Zagreb was founded as two separate towns with their respective medieval fortifications at the top of the hills overlooking the Sava river, and was “reborn” during the Baroque period as a commercial center thanks to its strategic position as a crossroad of the main roads connecting Central Europe with the Adriatic Sea. Today, Zagreb is the center of the culture, arts, sports and education of modern Croatia. However, its long history shouldn’t be forgotten. The unique combination of medieval towers, 19th-century palaces, flea markets and ancient cathedrals makes Zagreb the perfect city to explore. Therefore, there are many reasons to visit it!
City tour
The northern side of Zagreb, Gornji Grad, is the most historic part of the city and has preserved its medieval alleys and streets. The southern part of the city, Donji Grad, was built in the 19th century and has some of the best restaurants in town which we highly recommend you to visit. Further south, crossing the Sava river, you’ll encounter the modern Zagreb. The city cable car, which has one of the shortest routes in the world at just 66 meters, is worth taking, as you can enjoy the great view of Zagreb at the top. Don’t miss to visit Ribnjak Park, where you can also see parts of the city fortifications from the 15th century. Also, in Zrinjevac Park, during summers, many free and interesting concerts are being organised. Finally, it’s no secret that the most beautiful lakes are in Croatia!
Visiting the museums
Zagreb is full of museums, with Muzej Mimara being the central one that houses works of Veronese, Van Dyck and Renoir. Horvath is an art gallery specialised in Croatian artists, like Zilic Davor and Malovec Hrvoje. In Moderna Galerija you’ll find works of modern croatian artists of the 19th and 20th century, such as Zlatko Bourek and Milan Steiner. Most sculptures of Mestrovic, who is known as “the Croatian Rodin”, are housed at the Atelier Mestrovic. The city’s museum of contemporary art, the Muzej Suvrememe Umetnosti, opened its gates in 2009 and has added an artistic value to a relatively indifferent area of Zagreb.
