Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is a vibrant city of around a million people. The city boasts a charming medieval 'old city' with architecture and cobbled streets reminiscent of Vienna, Budapest, Prague and other Central-European capitals, though mixed with a strong Italian influence. In 2005 it was visited by over half a million tourists, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy.
Its favorable geographic position in the southwestern part of the Pannonian Basin, which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides an excellent connection for traffic between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea.
The transport connections, concentration of industry, scientific and research institutions and industrial tradition underlie its leading economic position in Croatia. Zagreb is the seat of the central government, administrative bodies and almost all government ministries.
PLACE TO VISIT
Gornji grad, or the Upper Town and Donji grad or Lower Town are the cultural, religious and commercial hub of Zagreb. This is where most of the restaurants, bars and tourist sights are located. The Upper Town, which is the medieval core of the city, developed as two separate (and often warring) towns - Kaptol, the seat of the Bishop (where the imposing Cathedral now stands), and Gradec, the free town where tradesmen and artisans lived (proclaimed by King Bela of Hungary in the 12th century) merged in the 1770s to form the northern section of historic Zagreb. Following this, the city expanded south of today's Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica (Jelacic Square) to the railway station and the Sava River.
Muzej Mimara (Mimara Museum), Rooseveltov trg 5. Houses some 3,700 works of art donated by Ante Topić Mimara. The collection comprises more than 1,500 exhibits dating from the prehistoric period up to the 20th century. Some of the most famous exhibits include works by Lorenzetti, Raffaello, Giorgione, Veronese, Caravaggio, Canaletto, 60 paintings by the Dutch masters Rembrandt, Van Goyen, Ruisdael, 50 works by the Flemish masters Van der Weyden, Bosch, Rubens, Van Dyck, more than 30 by the Spanish masters Velasquez, Murillo, Goya, some 20 paintings by the German masters Holbein, Liebermann, Leibl, some 30 paintings by the English painters Gainsborough, Turner, Bonington and more than 120 paintings by the French masters Georges de la Tour, Boucher, Chardin, Delacroix, Corot, Manet, Renoir, Degas.
Arheološki muzej, (Archaeological Museum), Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 19. Possesses over 400,000 objects, not all of them being exhibited. The holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in this area as well as rare samples which have made the museum known to the whole world. The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the Zagreb mummy and bandages with the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world (Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis), as well as the numismatic collection. A part of the museum is set aside for the collection of stone monuments dating back predominantly to the Roman period.
Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, (Museum of Contemporary Art), Katarinin Trg 2. Follows and presents contemporary trends in fine arts. Klovićevi dvori (Jezuitski trg 4) introduces Croatian and foreign cultural and artistic heritage. Umjetnički paviljon (Art Pavilion), Trg Kralja Tomislava 22, by famous Viennese designers of theatres in Central Europe Hellmer and Fellmer is a neo-classical exhibition complex and one of the landmarks of the city center. The exhibitions are also held in the impressive Meštrović pavillion on Trg žrtava fašizma. Hrvatski muzej naivne umjetnosti(Croatian Museum of Naïve Art), Sv. Ćirila i Metoda 3, houses more than one thousand works belonging to Croatian naïve art. The World Centre "Wonder of Croatian Naïve Art" (Trg Bana Jelačića 2) exhibits masterpieces of Croatian naïve art as well as the works of a new generation of artists. Moderna galerija (Modern Gallery) Hebrangova 1, comprises all relevant fine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
NOTE: Most museums and historical sights close at 1PM on Sundays and do not reopen until Tuesday.
Mirogoj is the central cemetery of Zagreb. It was opened in 1876 north of the city center. The mortuary, the impressive and picturesque arcades with the church of Christ the King (architect H. Bollé, 1883-1914) make it one of the most impressive cemeteries in the world. Here stand the tombs of notable personalities (including that of basketball hero Drazen Petrovic) who are relevant to Croatian history. To arrive from the central square, go to the near-by Cathedral and take bus number 106 (Kaptol - Mirogoj - Krematorij). The ride takes approximately 10 minutes.
Medvedgrad - The imposing mountain overlooking Zagreb contains a preserved fortress (Medvednica) and fascinating views of the city. There is no public transport to Medvednica, but it is possible to walk downhill from the top of the mountain-gondola, and then continue your journey to the public bus system back into Zagreb.
WHAT TO DO
Snow Queen Trophy: Ladies Night Slalom: Zagreb is the only capital in the world that hosts a Ski World Cup race. The slalom event - known as the "Snow Queen Trophy" (Snjezna kraljica) - usually takes place in January. In 2008 it will be held in February. It is the most expensive race on the women's world cup tour and an exceptionally popular sporting event in Croatia that attracts a crowd of around 25 thousand people. As of 2007 best skiers in men's competition are also expected to compete on Mount Sljeme that overlooks the city. If you fail to secure your ticket, you can watch the whole event on a giant screen in the Ban Jelacic Square.
Walking Tour: Departs from the Tourist Information Office in Ban Jelacic Square at 10am, a two hour walking tour around the Upper Town takes in most of the main sights.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Zagreb International Airport, is located 17km south-east from the city center in the district of Pleso. Neighboring airports in Rijeka, Ljubljana, Graz, Klagenfurt and Trieste are serviced by low-cost carriers and are often a viable alternative to travelling directly to Zagreb. EasyJet flies to Rijeka, Ljubljana and Ryan Air flies to Pula,Graz and Klagenfurt.
There is a bus link between the airport (Zračna luka) and the bus station (Autobusni kolodvor) in Zagreb. A single (one-way) ticket costs 30 kuna (~ 4,2 Euro). The bus leaves the airport at 7AM and every thirty minutes between 8AM and 8PM. Between the last regular bus at 8PM and the first one at 7AM the next morning, there is a bus leaving for the bus station every time a Croatia Airlines plane lands.
By train - Zagreb is a railway hub which has direct services to major European cities such as Vienna (6 hours), Budapest, Zurich, Munich, Berlin, Salzburg, Venice, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Thessalonika, Belgrade as well as domestic services to all major towns (except Dubrovnik). There is also an all-year-round overnight train (with sleeping compartments) between Zagreb and Split. Rail travel times within Croatia have been made competitive with car travel in many instances with new 160kph “tilting trains” connecting Zagreb with Split and other major cities in Croatia such as Varaždin, Osijek and Požega. If you make a reservation early enough you can get a substantial discount.
By car - Almost all highways (autocesta) in Croatia start or end in Zagreb. Travellers from Vienna can take the A2 highway upon entering Croatia. Travellers from Budapest and Varaždin can use the A4. The Croatian part of the highway is finished, while the Hungarian portion is expected to be completed in 2007.
Travellers heading from Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey can use the A3 highway to reach Zagreb. Travellers heading from Ljubljana can use the A3. The Slovenian portion of the highway is still under construction and yet it is subjected to an exorbitant toll. Travellers going through or from Italy can bypass Slovenia using state route SS21 through Trieste, route E61 through Slovenia (in a bad shape) and A7 south to Rijeka, then Rijeka bypass, then A6 east to Bosiljevo and A1 northeast to Zagreb
By bus - The central bus station (Autobusni Kolodvor) is located to the south-east of the railway station - approximately 10 minutes walk, or 3 stops by tram (lines 2 and 6). Timetable information and prices can be found on the AKZ website. Numerous Croatian and International coach operators maintain scheduled lines covering all major domestic and European cities, as far as London, Paris, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, numerous cities in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, many destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia.
