Tag Archive for: Central Croatia city

ZAGREB

REGION: CENTRAL CROATIA (SREDIŠNJA HRVATSKA)


Capital city of the Central Croatia region, as well as the entire country, Zagreb is by far Croatia’s largest city in terms of population and area, as well as commerce, culture and shopping. The newly expanded Franjo Tuđman International Airport is the main airport for Croatia, and it sits about a half hour drive outside of the city center; the least expensive option is to reach the center by shuttle, however you can also grab a taxi or rent a car. As with all major cities, parking in the lots dotted around the city often come at a premium. If you are arriving from another city, you can also arrive directly at the center by train or bus. Don’t confuse “Glavni kolodvor” (literally “main station” – which is the train station), with “Autobusni kolodvor” (bus station). They are about a 20 minute walk from each other, so you need to be sure where you’re going especially if you’re running late to catch your connection! To easily get your bearings from any map, look for the 3 green parks running directly north from the Glavni kolodvor, straight to the main square Trg Josip Jelačić. 

Zagreb truly has an east-meets-west attitude and a unique style of its own. The name dates from 1094, after Slavic tribes had settled. You can visit the Lotrščak Tower, which remains from town fortifications, built in 1266 as protection against the Turkish invasion. From there witness the Grić cannon which fires every day at noon to commemorate Zagreb’s victory over the Turks. Then ride the furnicular to Zagreb’s Upper Town, Gornji Grad, where you can walk around the oldest part of the city, with cobblestone streets and authentic gas lights. Here is the center of both history and government. On your way to the Lower Town, Donji Grad, don’t miss the vibrant atmosphere at Dolac market, and try some Croatian words with the local ladies selling fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers.

Dolac, Zagreb
Nikola Tesla statue by Ivan Mestrovic

An exciting cultural hub, Zagreb is said to have the most museums per capita in the world – and they represent all interests. From the “Archaeological Museum”, the beautiful “Art Pavilion (Umjetnicki Paviljon)”, the “Croatian Museum of Naive Art”, the intimate “Atelier Meštrović”, and the “Image of War – Photography Museum”, to the eclectic “Museum of Broken Relationships” – museum hopping is a pastime in itself. 

Zagreb is known for education and medical innovation. The University of Zagreb has been in continuous operation since 1669. It is one of Europe’s oldest educational institutions, and hosts 70,000 students every year in 31 disciplines all the way through post-graduate studies. 

If you’ve visited our blog, you know how unforgettable Zagreb is at Christmastime. It won the title of the Best Christmas Market in Europe for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Sweeping three straight years, it was out of the running for 2019, but we can tell you it was pure magic. Christmas is a beautiful time to travel in Europe, and Zagreb is easily reachable from other European cities. 


How many travellers know that Zagreb was a main station on the Simplon Orient Express route, made popular by Agatha Christie, Graham Greene and none other than James Bond. The Simplon route ran from 1919 through 1977 (with a break during the First and Second World Wars). It literally was the luxurious and opulent link from west to east for the elite of Europe’s society, running from Paris to Constantinople (present day Istanbul). > maybe nix Interesting stops included Calais, Milan, Venice, [https://www.domatrading.com/regions/vinkovci/] Vinkovci, Belgrade, and Sofia.< The art deco Esplanade Hotel next to Glavni kolodvor (the train station) was built in 1925 for Orient Express patrons, and today still exudes opulence and style. Its fascinating history and guest list of the rich and famous reads like a novel in itself. [/av_textblock] [/av_two_third] [av_one_third min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' row_boxshadow='' row_boxshadow_color='' row_boxshadow_width='10' custom_margin='' margin='0px' mobile_breaking='' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' padding='0px' column_boxshadow='' column_boxshadow_color='' column_boxshadow_width='10' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' highlight='' highlight_size='' animation='' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' title_attr='' alt_attr='' mobile_display='' id='' custom_class='' aria_label='' av_uid='av-2pawza'] [av_image src='https://www.domatrading.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_6258-opt.jpg' attachment='2058' attachment_size='full' copyright='' caption='' styling='' align='center' font_size='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff' animation='no-animation' hover='' appearance='' link='' target='' id='' custom_class='' av_element_hidden_in_editor='0' av_uid='av-kbb16cyv' admin_preview_bg=''][/av_image] [/av_one_third] [av_one_full first min_height='' vertical_alignment='' space='' row_boxshadow='' row_boxshadow_color='' row_boxshadow_width='10' custom_margin='' margin='0px' mobile_breaking='' border='' border_color='' radius='0px' padding='0px' column_boxshadow='' column_boxshadow_color='' column_boxshadow_width='10' background='bg_color' background_color='' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' highlight='' highlight_size='' animation='' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' title_attr='' alt_attr='' mobile_display='' id='' custom_class='' aria_label='' av_uid='av-2ekvts'] [av_hr class='default' icon_select='yes' icon='ue808' position='center' shadow='no-shadow' height='50' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' custom_border_color='' custom_icon_color='' av-desktop-hide='' av-medium-hide='' av-small-hide='' av-mini-hide='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-56ihps'] [av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-k3qoikzb' admin_preview_bg='']

Zagreb is the vibrant capital of Croatia, and the center of culture and shopping.


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