Zagreb

Sightseeing Tour

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Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, is a place where you can relax, drop off your bags (or backpack), enjoy yourself and, for the large part, see the city on foot whilst reaching most attractions, via tram or bus. If you are in town for a few days, then these are some of the ‘must see’ sites:

Before hopping onto the funicular, we suggest you stop by the wine bar Basement for a quick warm up. This subterranean hideaway is modestly named: its actually a cellar offering an unforgettable wine exploration experience. An exclusive selection of wines from all over the country are complimented by local cheeses, meats and sundries. Offering only Croatian products, the blend of flavors available at excellent prices creates a uniquely unforgettable adventure. Once you've had a refreshment or so, the sightseeing tour is ready to go.

The best place to start from is Gornji Grad, or the Upper Town, which has more than a few landmarks, such as the Uspinjača/Funicular, quite possibly the shortest funicular, or indeed any tracked transportation, in the world. Starting just off Ilica, Zagreb’s main street, you can hitch a ride for 4kn up to the base of Lotrščak Tower, standing guard over the entrance to Gornji Grad; that is of course if you can’t be bothered to spend 30 seconds or so climbing the steps that run up the side of the tracks.
Lotrščak Tower, which hosts the Grič Cannon, was built in 1266 to defend the southern entrance to the city and ever since 1877 and indeed to this day, the cannon blasts one shot as the clock strikes noon. Kaboom! Back in the day, all the city’s church bell ringers used this cannon shot as their way of telling the time. There’s an exhibition, overseen by the utterly magnificent Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, inside the tower, running until the end of the year; and while you’re in there you can enjoy majestic views of the city, just like Novi Fosili did in 1987 while filming their video for Yugoslavia’s Eurovision entry that year, ‘Ja sam za ples’.
The tower is open to the public Mon - Fri 09:00 – 21:00; Sat-Sun 10:00 – 21:00.

Gornji Grad is also home to Hrvatski povijesni muzej/the Croatian History Museum, inside which you can see collections containing over 200,000 artefacts from the cultural and national heritage of Croatia, dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. Not far from there is St. Mark's Church - Crkva sv. Marka, unforgettable for the spectrum of colours displayed on the roof which beautifully depicts the Croatian, Dalmatian, and Slavonian coats-of-arms, and also the Zagreb city emblem. It provides for quite a lasting visual and given the colours involved you would be forgiven for thinking it freshly made. Of course, due to various natural disasters it has received much in the way of reconstruction and not a whole lot remains of the original 14th century building itself. Inside, highlights include two works by Ivan Meštrović, Croatia’s most famous sculptor, and frescoes by the artist Jozo Kljaković. Moving north and east from there you find the Zagreb City Museum, within which you will find an A to Z of Zagreb from prehistoric times to today. Even recently some discoveries were uncovered beneath the museum’s building itself, and you can see some of the excavations from the safety of a walkway. The permanent exhibition shows the city in all its aspects. Don't miss
Girl with a Bird, a gouache painting created by Marc Chagall, one of the most successful artists of the 20th century, who used a combination of art forms, such as cubism, symbolism, and fauvism when painting his portraits. And, speaking of art, no trip to this part of town is complete without visiting the Meštrović Atelier, where Ivan Meštrović - Croatia's most famous sculptor and artist - once lived with his family from the 1920s until 1942 when he left Croatia. It is here where he sculpted many of his works and it is here that you can see a great many of them today. From there, in the south eastern corner of Gornji Grad (it’s shaped like a triangle), right next to the Klovićevi dvori Gallery, is the Church of St. Catherine. This is the most beautiful Baroque church in Zagreb, and was built by the Jesuits in the period between 1620 and 1632. It is a single-nave church with six side chapels and a shrine. The chapels hold five wooden Baroque altars and one marble altar from 1729. The church was entirely rebuilt in all its glory following the 1880 earthquake, and designed by the main Zagreb architect of the time, Hermann Bollé.

On the corner just west of there is the Museum of Broken Relationships. Here you will find a most unusual collection on display with mementos of relationships gone wrong. The project’s original purpose was to relieve people of the pseudo-psychic burden of objects loaded with emotional memories but, as the Museum travels the world’s metropolises, a fascinating social-anthropological treasure-trove is being created. This is a touching, tender, and often funny testament to peoples’ eccentricities that serves to remind each one of us not to take ourselves too seriously.
Let’s leave Gornji Grad for now, via the Stone Gate or Kamenita vrata, an archway which was one of the four original entries into the walled section of feudal Zagreb which we are currently in. Next to here you will see K crnom orlu, the oldest pharmacy in Zagreb (1355) which is now a protected cultural landmark. In the 17th and 18th centuries this pharmacy was the local hangout much like a bar or café today. In 1731 a terrible fire destroyed much of the town, and legend has it that a vision of the Virgin Mary could be seen in the burnt ash that remained in this entry. Whether this the case or not, a portrait of Mary was hanging in the gate at the time of the fire, and did survive, perhaps adding to the importance of the gate for the locals.

Pushing on through Tkalčićeva and Opatovina you come to Dolac, the city’s main market. Small producers from surrounding villages gather in this central food mecca to sell their leafy greens and fleshy meats, which are instantly snapped up. A separate fish room (amateurs prepare your nose pincers) and cheese room (likewise) will keep you wandering through this ultimate homage to all things edible. Dolac exits to the east into Kaptol, the once-city of the Catholic Church. The first thing you will see there is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja). A wonder of neo-Gothic artistry, the impressive and sharp looking towers stand out from nearly anywhere you are in the entire city. A brief history: 1093 - founded; 1242 - the initial Romanesque construction is finished. In the next 21 years it's heavily damaged in various sieges by the Tatars; 1624 - a series of sweeping fires practically destroys it; 1645 - another wave of fires picks up where the last left off. It's reconstructed; 1880 - sustains serious damage during an earthquake. A 12-year restoration takes place, at which time the neo-Gothic bell towers are raised skyward; 1990 - exterior renovations set in motion to battle against the effects of time. Of course, if you’ve taken the time to visit the City Museum, you might have noticed a series of photos from the early decades of the previous century, and even then the Cathedral was being repaired!

Done with this part of town, we can now stroll down through Trg ban Jelačić and onto Zrinjevac with its greenery, buildings, and statues of city icons to explore. Tops for happy snaps and the good old Polaroid! Here, you can begin exploring the park complex in the city centre called the Lenuci's horseshoe (sometimes referred to as The Green Horseshoe). Lenuci was a forward thinking urban planner who came along at the end of 19th century and was instrumental in creating the series of parks which today bear his name. If you look at the B/C-3/4 region of the map at the back of this publication, you'll see an unmistakable green U-shape that explains the name, famous both for the green spaces and the architecture inside of it. The west leg (B-3) is comprised of three squares: Trg Maršala Tita with the Baroque and unmistakably yellow Croatian National Theatre, as well as the Arts and Crafts Museum (Muzej za umjetnost i obrt), a museum which focuses on the lifestyle of the pampered aristocracy through the ages. Expect to see amazing furniture, artwork, dinnerware, and much more; Mažuranićev trg and Marulićev trg with beautiful art nouveau buildings, and the State Archives. The southern leg (B/C-4) is entirely comprised of the wonderful Botanical gardens. This glorious return to nature is home to over 10,000 plant species, numerous park benches, lily pads galore, and ducks that quack. The east leg (C-3) is also made up of three squares: Trg kralja Tomislava with its Art Pavilion (Umjetnički paviljon), a building with brilliant yellow exterior which woos you to it. Inside you'll find a superb home for all kinds of domestic and international art; Strossmayerov trg with the Gallery of Arts and Sciences; and of course glorious Zrinjevac with its exquisite Music Pavilion. And it is here that you will find the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, and within its walls you will see perhaps the most famous relic in Croatia, Zagreb’s own Mummy! The mummified body from Thebes was bought by Mihael Bari in Egypt in 1848-49, which you may think seems perfectly reasonable, yet the mummy is Etruscan and had no business being across the Mediterranean. The Etruscans controlled large parts of west Italy, including modern day Tuscany, from around 8 to 5 B.C. and only the basics of their language, which is pre-Indo-European, are understood. The Zagreb Mummy, like many celebrities, is actually more famous for her clothes than her personal talents. After her owner died it was discovered that the bandages the mummy was wrapped in are strips of a book made of linen. This book is the longest preserved text in the Etruscan language and appears to be something similar to a liturgical calendar. The mummy is on permanent display but her bonds are locked away and only revealed to experts. The Modern Gallery is here too, located in the Vranyczany Palace built during the 1880s, and it hosts permanent exhibits featuring more than 750 works of modern and ultra-modern art from painters, sculptors, as well others who work in new media. Don't miss: A portrait of the daughter of Samuel Berger a painting created by Vlaho Bukovac, one of the most renowned Croatian painters. For good reason are these squares of parks worshipped by locals, tourists, and animals of all types.

Now, would it be unfair of us to tell you that there’s literally too much to see in a single day? In fact a full day could be taken up with Zagreb’s very own Solar System, the Nine Views art installation. You might notice a rather large metal ball on Bogovićeva, and this is a representation of the Sun, sculpted in 1971 by Ivan Kožarić. In 2004 Davor Preis created a scale model of the solar system around this mighty Sun, including planets at the following urban locations: Mercury - Margaretska 3; Venus - Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 3; Earth - Varšavska 9; Mars - Tkalčićeva 21; Jupiter - Voćarska 71; Saturn - Račićeva 1; Uranus - Siget 9; Neptune - Kozari put; Pluto - Aleja Bologne (underpass). Preis never revealed the locations of the planets, so finding them turned into a game lasting until the last planet was “discovered” in 2006. It’s a great way to get a feel for the dimensions of the solar system and to discover random corners of the city.

It doesn’t stop there. You could try the Britanski trg antique market, each Sunday morning, and you’ll find it bursting with flair and excitement. Here you will find various decorative things, old books, and collectables of both local and international origin. Located in the very heart of the city, the market is a real cultural treat for all fans of antiquity. Then there’s Hrelić (Jakuševac) flea market which might put Only Fools and Horses (Mućke) to the fore of your thoughts. This is the city’s largest Sunday flea market. Situated on the outskirts of the city, it is jam packed with goodies from cars, motor-cycles, clothes, to thousands of other handy items. Get in early as merchants leave by noon. The quickest way to get to the Fair is to catch the 295 bus Glavni kolodvor (the main train station); this line is available only on Sundays and it leaves the station at 07:20, 08:00, 08:40, 09:20, 10:00, 10:40, 11:20, 12:00, and 12:40. You need to buy your ticket from the driver for this particular bus line.

If you’re looking for a more sedate time, then a trip to Mirogoj, Zagreb’s main cemetery situated on the slopes of Medvednica (Bear Mountain if translated literally), is perfect. It is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe, rivalling even Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof. Lime-green cupolas top the wall that surrounds the memorial park. Mirogoj is not only a burial place but also a beautiful park and open art gallery. Not far from the present mortuary, in the period between 1852 and 1895 there stood the summer house of the Illyrian leader, Ljudevit Gaj. After his death the municipality bought the complete estate and constructed the central Zagreb cemetery upon it. The well-known, and already mentioned, architect Hermann Bollé designed the shape of the cemetery, applying a monumental composition of arcades, pavilions, and domes, intermingled with rich vegetation, and adding a gallery of sculptures by Croatian sculptors. Getting There: The 106 bus from the Cathedral to Mirogoj takes 15min and costs 10kn. You can also take the 14 tram from the main square heading east (to Mihaljevac) and get out at the fourth stop (Gupčeva zvijezda). You’ll see the signs from there.

And if you’ve time for more walking, then head for Maksimir, a perfect half-day outing for love birds, families, the four-legged; this place will revitalise a tired soul. The 18 hectares of lush greenery and forest was opened to the public in 1794 and was the first of its kind in this part of Europe. An added bonus, the city zoo is housed within it. Catch either the 11 or 12 trams Trg bana Josipa Jelačića heading east (Dubec or Dubrava) to the Bukovačka stop.

Other sights around the city include the Contemporary Art Museum (Muzej suvremene umjetnosti). What makes this museum remarkable is that rather than presenting a 'seen-it-all-before' narrative of what contemporary art is supposed to be, the collection lets the Croatian avant-garde speak for itself. The country experienced an explosion of vibrant abstract painting in the 1950s, while from the 1960s onwards local artists increasingly abandoned painting in favour of conceptual gestures. Further west, just a few minutes’ walk from Sveti Duh tram stop, is Lauba. Once an industrial complex but now a public space, ‘Lauba – The House for People and Art’, has a collection of 500 works of art created over the last 60 years, beginning with the renowned Exat 51 and New Tendencies movements. The greatest names in recent Croatian art are here.



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