According to Toppharmacyschools, the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, stands on the banks of the Sava River at the foot of the Medvednica mountain range. Its historical core – the Upper City – was formed from two medieval cities located on neighboring hills: Kaptola, the spiritual center of the diocese, and Hradec, which received the status of a free city from the Hungarian king in the 13th century. Constantly at war with each other, at the beginning of the 17th century they merged into one city – Zagreb.
The main attractions are concentrated in the Upper City: the Parliament and the President’s Residence. And although most of the old buildings were destroyed by the devastating earthquake of 1880, some of the churches and palaces of the Croatian nobility were restored. Below on the plain lies the Lower City with parks and squares, museums, galleries and the National Theatre. Pedestrian areas with cozy cafes and restaurants with flower-decorated terraces and balconies give Zagreb a special charm.
How to get to Zagreb
Zagreb Airport is located 15 km from the center of the capital. It receives a daily flight from Moscow – a flight on an Aeroflot liner takes 3 hours and 10 minutes. From the airport to the city center – only 30-40 minutes by shuttle.
More information on how to get to Zagreb is described on this page.
Transport
The most popular public transport in Zagreb are blue-painted buses that run from 4:00 to 0:00 at short intervals on a variety of routes. In second place are trams, some of which run around the clock. Tickets are sold at a variety of kiosks, including newspaper and tobacco kiosks. You can buy them from the driver at a higher price. A validated single ticket is valid for 1.5 hours.
For those who plan to make more than two trips in a day, it makes sense to buy Dnevna Karta – a “day card” that entitles you to an unlimited number of trips on any type of public transport from the moment of purchase until 4:00 the next day.
The oldest form of transport in Zagreb is the funicular, whose trailers have been slowly crawling along the inclined rails between the Upper and Lower Towns for 130 years. Opening hours from 6:30 to 22:00, traffic interval 10 minutes.
From the Zagreb bus station (av. Marina Dzica, 4) on comfortable buses of the companies Croatia Bus (off. site in English), AutoHerc, Autopromet you can get to Split (5.5 hours), Pula (4 hours), Rijeka (1, 5 hours), Dubrovnik (9.5 hours) and other cities of the country. The frequency of flights is 5-10 per day, the prices are very humane.
Taxis in Zagreb can be ordered by phone, via the Internet or taken at special parking lots in the Upper and Lower Towns, near the main stations, large shopping centers and tourist attractions. The cost of a trip within the city is about 80 HRK, payment by the meter, tips are welcome. At night and on weekends, the tariff is higher by 15-20%. The prices on the page are for November 2021.
- Zagreb Map
Bicycles for rent
With the exception of the Upper Town with its steep cobbled streets, Zagreb is very bike friendly. Bike.com.hr (official website in English) and Blue Bike (official website in English) organize cycling tours around the city and its surroundings, as well as rent bicycles (city, road, mountain bikes) for a period of 3 hours to several days. The cost of 1 day of rental is from 100 HRK.
Zagreb Hotels
Despite the status of the capital, the prices for accommodation in Zagreb are pleasantly surprising. In the upper price category – hotels of the world-famous “chains” Sheraton Zagreb and The Westin. A very high level of service in the palace hotels The Regent Esplanade and Le Premier, built in the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
“Fours” attract with good service, spacious rooms, new furniture and plumbing. The most expensive ones have spas and fitness centers, swimming pools, restaurants and facilities for guests with disabilities.
There is free Wi-Fi almost everywhere. Free parking – only in hotels on the outskirts of the city. Many central hotels do not have parking at all or for a fee.
The most popular category is 2-3 * hotels and inexpensive apartments at a price of 390 HRK for a double room. Their main advantage is the location in the very center or in a quiet suburb away from the city noise.
Car rental in Zagreb
Cozy, green and hilly Zagreb is not intended for cars – here you need to walk on foot. But to visit the surrounding beauties, mountains, gorges, ancient cities and monasteries, or, what’s good, wave to the sea, which is a 4-hour drive away, without a car. There are representative offices of international car rental companies (Avis, Hertz, Sixt, etc.) and local ones (Right Cars, Uniline, Last Minute, etc.) at the airport and in the city itself. Prices, in comparison with Western Europe, are pleasantly pleasing, especially when booking in advance.
Unlike international ones, local offices are ready to accept cash payments.
On weekdays, parking in the central part of the city is paid. The zones differ in color – red (in the very center, where you can leave the car for 1 hour), orange (2 hours) and yellow (time is not limited). Payment for parking – in the parking meter in cash or via SMS. Without a time limit, you can leave the car in underground and multi-storey car parks with a barrier.
The organization of traffic in Zagreb is well thought out and well informative. In the Upper City, the roads are narrow, steep, and one-way. In the Lower – comfortable and wide, during the day they seem empty. The maximum traffic density is from 8:00 to 9:00 on weekdays, and the concept of “traffic jams” is simply absent here. Foreigners who have unwittingly violated traffic rules are treated with indulgence by the police, especially if the culprit expresses sincere remorse.
The fine for unpaid parking is about 200 HRK, speeding – from 300 HRK. The fine receipt must be paid at the bank or at the post office within 8 days.
Zagreb Card
Tourist card Zagreb Card (off. site in English) is sold at tourist offices and many hotels in the city. It comes in two types – valid for 24 hours (98 HRK) and 72 hours (135 HRK). During this time, its owner can ride all types of public transport for free, including the funicular. In addition, the card entitles you to free admission to the Museum of Modern Art, the Zagreb City Museum, the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the original Museum of Broken Relationships, the Zagreb 360º observation deck and the Zoo. The total cost of tickets to these places, together with trips by public transport, is more than 2 times the cost of the Zagreb Card itself.
In addition to this, Zagreb Card provides an opportunity to receive discounts up to 50% when visiting another 76 objects – museums, restaurants, shops, as well as take advantage of more favorable conditions when renting a car.
What to bring
Perhaps the most romantic souvenir from Zagreb is the Licidar heart, a honey gingerbread in the form of a bright red heart. In 2010, this symbol of the Croatian capital was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. According to tradition, they decorate Christmas trees and give as a sign of devotion and love.
A silk tie will be a good gift for a business partner, because Croatia is the birthplace of this must-have accessory for a real gentleman. Women are delighted with the unusually beautiful Page lace. Skillful craftswomen from the island of Page have been weaving them since time immemorial, but “white Croatian gold” was introduced into European fashion at the beginning of the 20th century by the Austrian Archduchess Maria Josephine, who specially came to the island to order lace. In addition to them, the best Croatian Pag cheese made from sheep’s milk comes from the island, the taste of which is determined by the sage and rosemary growing here.
Strong drink lovers should leave room in their luggage for the famous plum brandy. The aromatic cherry liqueur Moraschino, which Casanova admired, is very good. Among the wines, dry red Dingaya should be preferred.
Souvenir shops have a huge number of handicrafts – dolls in national costumes, terracotta, painted ceramic dishes, napkins and tablecloths from Osijek, embroidered with gold and silver thread. The favorites of any jewelry store are “morchichi”: all kinds of earrings, pendants, brooches in the form of a black head of a Moor in a turban. The history of the appearance of this talisman that brings happiness is more than one hundred years old. Usually the head of the Moor is made of ceramics, but the turban can be silver or gold, decorated with precious stones.
