Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and a fantastic city to visit for sightseeing and there are lots of things to do. There are many attractions to see while visiting this beautiful city. Zagreb also has a brilliant bar and cafe culture and there are lots of options. The bars are great to visit with a pet and many are dog friendly.
There are plenty of places of interest to visit, including historical buildings and museums. There are also some beautiful churches and a cathedral to see too. As a bonus, there are many options for parks to explore, some of which have splendid views of some impressive architecture. Zagreb is one of many fantastic places to visit in Croatia.
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Sightseeing and Things to do in Zagreb
During my visits, I found plenty of options for things to do in Zagreb and never got bored. There are also many options for walking tours and trips to other nearby iconic attractions on GetYourGuide.
Zagreb Cathedral
Zagreb Cathedral is a lovely building to have a mooch around the outside. Sadly, it was closed to visitors during our visit to the city. This is a Roman Catholic cathedral and is the second tallest building in Croatia, the spire is 108m high. Zagreb cathedral is Gothic in design and has two beautiful spires. They built the cathedral in the mid-13th century. However, there were major renovations in between 1880 and 1906.
The cathedral has an interesting history, including being destroyed by the Mongols and the addition of fortifications by the Ottomans. The cathedral is well worth visiting to have a look at the architecture and the grand nature of the building.
Kaptol Fortress
Next to the cathedral is the Kaptol Fortress, a nice place with some beautiful towers. They built the fortifications surrounding the cathedral in the early 16th century, when the bishop of the cathedral feared the ottoman invasion. These are nicely preserved, except for those that were by the entrance to the cathedral. It’s a nice place for a mooch around when sightseeing.
St. Mark’s Church
One of the most recognisable buildings in Zagreb is the iconic St Mark’s Church. St. Mark’s Church is also one of the oldest buildings in the city. It dates back to the 13th century. However, in the 14th century, they radically reconstructed it. They built St Mark’s Church in the late gothic style of architecture with some Romanesque features.
The highlight of the church is its colourful roof tiles. The tiles represent the coats of arms of the city of Zagreb, Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Sadly, you cannot visit or get up close to the church while visiting but the outside is well worth seeing.
Grič Tunnel
An interesting place to explore is Grič Tunnel. The Grič Tunnel is a pedestrian tunnel underneath the neighbourhood of Grič. The tunnel complex includes a central hall. Two long passageways from east to west connect this, with entrances on Mesnička Street and Stjepan Radić Street. There are also four passageways extending to the south.
They built Grič Tunnel during World War II to be used as a bomb shelter and a promenade. After the war, the tunnel became redundant and fell into disrepair. In the 1990s, the tunnel was home to the first raves in Croatia, then subsequently was a shelter in the Croatian war of independence. In 2016, Grič Tunnel opened to the public as a tourist attraction and it also hosts cultural events.
It’s a fascinating experience to walk through. Once you find the tunnel entrances, its great, however the four passageways are the most challenging to find. The route is very handy for a shortcut and avoids a climb up hill. It’s open from 9am until 9pm each day and well worth a mooch around. Apparently, during the festive season, they have a Christmas Lights display in the tunnels.
Climb Lotrščak Tower a Fantastic Viewpoint
Another thing to do in Zagreb, especially if you like fantastic views, is to climb Lotrščak Tower. Lotrščak Tower is at the top of the funicular in the old town area of the city. The tower was part of the city’s fortifications they completed in 1266. They built the Lotrščak Tower to defend the southern entrance to the city. Entry to Lotrščak Tower costs 20 Kuna which is just over £2.
Inside, you climb a few staircases between floors. Each floor has different views out of the windows. They also have information boards about what you can see on each floor. These are in Croatian and English.
Finally, you reach the viewing platform, which is a fantastic viewpoint. From the viewpoint, you can see the upper and lower town. You can also see some of the sightseeing gems, including St Mark’s Church, Octagon and Zagreb Cathedral. Clear sunny days are the best time to climb Lotrščak Tower and fully enjoy the views.
Zagreb City Museum
One of the more educational things to do is to visit the city’s museum. The museum covers topics relating to the city over history. The museum is in the older upper town area near to St Mark’s Church. Sadly, you cannot take photographs inside, but they had lots of nice artefacts to see.
It is easy to spend a few hours perusing the exhibits, which are in chronological order through the venue. The museum is really fascinating and a great way to learn some of the city’s and Croatian history. You can find out costs and current opening hours on the museum’s website.
Museum of Broken Relationships
The city has many options for museums to visit. One of the best known is the quirky Museum of Broken Relationships near to St Mark’s Church. The museum calls a baroque palace home and contains a collection of personal objects from former lovers along with stories of how their relationship was broken.
The Museum of Broken Relationships is rather interesting and has some marvellous stories, mostly tragic. The entrance fee is quite reasonable for an interesting attraction.
See Inside Oktogon
The Oktogon passageway is beautiful and well worth popping inside to see the decor. The highlight for me was the pretty octagonal glass roof on the walkway through. They often have buskers playing here, including a male voice choir, which is a bonus. The building used to be the First Croatian Saving bank and was completed by the year 1900.
Museum of Hangovers
The Museum of Hangovers includes funny stories of drinking and hangovers. It includes props, games & simulators. You can also order a beer to drink while perusing the museum, which was the highlight for me. The museum wasn’t captivating for me, except for the feature on hangover cures from around the world.
Sightseeing at King Tomislav Square
An excellent place for sightseeing and to see lots of beautiful buildings is to visit King Tomislav Square. King Tomislav Square is a beautiful area of park near the train station and is a lovely place to hang out. It’s a popular area with people enjoying the sun. There are cafes about, however many people seem to bring their own refreshments and sit on the lawns or benches.
At the station end of the square is the impressive King Tomislav statue, an equestrian statue that is nice to see. Tomislav was the first king of Croatia and reigned from 925 until 928.
King Tomislav Square is also home to the impressive Art Pavilion building. Established in 1898, the Art Pavilion is the oldest gallery in the Southeast Europe. It is also the only purpose-built art gallery in Zagreb. They designed it to accommodate large exhibitions. Sadly, this was closed on my visit, however the building is fantastic to mooch around and see the details.
Visit the Historic Stone Gate
The Stone Gate, or Kamenita Vrata, is an interesting landmark to see in the Upper Town. They built between 1242 and 1266, however, its current look is from the 18th century. It is the only preserved medieval gate in the city. there used to be four gates into the old town area AKA free royal Gric city.
Inside the gate, there is a shrine and stone slabs that praise the Mother of God. The shrine of our lady at the Stone Gate houses the painting of the Mother of God. This is one artefact that survived the fire in the 17th-century fire and it is now protected by an artistically forged iron fence. Lighting a candle or sitting and praying/reflecting is common to see while looking around the gate. You can buy candles in the little shop inside the gate.
See Pretty Architecture
The city has lots of architecture styles to see, as the city dates back to the Roman era. However, the most influential period is the Austro-Hungarian era architecture that can be seen throughout the city. Keep an eye out for the little details to see from statues to grand buildings.
Ride the Funicular – Uspinjača
One of the unique things to do in Zagreb is to ride the funicular up the hill into the old town. The Funicular has a track that is only 66 metres long. Thus is one of the shortest in the world. The Funicular connects the Lower Town with the Upper town area. There are also steps alongside the Funicular if you prefer to walk up the hill. The funicular was built and became operational in 1890.
Originally, it was powered by a steam engine, because of frequent problems. They replaced this with an electrical engine in 1934. There are some marvellous views from the carriage and the information boards near the entrance are interesting.
Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
The Croatian National Theatre building is a stunning building to see, and it’s in the Republic of Croatia Square, a nice place to have a walk around. This building is a theatre, opera and ballet house, thus a great place to visit for those that enjoy the arts.
The Croatian National Theatre opened in 1895 and has been renovated a few times since. This is a great place for a mooch around, however you can book a performance on their website.
Katedrala sv. Ćiril i Metod
The Katedrala sv. Ćiril i Metod is one of many nice churches in the upper town area of Zagreb. In English, its name translates to The Greek Catholic Co-cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius. They built this church in 1886 on the site of a 17th century Greek Catholic church. They built the cathedral in the neo-Byzantine style. Inside there is a collection of paintings by Ivan Tišov, a notable Croatian painter. They also have three bells in the 50 metre high belfry, the heaviest weighing 782KG.
See the Monument of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Outside of the cathedral is the beautiful monument of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The monument is mainly white stone with decorative golden features. There is a big column on top of which is a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. Four gold statues of angels, which represent virtue, also surround the base of the monument.
Ban Josip Jelačić Sqaure
A lovely place to see in central Zagreb is Ban Josip Jelačić Square. Lovely architecture surrounds the Ban Josip Jelačić Square and is home to the Ban Josip Jelačić Statue. The Square has an interesting history from 1641 when they used it as a marketplace.
Ban Josip Jelačić Statue is a handy spot for public transport including trams. During our visits, that have various markets and exhibitions here. The most recent being an event that showcased vegan food.
Park Ribnjak
To the rear of the cathedral is Park Ribnjak, a fantastic place for a walk or a relaxing time. The park has some pleasant views of the city wall and the cathedral. A section of the park is known as Art Park Zagreb and there is some street art to see. They also have events here focused on art and summer concerts. They built the gardens in Park Ribnjak in the English style and dates back to the 19th century.
Market Dolac
I always enjoy visiting food markets when in any city for a taste of local life. The main one in the city is Market Dolac, an outdoor market in a pretty square with nice views of the surrounding buildings, including the cathedral. This farmers’ market has many options for food.
Walking Tours
One of the interesting things to do is to enjoy a walking tour of the city. There are various options for these and they cover a variety of topics. The general ones are a quick way to find out about the main sights and attractions. Some of the more niche walking tours include haunted locations. You can find many options for tours on the GetYourGuide website.
Ethnographic Museum
The Ethnographic Museum tells the story of the Croatian people and their cultural heritage. You can see various exhibits about the traditional way of life in the country. The Secession building the museum calls home is nice to see too. This was a onetime Trades Hall that they built in 1903 and has some nice features, including statues and frescos.
See The Cat Houses
Near the bar district, specifically opposite Booze and Blues, are some nifty cat houses. The area is home to many cats who live and get fed in the area. They painted the houses in a colourful manner with some upbeat messages written on them. Also, there is some nice cat related street art as a backdrop.
Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters
The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters is a museum of fine art in Zrinski Square. They house it in a beautiful building in the park. The galley exhibits a collection of art donated by Bishop Strossmayer in 1884. It also has works of art by European painters from 14th-19th century. The gallery is grouped by geography and has sections for Italian, French and Northern European artists. The museum also contains artwork by Croatian painters.
Explore Park Zrinjevac & See Meteorološki stup
Park Zrinjevac is a stunning park in the centre of the city and a lovely place to hang out. The flowerbeds in Park Zrinjevac are beautiful as are the features, including fountains and statues. Park Zrinjevac is surrounded by beautiful architecture too.
At the top of the park is Meteorološki Stup or the Meteorological Post, a fascinating thing to see. They built it from Istrian marble in 1884 as a public meteorological station. Here you can get information about temperature, humidity and air pressure.
Zagreb Botanical Garden
For a lovely place to chill out in the centre of the city, visit Zagreb Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden is a haven for peace near to the main strain station. Entry to the gardens is just over £2. You can pay at the entrance. Unfortunately, pets are not allowed in the gardens.
There are lots of things to see including 1000s of species of plants including trees, flowers and pond plants. The gardens have a pavilion, greenhouses and an orangerie. You can walk through lots of paths and there are lots of places to sit. The shady areas were lovely to sit, cool down and relax.
One of my favourite sections was the sunflowers, which were in full bloom. They also keep bee hives on the site and in some flowering trees, it sounds like a hive. Overall, it was a lovely place, not as grand as Kew Gardens in London, but is well worth a visit.
Panoramic View-Point
For a fantastic view of the city from above, visit the panoramic viewpoint. This is in Sunken Mural Park on Strossmayer Promenade. If you head east from Lotrščak Tower along the parade, it’s easy to find. The viewpoint has excellent views of the city, including towards the iconic cathedral.
Museum of Arts and Crafts
Housed in a beautiful yellow Renaissance building near the Croatian National Theatre is the Museum of Arts and Crafts. The museum contains a collection of European arts & crafts from 1300s through to today. This includes lots of paintings & silver pieces. They also have lots of contemporary artists as permanent exhibits and regular temporary exhibitions. Before planning a visit, check their website as they have had some recent closures because of the earthquake.
Zagreb Welcomes You Bronze Monument
A cool thing to see is the bronze monument, Zagreb Welcomes You. This is basically a bronze map which shows the layout of the city, including the main attractions. As a bonus, it’s a handy navigation aid. It’s near the central areas and the cathedral and is well worth seeing.
See The Cool Statue of Saint George and the dragon
Another cool thing to see is the Saint George and the dragon statue. This is in the pretty gardens between the Croatian National Theatre and Museum of Arts and Crafts. There are two statues of St George in the city, the other is near the stone gate. St george is an important saint for both Eastern Catholic and Easter Orthodox churches.
Park Gric In The Medieval Old Town
Another nice thing to do while visiting the medieval old town area is to visit Park Gric. This is on Gric hill where the old town was built. However, this is a bit more tranquil. The park contains lots of history and is an archeological site where you can see parts, including remnants of the old city wall. There are also some nice statues to see, benches to relax on and some interesting buildings nearby.
Take Part in The Local Coffee Culture
Croata is famous for their relaxed coffee culture, that takes place in cafes throughout the country. This has been influenced by the Austro-Hungarian empire, Ottomans and Italian coffee cultures to create its own. There are 100s of cafes in the city and they are a hive of activity.
Coffee is traditionally served with tap water in these cafes, which is nice and keeps you hydrated. Sometimes you get a treat with the coffee, including peanuts. Going for a coffee apparently means meeting people for a drink and not limited to coffee. I enjoyed many Croatian beers while enjoying the cafes throughout the city.
Enjoy Croatian Cuisine Dining Out
When in Zagreb, a great thing to do is to try some of the local Croatian cuisine when dining out. This covers a whole range of dishes, including meaty options and food from the Adriatic Sea. Red scorpionfish soup is a delicacy and tastes fantastic.
You can also try the Zagreb steak and Strukli. We also sampled the Croatian cheeseboards, which had some fantastic flavours. For fast food, a must try dish is Kevapi with relish and flat bread.
Croatian Parliament
In capital cities, a fun thing for me to do is to find the parliament building. Next to the iconic St Mark’s Church is the Croatian Parliament or Hrvatski sabor. The Croatian Parliament is a beautiful building and well worth a look when sightseeing in the upper town. It is a government building, and the entrance fenced off, thus you can’t visit as a tourist.
Shopping at City Centre One East
Sometimes when travelling you need to retail therapy or to replace something broken. In my case, new boots were needed, thus headed to City Centre one East, a mall. They seemed the best place to get some shopping done and likely to have something in my size feet. The shopping centre was lovely and had a fantastic choice of shops, including for outdoor gear and designer clothing. They also had some fantastic cafe bars with outside seating for a break.
Chocolate Museum
One of many quirky things to do is to visit the Chocolate Museum. The Chocolate Museum showcases the history of the much loved treat. It is an interactive place to visit and has opportunities for tasting. This covers the world of chocolate, including the first to create it in Croatia.
Esplanade Hotel
A fascinating place of interest is the Esplanade Hotel. They built the beautiful hotel in 1925 to provide somewhere for passengers on the famous orient express to stay. During the 2nd world war, the gestapo used it. It’s a lovely building to see from the outside and you can also visit restaurants inside, enjoy drinks on their terrace or if you have the budget, stay the night.
Travel to Zagreb
The easiest way to reach Zagreb with is by train, international coach services, or by plane. We arrived from Pecs in Hungary, joining the train that comes from Budapest in Gyékényes. Crossing the border was straightforward.
Zagreb is on the main Croatia railway line, thus easy to reach by train from anywhere in between Split and the north of the country. There are other international routes into the city, including via Ljubljana in Slovenia. The railway station is nice and has easy access to the city’s tram network so you can easily reach your accommodation.
Is Zagreb in Croatia Worth Visiting?
Zagreb is a fantastic city to visit, and it impressed me with how many things there were to see or do while visiting. The cathedral was lovely to see. However, it was closed, and I missed an opportunity to visit the inside. St Mark’s Church was stunning, especially the roof. The museums were interesting, especially the quirky options for visitors. The cafe and bar culture were amazing, and it certainly adds to the city.
Love that tunnel so cool and great way to reuse something that has gone into disrepair. Architecturally a very pleasing place to visit by the looks of it also
We’ve not been to Zagreb but would really like to visit. The architecture looks amazing. Henry looked as though he was enjoying himself. Loved the quirky museums, especially that you can order a beer while viewing the Museum of Hangovers!
The architecture looks beautiful. I never really considered travelling with a dog but it seems totally doable.
I often think about Croatia as a holiday destination but that rarely involves Zagreb. Thank you for introducing the beauty of the capital to me!
Ahh, I hope to visit Croatia soon. I love St. Mark’s Church colored roof and those quirky museums sound interesting. You have a great trip going on 🙂
Great post as always. Love the museum of hangovers. What a great idea and unique place to visit. Croatia is on the 2 year plan.
I didn’t get the chance to visit Zagreb but it looks like an awesome city! The Gric Tunnel looks like an ideal place for dog walking and I like how it bypasses going up a hill. I’d love to see St. Mark’s church and the Museum of Hangovers! I guess they have a museum for everything! Haha.
Never been to Zagreb myself, but truly enjoyed reading about it and looking at your photos.
We absolutely loved Zagreb! We went without knowing too much about it and had the best time. Now that we have friends that live not too far, we hope to go back and revisit, hopefully with our dog!