Photo: Jorge Franganillo · CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Zagreb
An easy-going capital with a hilltop old town, cafés and a great market.
Croatia's easy-going capital: a hilltop Upper Town of gas lamps and tiled roofs, a morning market under red umbrellas, café-lined streets and a Lower Town of parks and grand buildings. Cheaper than the coast, lively in the evenings and huge for Advent in December. Plitvice's lakes are about two hours away by bus.
Places to see
Ban Jelačić SquareSight · The city's big central square, with blue trams rattling across it, a bronze statue of a…Free
Dolac MarketMarket · A raised square full of red umbrellas over fruit, vegetables and flowers, with a covered…Free
Zagreb CathedralChurch · Two tall neo-Gothic spires over Kaptol, the tallest building in Croatia, with a golden…Free- St Mark's Church
When to go
- Jan4° / -3°Some rainQuiet
- Feb7° / -2°Some rainQuiet
- Mar12° / 2°Some rainQuiet
- Apr17° / 6°Some rainBusy
- May22° / 10°Often wetBusy
- Jun26° / 14°Often wetBusy
- Jul28° / 16°Some rainBusy
- Aug27° / 15°Some rainBusy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Kaptol and Tkalčićeva. The cathedral hill, Dolac market and the café street below it: the liveliest part at night.
The Lower Town (Donji grad). The main square, grand 19th-century streets and the chain of parks down to the station; plenty of hostels and rooms.
Flying in
Zagreb Franjo Tuđman (ZAG): Airport shuttle bus to the main bus station, about 35 min, ≈ A$14. A city bus to the tram network is cheaper but slower (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Zagreb; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
Mostly on foot. A single ticket is ≈ A$1. The Upper Town, Kaptol and the Lower Town are walkable, and the funicular saves the climb. Blue trams cover the city; bus 106 goes up to Mirogoj and trams run east to Maksimir (check).
Tourist tax
Croatia's tourist tax in Zagreb: usually about €2 a person a night, added at check-in; under-12s don't pay and teenagers usually pay half (check).
