What Should You Do In Zagreb

I enjoyed having a coffee downtown, picnic in the Maksimir Park, or going for a day to Samobor, or for a lunch to the villages dotting the hills of Zagorje.

Zagreb has lots of parks and even forests within the city limits.Zagreb is vibrant. Zagreb is relatively small compared to other European capitals. Zagreb is flat and thus perfect to walk or cycle.

There are seriously so many things to do in Zagreb, that you’ll quickly want to extend your stay here.

There are so many things to do in Zagreb for locals and tourists. And unlike its coastal counterparts, Zagreb lives all year around, and not only during the summer months. When I lived in Zagreb, I loved strolling the Upper town, cycling Jarun Lake, or hiking to the Sljeme Mount.

Quick Zagreb Travel Guide

Things To Do In Zagreb |Zagreb Travel Blog |Zagreb Panorama

Things To Do In Zagreb |Zagreb Travel Blog |Photo credit: Wikimedia & Suradnik13

We’ve written in-depth Zagreb travel guide, full of useful information for anybody planning a visit to Croatian capital. However, if you just want a quick overview to plan your stay in Zagreb, below we give you few suggestions about places to stay, recommended restaurants, best bars, and public transport.

Zagreb Accommodation

Here are our few suggestions for places to stay in Zagreb.

Hotel Esplanade: If you don’t mind paying a little bit extra, this is the place to stay in Zagreb. Built in 1925 for passengers on famed Orient Express, hotel Esplanade still features many details of that epoque, and it’s a true landmark of Zagreb.
Art Hotel Like: This small, boutique hotel, located in downtown Zagreb, few minutes walk from the main square, features only 17 rooms. Rooms are modern and well-appointed, and the atmospher is convivial and laid-back.
Hotel 9: Modern, design hotel, located next to the main bus station, hotel 9 offers spacious rooms with comfy king beds. Staff is super-friendly.
Jagerhorn hotel: Located in a courtyard, just off the Ilica Street, hotel Jägerhorn first opened back in 1827. It is Zagreb’s oldest operating hotel. It’s a 3-star property with clean and comfy rooms, and friendly staff. Parking is off-site.
B&B Studio Kairos: This lovely bed & breakfast located in downtown Zagreb offers only four rooms, each of them with en-suite bathroom. B&B Studio Kairos also features a shared living room.
Zig Zag Apartments: Zig Zag offers 12 apartments, and one double room, scattered throughout the downtown Zagreb. They have a choice of studio, on-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. All apartments are modern, and well-equipped, including fully-equipped kitchen in each of them. Great alternative to hotels, if you long for more space, and cheaper stay, particularly for larger parties.
Tesla Boutique Apartments: Located in the heart of Zagreb, in Teslina Street, Tesla Boutique Apartments consists of three apartments that can accommodate two to four persons. Apartments are brand new, fully-equipped, with all modern cons, including WiFi.
Design Studios Svi-Mi: Located in downtown Zagreb, in Marticeva Street, Design Studios Svi-Mi consists of five fully-equipped studio apartments. Apartments are modern, clean and comfortable. Parking is provided in a garage nearby, and it costs approx. 12€ for 24h.
Swanky Mint Hostel: This is our go-to hostel. Very well designed, Swanky Mint hostel offers dorm rooms, as well as private rooms with en-suite bathroom. If you travel solo, or look for a cheaper accommodation, we highly recommend staying at this hostel.
Main Square Hostel: This is another cool hostel, located just behind the main square (thus the name!). We love their industrial feel, with high ceiling and exposed pipes. Rooms are bright, with boxed beds for maximum privacy.

Best bars in Zagreb

… for bear

Mali Medo: One of three pubs that belongs to Medvedgrad Brewery, being located in the midst of Tkalciceva Street, Mali Medo is their most prominent pub. They brew their own beers: lagers, ales, and IPA. Place is always busy, and thus service can be slow. Nevertheless, atmosphere is always great, their beers are superb, and the prices are affordable.
Tolkien’s House: Serving the best beer in Zagreb since 1996, Tolkien’s House is a must-visit pub in Zagreb for beer aficionados. Located at Opatovina 49, a strip of bars between Dolac Market and Tkalciceva Street, you’ll find here a great choice of craft beers, stouts, porters, and other special brews.
Pinta: We love this small pub in Radiceva Street. Cozy interior with vaulted ceiling, friendly staff, and a great selection of local and imported beers, makes Pinta locals fave pub.

… for wine

Basement: A cozy wine bar in Tomiceva Street, Basement offers a great choice of Croatian wine by glass, along with cheese and meat platters. A great place to familiarize yourself with Croatian wines. Expect to pay 20 kn to 30 kn per glass.
Sherry’s Wines & Bites: Lovely and convivial wine bar located in a courtyard off Ilica Street, Sherry’s Wine & Bites offer over 200 wines by glass, and a great selection of small bites to go with. Live music plays once a week (usually on Thursday).

… for coffee

Velvet: We love Velvet! It’s a wonderfully decorated café, with great vibe, lovely street terrace, and an excellent choice of coffee, tea, cakes, and fresh juices.
Jutro: Hidden in a courtyard off Teslina Street, Jutro is an artistic and unique coffee shop with a bohemian vibe. The cafe is smoking-free (rare in Croatia), and besides a great selection of coffee and tea, cafe also features various crafts for sale.
U Dvoristu: Another local hot spot when it comes to coffee, cafe bar U Dvoristu (literal translation In the courtyard) is hidden away in one of many Zagreb courtyards. This place is cozy and warm, making you feel at home, in your own living room. Here you can taste real Ethiopian coffee, but it’s also an occasional place to buy fresh, organic produce, as they organize a green market from time to time.
Eliscaffe: Run by Croatia’s famed barman, Nik Orosi, Eliscaffe goes under the motto “no logo, just taste”. This is a great place for true coffee lovers, ones that can make that subtle difference between different roasts of quality coffee. You’ll find here coffee from all over the world.

Eating out in Zagreb

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Photo credit: Pastry & Cake Shop Mak Na Konac

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Photo credit: Pastry & Cake Shop Mak Na Konac

Zagreb restaurant scene is constantly changing, and for the most part, improving all the time. However, it’s not always easy to recommend restaurants in Zagreb, as some of them shine for a year or two, just to completely disappear the following year.

We’ve seen it happen with Prasac, former restaurant in Upper town, 5/4 restaurant in downtown, or Yellow Submarine, a great burger place that we loved, and then judged it a total flop on our last visit there. However, below we list few of our fave eateries in Zagreb, which we hope will be around for quiet long time making superb food.

Mali Bar: Mali Bar, a bistrot tucked away in a courtyard off Vlaska Street, is run by Croatian star chef – Ana Ungarkovic. There is only room for about 30 people at time. This place is very convivial with many regular customers. Food is fresh, and seasonal, and dishes are prepared in a simple way respecting the ingredients. Taste their homemade chicken liver pâté, beer-battered fish and chips, or peas soup (this one in spring).
Mundoaka: Perhaps the most popular eatery among Zagreb locals, Mundoaka offers yummy dishes based on seasonal ingredients. The only down side of Mundoaka is its size: the place is super small with just one large communal table in the center, and a couple of smaller tables around. Outdoor terrace offers more space, but it can be cold to eat there in winter (although they do have gas heaters). Anyway, it’s worth a wait. Note: The head chef, Tvrtko Sakota, left the establishment in late 2015. Let’s hope the team will keep the great work.
La Struk: La Struk is a cute little place located in Skalinska Street (near Dolac market) that serves only one Zagreb classic dish – strukli, a cheese filled pastry. They prepare it in two ways: boiled, and baked; and as sweet or savory. The dish comes in many variations: only with cheese, with nettle, bacon & onions, truffles, blueberries, honey & nuts, apples and cinnamon, etc.
Bistroteka: Opened recently, Bistroteka quickly gained fans among Zagreb locals. One of the few restaurants in Zagreb focused, besides lunch and dinner, on breakfast too, Bistroteka offers a choice of healthy smoothies, as well as breakfast classics like poached eggs, french toast, and alike. Menu changes daily according to a daily offer of fresh produce at the nearby Dolac market. Prices are affordable: expect to pay 20 kn for a soup, or a cake, 50 kn for an entree, and from 65 to 120 for a main dish.
Amelie: Amelie is the most popular pastry shop in Zagreb with shops at three different locations in Zagreb: in Vlaska Street just next to the main square, and two other in residential area of Zagreb, both not far from thr Maksimir Park. Amelie offers a wide variety of cakes and pastries, as well as a choice of hot and soft drinks.
Mak Na Konac: Less frequented by tourists, but loved by locals, pastry shop Mak Na Konac, located near Mestrovic Pavillon in downtown Zagreb, is run by Petra Jelenic, perhaps the best Croatian pastry chef. Cakes here are freshly made, original, and absolutely yummy. A bit expensive, but if you want to taste the best cakes in Zagreb, Mak Na Konac is the place to do it.

Events in Zagreb

Advent: Advent in Zagreb is super fun, and in 2015 was voted the best Christmas destination in Europe. Activities start at the beginning of December with St. Nicolas Day, and end at the beginning of January with Epiphany. Festivities take place all over downtown Zagreb with Christmas markets, music, good vibe, and great street food.
Summer at Stross: A series of events, named Summer at Stross, take place in the Upper Town, from the end of May through beginning of September. Events include concerts, creative workshops, street performances, and other fun events.
The Courtyards: An unique event taking place for a week in mid-July, the Courtyards are filled with live music, good vibe, food, and fun people. The venue for these events are various courtyards in the Upper Town, otherwise closed to public. The idea is to discover unique and different Zagreb.
C’est is d’best: The oldest street festival in Croatia, C’est is d’best takes place in streers of downtown Zagreb at the beginning of June. Jugglers, musicians, acrobats, clowns, magicians, and myriad of other street performers bring a breath of joy to all passersby.
INmusic festival: Held annually in late June, INmusic festival is the biggest open-air festival in Croatia. Three days of great music and friendly crowd gather on the Youth Island at the Lake Jarun.

Transport in Zagreb

Best explored on foot, Zagreb also offers a good tram network, intercity buses that connect surrounding neighborhoods, towns, and villages, cheap taxis, and bicycle rentals.

Tram ticket costs 10 ln for a single ride, 30 kn for a day, or 70 kn a three-day ticket.

Once extremly controled, and expensive, taxis today are relatively cheap and operated by different companies: Radio Taxi Zagreb, Cammeo Taxi, and since October 2015, Uber. Expect to pay around 15 kn for the start, and it includes first 2 km, every consecutive km costs around 6 kn. And while Uber isn’t cheaper than Cammeo, we love it for its ease of use, friendly drivers (they really try hard to make your ride pleasant and fun), and ease of payment.

NextBike is a company, or a network, of city bikes available at seven locations in downtown. Upon registration you pay a yearly fee of 79 kn (around 10€). Afterward you can use bikes as much as you want; first half an hour is always free of charge, while each consecutive hour you pay 8 kn per hour.

Things to do in Zagreb: our suggestions

Visit museum of Broken relationships

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Museum of Broken Relationships

Things To Do In Zagreb |Museum of Broken Relationships

A Museum of Broken Relationships has gained lots of attention ever since it was created, first as a travelling exhibition back in 2006, and since 2011 as a museum with a permanent location in Zagreb’s Upper town.

This museum is exactly what it names suggests; all items featured here are relics of broken relationships. Each item is accompanied with a story: some funny, others sad.

It is quirky. It is fun. It takes less than hour to wander through everything. They even have a little bar to have a drink, charge your phone or check your mail (yes, they’ve got a complimentary WiFi internet).

And don’t go there empty-handed.

 

Shop at Zagreb’s farmers’ market(s)

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Dolac Market

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Dolac Market

Since ever Zagreb got its first farmers market back in 1890, farmers’ markets became and still remain “the belly of the neighborhoods”. I don’t know one single Zagreb neighborhood that doesn’t have its own farmers market. I’ve read somewhere that there are 28 such markets in Zagreb. Impressive! And seriously, markets are an integral part of Zagreb lifestyle. Vibrant, noisy, and lively, they are the best places to feel a local vibe.

The most popular farmers’ market is Dolac. Centrally located, just behind the main square, Dolac spreads on two floors. The upper level features open-air green market, souvenirs, and clothes, enclosed fish market, bars and restaurants mostly serving fast food or marenda. The ground level is enclosed and it features butcheries, bakeries, speciality food stores, and my favorite part – a dairy section.

Our tip: in the down section, from the main entrance, head straight to the diary section, all the way to the right. Here old women sell their homemade cheese, cream, and awesome corn bread.

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Yummy cornbread from Dolac market

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Yummy cornbread from Dolac market

Another popular farmers’ market in Zagreb is Britanac. It’s only two tram station from the main square direction East (tram no. 1, 6, or 11). And while Britanac is really the city center, it feels much more intimate than Dolac. Maybe it’s due to the fact that market is actually in the middle of a town’s square (Britanski Trg), or a wear-and-tear look of the buildings surrounding it, but Britanac is kind of place people feel good at. Every Sunday the antique market takes place on Britanac.

 

Explore Upper town

Upper town is my favorite part of Zagreb. And it’s exactly what its name suggests: it’s a part of the town perched on the slopes of the Medvednica Mountain. Along with Kaptol, this is the oldest part of the town. Remains of town walls and towers that surrounded the Upper town in the medieval times are still preserved.

Zagreb’s upper town is a truly romantic part of Zagreb. It’s never overcrowded, and the traffic here is limited. It’s full of historical landmarks, secret passages, small museums, art galleries, and fun bars. You’ll also find here a Croatian Parliament building.

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Explore Upper Town

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Explore Upper Town

Zagreb’s Upper town features some of the must-see Zagreb landmarks: the Lotrscak tower, Stone gate (Kamenita vrata), St. Marc Church, Museum of Broken relationship, Stross promenade, the Mestrovic Atelier, the Klovicevi Dvori gallery.

But besides all those obvious sights and landmarks, Zagreb’s Upper town is famed for its secret sights, many courtyards tucked away from the main streets behind unassuming facades. Two events particularly celebrate this side of the upper town: Secrets of Grič, and Dvorišta.

Secrets of Grič, a night tour of the upper town with costumed historical characters (and some fictional), is based on historical facts, but blended also with known urban legends, and stories of famous Croatian novelist, Marija Juric Zagorka. This tour takes place from May through September, every Friday, and Saturday, at 9.00 pm. It lasts for one hour, and it’s a great opportunity to experience different Zagreb, a history of the town as told by great Croatian novelist.

Another event that highlights hidden side of Zagreb’s upper town is simply called Dvorišta, meaning Courtyards in Croatian. This is a brand new event created in 2014. It takes place in mid-July, for nine days. With a moto “each courtyard has its story”, this event offers to visitors a chance to experience part of the town that is usually shut behind facades, and doors. Participating courtyards are properly decorated and lighted, and each one features live music, drinks and snacks.

Iva Silla of Secret Zagreb Walks offers also interesting tours of the upper town that reveal another side of Zagreb. Their most interesting tours are Hidden Zagreb Tour, and Zagreb Ghost Tour.

Explore Zagreb parks and forests

Zagreb has lots of green areas, parks and forests within the city limits.

In downtown, make sure to follow the Lenuci’s horseshoe. This is a unique urban complex consisting of seven landscaped town’s squares and a botanical garden. Lenuci was a lead architect on the project, while a shape of this urban complex reminds of a letter U, or a horseshoe. Thus, the name – Lenuci’s Horseshoe. Below is the map with all details. The most popular landscaped squares are Zrinjevac (if you are in Zagreb during a Christmastime don’t miss a great entertainment program on Zrinjevac), and Trg Kralja Tomislava (right across the central train station).

Located town’s East end, Maksimir is Zagreb’s oldest (open in 1794) and largest public park. It’s also a home to the town’s ZOO. The first part of Maksimir is a classical, landscaped park with wide central promenade, five artificial lakes, creeks and meadows. The second part of the park consists of an original, natural forest. Maksimir is very popular among locals especially in spring.

One of my favorite parts of Zagreb are its preserved, natural forests starting literally downtown and girdling the northern neighborhoods. They are many, and I highly recommend you to take a walk in some of them. Some, like Tuskanac, or Dubravkin put you can reach within a 10 minute walk from the main square. Once there, you’ll forget that you are just few steps from the city’s hustle & bustle.

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Explore Zagreb Parks and Forests

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Explore Zagreb Parks and Forests

Other popular forest parks in Zagreb are: Zelengaj, Cmrok, Jelenovac, Orlovac, Prekrizje, and Pantovcak. But Pantovcak is a residence of Croatian president, and thus closed for public.

Other parks in Zagreb are Bundek (the latest park built), Lake Jarun (see under no. 7), and Medvednica (see under no. 10).

Hit the clubs

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Clubbing in Zagreb

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Photo credit: P.Audio & Pepermint Zagreb

OK, clubbing, as one ot things to do in Zagreb, is perhaps aimed at our younger readers (we’ve stopped doing it for awhile now). Nightlife in Zagreb is great, and diverse. No matter what kind of music you like, or what kind of party you enjoy, you’ll find your place at Zagreb’s lively night scene. Generally people start a bar crawl in bars located downtown, particularly in Tkalciceva Street. Students party at bars just outside of the campus. Most popular bars here are Roko, and IN bar.

Later people usually hit clubs either downtown, or at the lake Jarun. Popular night clubs are: Pepermint, Gjuro 2, Purgeraj, Boogaloo, Gallery and Aquarius.

The best way to feel Zagreb’s bar scene is to book an organized bar crawl with our friends over at Wayoudo.net.

And if you love beer, head to our post about the best places to have beer in Zagreb.

Cycle at the lake Jarun

Lake Jarun is an artificial lake located in a western part of the town. People if Zagreb love this lake, and it’s one of the most popular recreational areas in the town. The lake is also popular clubbing place for after dark.

You can jog, walk or cycle the lake; you can swim in the lake during the summer, or have a picnic.

Eat your way through Zagreb

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Eat your way through Zagreb

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Eat your way through Zagreb

I. Love. Restaurants. In. Zagreb. Being a capital of Croatia, Zagreb really has an excellent restaurant scene. Although the town still somehow lacks in choice of restaurants serving different ethnic food, even this part of Zagreb food scene started developing in the last few years. The rest assured, you can really eat well in Zagreb, and not necessary expensive.

Big trend lately are small, bistro-style restaurants serving fresh food based on seasonal ingredients. Burgers also seem to be a big trend lately. But not a fast food kind of burgers, but fancy and juicy mini burgers served by stylish restaurants.

Lunch is still a no. 1 meal in Croatia. For example when we stayed at my in-laws, we’ll always have a big lunch, while for dinner we’ll just eat leftovers or a sandwich. Zagreb isn’t different. And since many people are at work during a lunchtime, many restaurants offer a cheap (less than 5€), simple but delicious and homemade lunch menu (called gablec in Zagreb). We’ve put together a list of best restaurants to have a lunch in Zagreb, if you’re interested in further reading. You can also check our post on must-try restaurants in Zagreb.

Things To Do In Zagreb |Zagreb Travel Blog |Pin me for Later!

Things To Do In Zagreb |Zagreb Travel Blog |Pin me for Later!

Sip a coffee … for hours

Nowhere, and I say nowhere, is coffee culture so strong, so obvious, so important as it is in Zagreb. And, imagine!, Zagreb doesn’t even have a one single Starbucks :). You’ll notice this social phenomenon soon as you start exploring the town.

Beautiful outdoor terraces are fitted with sun umbrellas during the summer, and gas heaters during the winter, and they are always full regardless of a time of day you pass by. If you get to know any local, (s)he will certainly invite you for a cup of coffee. You can order anything else, it’s just that a word coffee here somehow got a meaning of a word drink.

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Velvet Cafe

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Velvet Cafe

Main cafe spots in Zagreb are Tkalciceva Street, Bogoviceva Street, and Cjetni Trg. And while we strongly encourage you to visit (and have a coffee at) each of them, our favorite cafes aren’t located on any of them.

Velvet is a great little café bar-gallery tucked away at the corner of Tuskanova and Dezmanova Street. This is our favorite place to have a coffee, or a simple breakfast like a croissant & freshly squeezed orange juice.
Jutro is a lovely cafe located in a courtyard just off Teslina Street. Interior is full of cute, handmade crafts that are not only decorations, but are also on sale. Jutro serves great coffee,  a good selection of teas, homemade cakes, and good choice of Croatian homemade schnapps.
Palinovka is located in Zagreb’s Upper town. It’s a popular Zagreb cafe with a wonderful outdoor terrace and friendly, neighborhood atmosphere.

Visit museums

Whether you are an art & history buff or bluff, when thinking of things to do in Zagreb, consider visiting some of Zagreb museums and art galleries.

Museum of broken relationships is quirky. Besides, it’s small and it has a nice café with WiFi, good selection of coffees and teas, and homemade cookies. So you really have no excuse to skip visiting at least this one when in Zagreb (see below all details).

Right across the street you’ll find Croatian Museum of Naive Art. This is apparently the world’s first museum of naive art. It displays paintings of Croatian naive artists, including works of Ivan Generalic, Franjo Mraz and Mirko Virius, founders of Croatian naive art. It would take you max. half an hour to visit. Staff is very informative and eager to answer all your questions.

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Visit Museums

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Visit Museums  / Photo credit: Wikipedia & Roberta F via CC

Tucked away in a former Mestrovic family house, in Zagreb’s Upper town, you’ll find Mestrovic’s Atelier. Ivan Mestrovic was one of the top sculptors of 20th century. Even Rodin called him a genius. The atelier features his works, but also shows family history through documentation, photos, and furniture. His works are displayed in each room, but also in the lovely garden. Local tip: Lack of detailed information on artist and his work, especially in English. It’s worth bringing with you your own guide book.

The Klovicevi Dvori Gallery is perhaps the most popular art gallery in Zagreb. It’s home to many travelling world exhibits once they arrive to Zagreb. Another interesting, gallery although a bit worn out, is Mestrovic Pavillon, located downtown, only two tram stations from the main square (tram no. 1, 17).

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Technical Museum

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Technical Museum / Photo credit: Wikipedia & SpeedyGonsales via CC

Technical Museum, perhaps bears a boring name, but has an interesting content, especially for children, and technical geeks. The main floor is dedicated to transport with a display of old cars, trains, planes, trams, as well as models of different ships and boats. Smaller rooms and balcony feature firefighting equipment, and mock ups of satellites and spacecrafts, and even a mining equipment including a mine shaft. The highlight of the visit is a scheduled demonstration of Tesla’s electrical feats and discoveries. For info and schedule check museum’s website. One of great things to do in Zagreb with children.

Lauba House For People and Art is a contemporary art gallery, located in a former textile mill. Lauba is a privately-owned gallery, opened in 2011 with Tomislav Klicko’s private art collection. Since then, it has become a creative place and exhibition space for many Croatian and international contemporary artists. Although it’s located off the main tourist sites, Lauba is interesting place to visit: the interior is lovely, temporary exhibitions change regularly, and there is a nice bistro with very decent food.

Tortureum is a torture museum recently open in Radiceva Street in Zagreb. The museum is small, yet very interesting. It exhibits a range of tools used for torture and execution throughout history.

Museum of illusions is located in Ilica Street. Get lost in the maze of mirrors, watch people around you shrink or grow, have fun with many other optical illusions and brain teasers. It’s rather small, but in our opinion a great place to visit with kids.

Hike Medvednica Mountain (if it’s weekend this is where many locals are)

Things To Do In Zagreb |Explore Parks & Forests

Things To Do In Zagreb |Explore Parks & Forests | Photo credit: Flicr & Christiane Jodl

Medvednica Mountain is located north of Zagreb, and its slopes are integral part of the town. There are many hiking trails on the Medvednica, but perhaps the most popular hike that locals take is up to the Puntijarka mountain house, located at the elevation of 957 m, just below Sljeme, the highest peak of Medvednica.

The hike literally starts in the town, from the last tram station all the way up (no.14 from the main square; and then a no.15). On weekends the trails get busy with locals. And if you aren’t into hiking, you can also reach the summit by car or a city bus.

In Puntijarka you can have simple traditional meal, like beans, or roasted potatoes, or a delicious apple pie. And the prices are very affordable.

Another popular hiking trail (because it’s the least demanding, and close to the town) is Miroslavec trail that starts in Sestine and takes you to the Kraljicin Zdenac along and across the creek.

Kraljicin Zdenac is a small pond. Next to it there ate plenty wooden tables and benches for picnic and a rest. A bit higher there is a mountain house Lugareva kucica offering simple but delicious meals.

Other popular landmarks include remains of Medvedgrad, a medieval fortified town; caves and springs, like Veternica and Zdencec; chapels and churches; and a hotel Tomislavac.

If you like to feel like local, hiking should definitely be on your list of things to do in Zagreb.

Visit Zagreb Cathedral

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Visit Zagreb Cathedral

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Visit Zagreb Cathedral

It is nice, it is close to the main square. It has lots of Gothic architectural elements. The embalmed body of the Cardinal Stepinac lies in a sarcophagus near the main altar. Interior is full of statues, paintings, and inscriptions in a Slavic script. Check how Matt from Landlopers got genuinely surprised by it.

Visit Zagreb cemetery

This is actually a weird one. I would never visit cemeteries no matter how nice they are. Last cemeteries I visited were Paris and Varazdin. But I didn’t find it entertaining. Neither could I enjoy “the beauty”.

However, Zagreb cemetery is listed on Tripadvisor as 7th of 64 attractions in Zagreb. Must be a reason. And there must be people different than myself. Description on Tripadvisor says “This cemetery contains world-class artwork and atmosphere.” Atmosphere? Whatever. It is nice. And I went there few times when I was younger.

Well, here you have one of quirkier things to do in Zagreb.

360º Views of Zagreb

Climb to 16th floor of the only high-rise on Zagreb’s Main Square and enjoy 360 degree views of the city. Open everyday from 10 am to 11.45 pm. Besides the observation deck, there is a nice bar where you can have a drink while enjoying the views.

Skydiving in Zagreb

Zagreb Travel Blog: Things To Do In Zagreb |Skydiving in Zagreb

Things To Do In Zagreb |Zagreb Travel Blog |Photo credit: Adventure-Driven-Vacation.Com

Dreaming of diving through the skies? Maybe Zagreb is the place to experience this adrenaline-pumping activity. Located at the Lucko sports airfield, Skydiving Zagreb offers tandem jumps from their Cesna planes. The jump is at around 3.000 m, with a free fall of for about 30 to 50 seconds. It’ll set you back 190 €.

Escape Games

A live game intended for 2 to 5 people that gives you clues, hints, and 60 minutes time to escape a zombie lab or a bunker, and get yourself out using logic, and team work. It costs 70 to 175 kn depending on number of players.

Contacts | a: Kneza Mislava 15, Zagreb | m: +385 95 844 1825

Working hours | Mon-Sat: 12.30 pm-9.30 pm | Sunday: 12.30 pm-5 pm

Wake boarding at the Jarun Lake

You don’t need to reach Croatian coast in order to take on the water. You can get your hands at wake-board experience at the lake Jarun. Open from June through September, the Wake Park has one line with various obstacles, ramps, and bumpers.