Croatia is one of our favorite places we have visited, and Zagreb is a hidden gem there. The capital city may get overlooked since it doesn’t have the coastal appeal of other Croatian destinations, but it has a great combination of culture, attractions, and basement-level prices. We highly recommend visiting.
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Things to Do
Museum of Broken Relationships: Without a doubt, the Museum of Broken Relationships is one of the most interesting museums we have ever visited. Some of the exhibits are comical in nature; others are tragic. While the concept may not seem fit for a museum, there is a lot of history that surrounds broken relationships. You are sure to learn something here and enjoy your experience.
Free Walking Tour: We always enjoy doing free walking tours to get a feel for the city we’re visiting. Zagreb’s tour was one of the best we’ve done. Our tour guide did a great job of covering both the city’s history (including Tkalciceva Street and the city’s now-forbidden red light district) and local recommendations. Doing this tour at the beginning of our visit allowed us to learn where to eat, where to get the best rates for currency exchange, and where to prioritize our time.
Archaeological Museum
Aloysius Stepinac Sarcophagus at the Zagreb Cathedral
St. Mark’s Church
Other Churches and Museums: While our favorite museum in Zagreb was definitely the Museum of Broken Relationships, there are a number of other historical buildings worth visiting. We didn’t go inside the Archaeological Museum, but the exterior is nice to visit. St. Mark’s Church is a must for its unique checkered roof. The Zagreb Cathedral is also a really nice building tied to some interesting history.
Day Trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park: If you are looking to get outside the city, Plitvice Lakes National Park is well worth a visit. It is about 2 hours by bus from Zagreb, and you will want to spend at least a half day at the park. The water is simply beautiful. You can’t swim because it would disrupt the chemical composition that gives the water its unique hue, but the photo opportunities are endless. There are plenty of hiking options to let you see all that the park has to offer.
Other Tips & Tricks
What to Eat: We weren’t in Zagreb long enough to explore many restaurants, but we did make a point to try a local specialty: La Struk. “Zagorski Štrukli” is a traditional dish in Croatian households that is almost overwhelmingly creamy. There are many varieties and fillings that you can select, so choose whatever best suits you that day.
Getting Around: Zagreb is a very pedestrian-friendly city. You shouldn’t need to rent a car. For anything further away from your accommodation, we recommend leveraging public transit.
Currency Exchange: When we visited Croatia, Zagreb had by far the best currency exchange rates. We wish we had exchanged all of our euros there as opposed to just a portion. Dubrovnik, Split, and Hvar were all significantly more expensive given the larger tourism presence. Don’t make the same mistake we did if you plan to do a larger tour of Croatia.
Where to Stay in Zagreb: We stayed at The Westin Zagreb, which was remarkably cheap for a Westin. It’s a great hotel with a central location, and you really can’t do better at that price point.