First time to Zagreb and you want to know what to see and do to make the most of what will probably only be a few days there? Then this guide is for you. But first things first: spending money and getting to the city.
Money
The Croatian currency is the KN. An Aussie dollar buys about 4.5KN (as at October 2018). A lot of places take credit cards, but you’ll still need to carry cash, particularly for smaller town.
If you are staying in a small hotel, check their payment policy, don’t assume because you’ve given your credit card details to a booking company online they accept credit cards, they may require you to pay the bill in cash.
Insider tip: you can avoid local ATM fees by withdrawing cash from your credit card at any post office.
Getting from the airport
Croatian Airlines runs a bus into the city from the airport leaving every half an hour (or hour during the low season). Tickets are 30KN and can be bought from the bus driver. The trip to the main bus terminal takes about 30 minutes. You can get a tram from behind the station to most places in the city. Tickets for the tram scan be purchased from a kiosk (newsstand) upstairs at the station.
Getting around
Zagreb is surprisingly compact for a capital city and if you are staying in the inner city you should be able to walk to most places.
There is a good network of trams which travel around the city which are a good back up if you get tired of walking. The guide books try to encourage you to buy a tourist ticket which includes public transport and entry to museums but they really aren’t good value unless you intend to visit every museum in the city and get around the whole time by public transport.
Following my guidebook recommendation, I bought a 30KN 24 hour ticket for the trams, but realised after this is only really used by tourists. Much better value is the single use ticket which costs 4KN. You can buy these from any kiosk you see around town. They aren’t valid for particular days so you can buy a number of them at once.
Insider tip: Make sure you validate the ticket when you get on the tram in the yellow machine (there are a number of ticket machines on each tram but I found the only one which validates the single use or day tickets is the one right at the front of the tram so use the front doors when you get on).
What to see
Most of the things you want to see are centred around the Upper Town (the historic area) and the Lower Town (the newer area) which are joined by the main square Trg Bana Jelacica.
I managed to see both in one day but it was a pretty full day so if you want to take your time and go at a more leisurely pace allow at least two days. When you feel like a break follow the local’s lead and spend some time in one of the outdoor cafes with a coffee watching the world go by.
Upper Town
Start your day at the main square, check out the outdoor flower market and the indoor and outdoor food market adjoining the square, then head up the hill to the Upper Town. Any guide book will outline a walking tour of the Upper Town, however, it’s just as easy to simply wander around the streets, the area is small and you will invariably see everything the guide book has recommended.
In the Upper Town you’ll find the quirky and somewhat out of place Museum of Broken Relationships which displays donated momentoes of broken relationships from around the world. A lot of the guide books recommend it but for me the novelty value wasn’t really worth the cost of the entrance fee (30KN). There is a cute little store adjacent to the museum which you can go into without paying the entry fee which has some good gifts (such as a bad memories eraser) if you know someone who has been through a breakup (and has a good sense of humour about it).
If you’re getting a little thirsty or just feel like resting your feet for a while, Bornstein Wine Bar on Kaptol, a short walk from the Cathedral, is a cool little bar where you can sample local wine. Let the waiter know what kind of wine you like then leave it in his hands or try one of their wine flights. If, like me you find yourself lingering longer than you planned, they also do a good cheese and meat plate.
http://www.bornstein.hr/en/home/
The guide books try to encourage you to buy a tourist ticket which includes public transport and entry to museums but they really aren’t good value unless you intend to visit every museum in the city and get around the whole time by public transport.
Lower Town
The Lower Town is where you’ll find most of the city’s art galleries, museums and parks. This area is still walkable but more spread out than the Upper Town so you might want to consider grabbing a tram.
Pick a museum or two that interest you, or just wander around the streets looking at the buildings. When it’s time for a break head to the botanical gardens or one of the outdoor cafes between the railway station and
King Tomislav Square Park and do some serious people watching.
What not to see
Jarun Lakes, an artificial lake and recreation area about 30 minutes out of town is often included on the recommended list of things to do in Zagreb. Having been there I wouldn’t put it on my list, particularly if you only have a few days in Zagreb.
I can see why it’s popular with locals who go there to swim, picnic or use the walking and cycling tracks (it’s pretty much the equivalent of Sydney’s centennial park) but as a tourist, there’s not much to see and it’s a far way out – even after the 30 minutes tram ride from the centre of town it’s a good 10 minute walk to the start of the park.
Other places in Croatia
If you’d like to read my posts about other places in Croatia see the following links: