooms.
→ Check out other places to stay to suit your budget and accommmodation type.
We had had dinner before arriving in Zagreb in Ljubljana, just across in the border in Slovenia, so only had one meal in Zagreb.
I can definitely recommend going to Melt for brunch in the city with their bright interior and a fun menu filled with yummy smoothie bowls, toasts and egg dishes. They also make their own gelato!
I strive to always be honest in my work and my personal experience is that I didn't particularly like Zagreb. If you’re planning your Croatian trip and deciding between the capital or somewhere else, you can probably leave Zagreb off the list.
Having said that, if you've already booked your trip and are planning to visit Croatia's captial city, here is everything we saw in our 24-hour visit:
Wander the streets of Zagreb
We started our time in the city as we do in any new place: simply by wandering around and getting acquainted. The day we visited happened to be Statehood Day - the day that Croatia honours its 1991 declaration of independence from Yugoslavia - so most businesses were closed and we didn't get to experience the true liveliness of the city.
Walk through the Grič Tunnel
The Grič Tunnel was built in 1943 during the Second World War from Mesnička Street to Stjepan Radić Street to serve both as a bomb shelter and as a walkway. It was left abandoned for many years until it was restored in the '90s as a shelter during the Croatian War of Independence from Yugoslavia. A full remodel was undertaken for a reopening in 2016 as a tourist attraction, event space and a possible future museum.
Take in the view from the Panoramic Viewpoint
A short walk up some steps from the old town leads you to a viewpoint overlooking the city of Zagreb. It's marked as Panoramski pogled na Zagreb on Google Maps.
Spot the roof of St. Mark's Church
One of the most photographed buildings in the city is St. Mark's Church or Crkva sv. Marka built in the 13th century in medieval style. The roof features colourful tiles with the coats of arms of Zagreb and of Croatia.
See the entire city of Zagreb in miniature
The "Zagreb Welcomes You" feature portrays the entire city of Zagreb in miniature form. It's cool to try and find the different buildings you've walked past in real life!
Spot the two towers of the Cathedral of Zagreb
The Cathedral of Zagreb or Zagrebačka katedrala features two huge towers on its façade. Unfortunately they seem to have been under restoration for quite some time.
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN ZAGREB!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
