11 Quirky Ways To Have a Blast in Zagreb, Croatia

Zagreb was a massive surprise for me. I hadn’t been expecting much, but after just five days it had become one of my very favourite cities on the entire planet. We visited Zagreb because it was a convenient and inexpensive two-hour bus journey from the wonderful city of Ljubljana, and we had a few days to kill. And kill them we did!

I had expected Ljubljana to be fantastic and it was. I also had very high expectations of Prague and Budapest, which thanks to half a century behind the Iron Curtain had been protected from the architectural “improvements” experienced in the West during the 1960s and 1970s.

My expectations of Zagreb were pretty low, a dull Eastern European city populated by dour Slavs still recovering from the Balkans War and decades of communism. I’m not sure that I’ve ever been so wrong about anything. Zagreb is a stunning, vibrant city full of the friendliest people we have met anywhere.

Zagreb has a wide selection of traditional tourist attractions. These include the stunning Zagreb Cathedral, the beautiful St. Mark’s Church and vibrant Jelačić Square. You also need to enjoy the foodie’s paradise that is Tkalčićeva Street, stroll through Maksimir Park and spend a little time in the Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square, which is more commonly known as Zrinjevac.

Don’t get me wrong these are all great and definitely worth some of your time. However, when we returned home, I realized that it was the slightly quirky things that we enjoyed in Zagreb that made our time there so special.

1. Visit the Museum of Broken Relationships

There is no shortage of museums In Zagreb, which apparently has the highest number of museums per head of population of any city in the world. These range from the classic, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, the thought-provoking War Photography Museum and the meaningless Museum of Hangovers.

Our favourite by far was the Museum of Broken Relationships. It contains a series of quirky artifacts along with the stories behind them that range from the hysterically funny to the downright heart-breaking. I was amazed by the sheer number of items on display and that was only about 5% of the total collection in storage.

The first time we tried to visit, it was packed and so we went back in the evening when it was much quieter. It’s a very popular attraction and the best times to visit are before 11am in the morning or after 7pm in the evening.

To learn more, take a look at the museum’s website.

2. Ride the World’s Most Pointless Funicular

I call it pointless as it’s so short, just 66m, and the ride takes only 1 minute and 4 seconds. You might as well just walk, it’s probably quicker and easier.

Despite the claims made in the city, it’s not even the shortest funicular in the world. That title belongs to Fisherman’s Walk Cliff Lift in England, but that, at least, does serve a useful purpose as there aren’t any nearby stairs.

You can avoid the Zagreb Funicular and the massed crowds by taking a gorgeous and peaceful foot journey down what is termed the stairway to heaven. Of course, you do have to ride the funicular just once. The fact that it’s pointless is sort of the point!

3. Engage a Statue

Zagreb has some super cool modern sculptures dotted all around the city including statues of Stjepan Radić, Kumica Barica, Marije Jurić Zagorke, Nikola Tesla, Tin Ujević and even Charlie Chaplin. If your tastes tend towards the more traditional you can find monuments of St George, King Tomislav and, in the square that also bears his name, Ban Josip Jelačić.

Our favourite was the Antun Gustav Matoš Statue. You can spend a few moments enjoying views of Zagreb in the company of the poet by sharing his bench beside Strossmayer Promenade. Monique seemed to be particularly smitten by him.

4. Spend the Early Evening with the Lamplighters of the Gas Mantles

Who knew that public streetlights powered by gas were still around in the 21sct century? It turns out that Zagreb has almost 250 active gas lanterns in use in the Upper Town. Actually, the original gas lights were removed in 1938 and they were only restored in 2015, and it’s an ongoing process.

Each evening, just before dark the city’s two lamplighters Saša and Tomislav, armed with their lightening sticks, walk the streets lighting the lamps one by one. It’s fascinating to follow them as they do their rounds.

We joined Saša Alavanja one evening and he was only too happy to chat with us, his little entourage of two. Somehow you see this part of the city in a different way than you do on a typical tourist shuffle.

If you are an early bird, you can also get up at the crack of dawn, as the same gentlemen has to extinguish the lights during daylight. We didn’t do this!

5. Watch the Changing of the Guard

If this has you thinking about Buckingham Palace, think again. It’s very different. Zagreb’s changing of the Guard takes place on Saturdays and Sundays starting at noon at St. Mark’s Square in the Upper Town. It’s worth getting there early at about 11:40am when the “soldiers” start gathering before the start of the ceremony.

The purpose is serious, and the ceremonials are conducted with appropriate reverence in honour of the Cravat Regiment, some of the finest and bravest troops Europe has ever seen.

As well as the guards, there are drummers, flag-bearers and trumpeters all dressed in 17^th Century uniforms. However, these are not real soldiers, and the event is organized by the Zagreb Tourist Board, so the drill movements are not always crisp and perfectly in time, which is all the more endearing and appealing.

6. Shop at Tržnica Dolac Market

If you’ve read some of our other posts, you’ll know that we adore visiting markets. Zagreb’s Dolac Market is one of our favourites. It is a farmers’ market and is nicknamed the Stomach of Zagreb for its key role feeding the city.

Located close to the cathedral, the site was chosen purposefully to bridge the sometimes disparate populations from the Upper and Lower Towns. You can’t miss it, just look out for the large, bright red umbrellas protecting the market stalls.

Most of the market comprises stalls selling fresh fish, fruits and vegetables. You can also find areas selling cheese, dairy products, spices, lavender and lilac bags.

While we weren’t the only tourists, most of those browsing the stands were locals doing their everyday shopping. We bought some delicious cherries and apricots, and, despite our original intentions, all were eaten long before we got back to our Airbnb accommodation.

There are plenty of cafés around the market, and so after feeling good about eating so much fresh fruit, we rewarded ourselves by relaxing with coffee, hot chocolate, and pastries.

7. Visit Mirogoj Cemetery

I promise that it’s not as morbid as it sounds, especially on a nice sunny day. We took a bus that dropped us off by the cemetery gates and enjoyed a couple of tranquil hours wandering around what often felt more like a vast park than a place of final rest. We only encountered just two other people on the grounds, and the four of us were easily outnumbered 100 to 1 by the birds in the trees.

The architecture of the main building is imposing in a gothic style that includes green copper domes and ivy clad tiles arcades. Further into the cemetery you’ll come across smaller domes, some extravagant monuments and many interesting works by Croatia’s finest sculptors.

Dotted around, you’ll find the graves of many notable Croatians including the poet Petar Preradović and basketball legend Dražen Petrović.

We didn’t know it at the time, but we were taking part in a little taphophilia which is the formal name for “tombstone tourism.”

8. Ride on a Communist Era Tram

The tram network in Zagreb is excellent: extensive, reliable, inexpensive and, once you get your head around it, simple to use. We travelled all over the city in the trams going from one attraction to another.

However, some of the trams are attractions in their own right. While most of the rolling stock is fairly modern, there are still quite a few that date back well before the end of Yugoslav communism in 1991. Some of the oldest trams came into service in the early 1970s. I would annoy Monique by sometimes refusing to board a modern tram insisting instead that we wait for an older model.

These older trams are wonderfully atmospheric. You sit on stark, uncomfortable yellow or red plastic chairs surrounded by graffiti. I was sure that I could eerily sense the spirt of Marshal Tito carefully watching us every time we boarded one.

9. Walk along Grič Tunnel

For someone who is a bit obsessed by gritty neo-noir 1960s spy movies set in Europe, (think The Ipcress File and The Quiller Memorandum, not James Bond), Grič Tunnel is perfect. It is part of a network that covers much of the city, although only Grič is open to the public.

There are several entrances around Zagreb including Mesnička and Radićeva Streets. Best of all, it’s totally free. Furthermore, it contains facilities that are rather lacking around the rest of the city: public toilets. The tunnel also offers cooling relief from the heat during the hotter days of summer.

You will often find the tunnel hosting temporary exhibitions and events. However, for me I loved the empty parts, as I listened out for the echoing footsteps of the Soviet double agent I was due to meet. For some reason, he never did turn up!

10. Sing along in Croatian or Admire an Intricate Floral Display

OK, special events may not be strictly quirky, but with so many going on in the summer, you are sure to find several during even the shortest stay in Zagreb. We hadn’t planned to go to any special events, but we found ourselves at two, and both were amazing.

The first was FloraArt, Zagreb’s international flower and garden show. I have to admit that this was more Monique’s thing than mine, but I had a great time too. It takes place in May in the beautiful Bundek Park which has a lake complete with beaches, walking trails and children’s playgrounds.

The floral displays, market gardens, ornamental trees and arrangements are breath-taking. I would certainly make a point of timing my next visit to Zagreb to ensure a return trip to a future FloraArt.

The other event we attended was a free concert by leading Croatian popstar Petar Grašo in Ban Jelačić Square. Despite the rain and not understanding a word of the Croatian language, we both had a fantastic evening.

I even found myself singing along to some of the songs, although from the looks I got from those around us, I suspect that I hadn’t quite got the lyrics right.

11. Travel 25kms for a Cream Cake

Samabor is pretty little town located about 25kms west of Zagreb. It takes about an hour by bus from Zagreb and it was a very pleasant journey through the outskirts of Zagreb into the countryside. We strolled along the Gradna River for several peaceful miles, and we hardly saw another person.

We also passed by the ruins of Samobor Castle. The castle was built in the 13th Century and for the last 200 years has fallen into a graceful decline.

When we had built up an appetite, we ended our walk in historic King Tomislav Square so that we could enjoy the true purpose of our visit to Samabor, a piece of kremšnita. Kremšnita is a custard cream cake that is popular all across Croatia , but its home is Samobor where the best kremšnita is produced. Ours was delightful, especially when washed down with fresh coffee or hot chocolate.

Croatia has so much to offer travellers. It’s safe, affordable and has great infrastructure. While Dubrovnic, Split, the Plitvice Lakes region and the Dalmatian coast may be the most well-known reasons to visit Croatia, don’t overlook Zagreb, I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

Have you been to Zagreb or thinking of visiting? Tell us what you think about this article by leaving us a comment below.

Author

Nick Abbott

Hi, I’m Nick. Visiting foreign countries has been an important part of my life since my parents moved to Kano in Nigeria in 1977. Since then, as both a military officer and in later jobs I have enjoyed the huge privilege of being exposed to many different countries and cultures.

I am delighted to be able to support my wife Monique and Yes2Yolo primarily by contributing travel articles, providing editing and proof-reading services and being a general sounding board.