Billiards (or pool, the terms tend to be used interchangeably, but here it’s always “Biljar”) has been a way for youth to mis-spend itself since before the days of Bogart and James Dean - it was banned in eighteenth century British taverns because of its sleazy reputation. The first billiards hall in Zagreb was opened in 1813 in the salubrious and unpronounceable surroundings of the Lotrščak Tower in Gornji Grad – you know, where the canon fires every day at noon, scaring pigeons. Together with an ice cream parlour on the ground floor, it transformed the former defensive tower into a veritable theme park. Hooray! Over time, players such as Nikola Sotler brought fame to Croatian exponents of the sport (that is, if standing still and moving your arm a bit counts as sport). By the 1980s, every neighbourhood seemed to have a place to hang out and play billiards and table football. The nineties of course saw many changes in Croatia, and the kids’ attention has drifted away from these games, maybe because so many other things now vie for it. But the pool sharks among us can still find retro action at the places below. See you down there!
