Skip to main content
Busy shopping street with lots of buildings all around and a church in the background. © joyt/stock.adobe.com
Busy shopping street with lots of buildings all around and a church in the background. © joyt/stock.adobe.com

Zagreb

Published: 16 May 2024, 15:30

Croatia’s Lively Capital

Zagreb is a lively, southern European metropolis that has plenty to discover at any time of year. Divided into a bustling Lower Town and a medieval Upper Town, which are connected by the world’s shortest funicular railway, Zagreb attracts visitors with its impressive cathedral, fascinating Wilhelminian-style architecture and creative attitude towards life. While the Lower Town of Donji Grad is home to many shops, the main railway station, museums and parks, the Upper Town of Gornji Grad is home to the government district around St. Mark’s Square with St. Mark’s Church.

You can stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables every day at Dolac Market. Green oases, such as the Botanical Garden, Mirogoj Cemetery and Maksimir Park, invite visitors to stay and relax. Night owls should head to the Tkalciceva nightlife district, where the streets are lined with cafés, bars and restaurants. The “Museum of Broken Relationships” offers a somewhat different kind of museum visit, in which the exhibits tell sometimes strange, sometimes bizarre, but always deeply emotional stories. Whether as an individual city trip or as a starting point for a holiday in Croatia, beautiful Zagreb on the River Sava is definitely worth visiting. 

Numbers, data, facts

  • Time difference: none
  • Population: 800.000
  • Official language: Croatian
  • Currency: Euro (EUR)

A city tour of Zagreb

Zagreb’s city centre with elegant buildings, cathedral and a lively square
There’s plenty to discover on a tour of the city, especially the impressive cathedral with its twin towers. © dreamer4787/stock.adobe.com
Buildings lined up in a row with decorative architecture, equestrian statue in the foreground, evening atmosphere
Ban Jelačić Square is a popular square with shops and cafés and is a meeting place for locals in the city centre. © Andrey Shevchenko/stock.adobe.com
Market stalls with fruit and vegetables in front of the cathedral and buildings
It’s worth getting up early – you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and flowers at Dolac Market in the centre of the old town every day from 6.30 am. © LT/stock.adobe.com
The buildings and roofs of the Lower Town with two blue funicular railways
Zagreb is divided into the Lower and Upper Town. The shortest funicular railway in the world connects the two parts. The journey only takes 64 seconds. © xbrchx/stock.adobe.com
Church with colourful roof tiles and two painted coats of arms surrounded by buildings and a deserted square in front of it
St. Mark’s Church is one of the most beautiful buildings in the Upper Town. The colourful roof with its two coats of arms is particularly striking. © Alex Waltner/stock.adobe.com
Dreistöckiges Museum im Barock-Stil, davor Grünanlage, im Hintergrund Häuser und Bäume, der Himmel strahlt blau mit Cumuluswolken
The Mimara Museum houses a sensational art collection with around 3,700 exhibits from the Stone Age to the present day, including paintings by Caravaggio and Raphael © dreamer4787/stock.adobe.com
Modern building with green area, trees with autumn leaves and paths
Those interested in modern art and architecture should pay a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is also home to an extensive collection. © xbrchx/stock.adobe.com
Wide path leading to a church, surrounded by graves, chapels and trees
Mirogoj Cemetery is one of the most beautiful in Europe with its impressive chapels and mausoleums. It is located in the north of the city and can be easily reached by tram. © dragoncello/stock.adobe.
Park with lanterns, paths and white building with tower in the background
Whether for a picnic, a walk or simply to stop and take a breath – that’s why locals like going to Maksimir Park, the perfect place to relax. © ilijaa/stock.adobe.com
Neighbourhood with outdoor restaurant seating, buildings behind, a tree on the far left of the picture
The best place to go for something to eat is Ulica Tkalciceva. The popular street in the Upper Town has an abundance of bars, bistros and restaurants. © xbrchx/stock.adobe.com

Out into nature: excursion destinations around Zagreb

Zagreb is surrounded by wonderful nature with beautiful excursion destinations. Medvednica Nature Park is just a few kilometres away to the north The mountainous area is lined with dense forests and is ideal for hiking and cycling. There’s a wonderful view of Zagreb from the old Medvedgrad Castle. Those who love nature should also head northwest to the area around Zapresic. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can find absolute peace and relaxation in the Croatian-Slovenian border region. Zumberak Nature Park to the west of Zagreb also offers this. A trip there can easily be combined with a stopover in the pretty little town of Samobor. A little further south are the Plitvice Lakes, the oldest and largest national park in the Republic of Croatia. The 16 beautiful lakes, which are connected by overflows, waterfalls and cave systems, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Five excursion tips from Zagreb

Castle with walls and tower surrounded by a green mountain landscape
The medieval Medvedgrad Castle offers a marvellous view of Zagreb and the Medvednica “Bear” Mountains. © Dario Bajurin/stock.adobe.com
Green, expansive valley with meadows, trees, lake, villages and mountains in the background
The area around Zapresic is wonderfully green. The area is also known for its many lakes and fishing grounds with larger fish, such as carp. © xbrchx/stock.adobe.com
Bird’s-eye view of turquoise lakes with small waterfalls surrounded by trees and mountains
Swimming is strictly forbidden here, but hiking is permitted: the unique nature of the Plitvice Lakes and waterfalls is one of the highlights of Croatia. © Charlie Hambsch/stock.adobe.com
Small hut on a meadow with a path in a green mountain landscape
Zumberak Nature Park is a mixture of mountains, meadows and traditional villages. The highest peak is Žumberačka Sveta Gera at 1,178 metres. © xbrchx/stock.adobe.com
Small river, surrounded by several buildings, a church tower and red flowers
A sleepy, relaxed small city between Zagreb, a wine region and the Zumberak Nature Park: welcome to Samobor! © Bogdan Lazar/stock.adobe.com

Zagreb from BER

Aircraft about to land on the runway

Croatia Airlines

Airport Franjo Tuđman Zagreb (ZAG)

Five travel tips for ...

  1. Take the old funicular railway from the Lower to the Upper Town
  2. Take a walk through Maksimir Park and have a picnic
  3. Try the national dish Strukli (quark dish)
  4. Join the colourful hustle and bustle at Dolac Market
  5. Eat an ice cream in the Upper Town and enjoy the view

  1. The view over the rooftops from the Strossmayer Promenade
  2. The water lily ponds in the Botanical Garden 
  3. The 360-degree view from Lotrscak Tower
  4. The old half-timbered houses in Tkalciceva Street 
  5. The impressive cathedral with its twin towers 

  1. The Museum of Broken Relationships in the Upper Town
  2. The pretty St. Mark's Church with the colourful coats of arms on the roof
  3. The impressive cathedral with its twin towers 
  4. Zagreb City Museum
  5. The Art Pavilion, the oldest museum in Croatia 

Picture Source title:
© joyt/stock.adobe.com 

The information published on this page is current as of the date of publication or update.

Contact us:

Further links:

© 2020-2025 Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH