Overview to Zagreb: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- Zagreb Information
- Eating & drinking in Zagreb
- Things to do in Zagreb
- Where to stay in Zagreb
- Zagreb street map
Zagreb seems effortlessly assured in everything it does. Nothing here tries too hard and yet everything fits together splendidly; the atmosphere is lively and laidback, its architecture beautifully varied... All in all, Zagreb is still a real traveler’s find.
The city is basically split in two: the Lower Town stretches between the train station and the main square (Trg Bana Jelacica), whilst the Upper Town is tucked away behind this square. The whole city is compact and getting around on foot is both enjoyable and straightforward.
The Lower Town presents itself as an easy to negotiate grid, its attractive streets lined with appealing cafés. A series of well-kept gardens (housing both an Art Pavilion and Archeological Museum) form the city’s spine, leading north from the train station towards the central square.
A few blocks west of these gardens, the bustling Trg Marsala Tita is home tp an ostentatious National Theatre and the huge Museum of Arts and Crafts. Two other notable museums and more cultivated gardens lies in the vicinity, offering a typical - although perhaps suprising - wealth of cultural heritage.
The Upper Town is set on a hill that rises behind the massive Dolac Market. It’s more labyrinthine than the lower parts, and features much of the city’s oldest architecture. To the east of the market, a neo-Gothic Cathedral is flanked by the baroque Archbishop’s Palace.
Climbing the hill via a knot of contorted staircases and evocative pathways, Zagreb unveils its leafier, more affluent side. Here, charismatic squares and antique mansions sit alongside cultural attractions like St. Marks Church, the Croatian Parliament and the excellent Gallery of Naïve Art.
Zagreb is really a city to experience during the day. Its nightlife is not all that wild, but then it doesn’t need to be. By combining captivating attractions with a wholesome café-and-plaza atmosphere, Zagreb provides an experience that tows a fine line between relaxing and exuberant.