Zagreb’s Upper town features some of the must-see Zagreb landmarks: the Lotrscak tower, Stone gate

(Kamenita vrata), St. Marc Church, Museum of Broken relationship, Stross promenade, the Mestrovic
Atelier, the Klovicevi Dvori gallery.

The most popular farmers’ market is Dolac. Centrally located, just behind the main square, Dolac
spreads on two floors. The upper level features open-air green market, souvenirs, and clothes, enclosed
fish market, bars and restaurants mostly serving fast food or marenda. The ground level is enclosed and
it features butcheries, bakeries, speciality food stores, and my favorite part – a dairy section. The main
market building consists of a street level indoor market, a first-floor open-air market, and fish market.
Butcheries, healthy food stands, fresh pasta vendors, bakeries, and cheesemongers are located at street-
level indoor market. Here you’ll find the best Zagreb’s bakeries. Our favorite bakery is Stil bakery (just
taste their whole grain bread – it’s yummy!). We also love homemade corn bread you can only find at
the market (Look for a market’s diary section; It’s located all the way right from the main entrance;
There are ladies selling a corn bread they make themselves that same morning. Amazing!). Fresh
vegetables, fruits, eggs, honey, dried fruits and nuts you’ll find at first-floor open-air market. The
produce here is very fresh, and locally grown.

Our tip: in the down section, from the main entrance, head straight to the diary section, all the way to
the right. Here old women sell their homemade cheese, cream, and awesome corn bread

Our tip: Have a breakfast at Kava Tava.

Other popular markets are Kvatric and Tresnjevka.

In downtown, make sure to follow the Lenuci’s horseshoe. This is a unique urban complex consisting of
seven landscaped town’s squares and a botanical garden. Lenuci was a lead architect on the project,
while a shape of this urban complex reminds of a letter U, or a horseshoe. Thus, the name – Lenuci’s The
most popular landscaped squares are Zrinjevac and Trg Kralja Tomislava (right across the central train
station).

Located town’s East end, Maksimir is Zagreb’s oldest (open in 1794) and largest public park.

One of my favorite parts of Zagreb are its preserved, natural forests starting literally downtown and
girdling the northern neighborhoods. They are many, and I highly recommend you to take a walk in some
of them. Some, like Tuskanac, or Dubravkin put you can reach within a 10 minute walk from the main
square.

Velvet is a great little café bar-gallery tucked away at the corner of Tuskanova and Dezmanova Street.
This is our favorite place to have a coffee, or a simple breakfast like a croissant & freshly squeezed
orange juice.

Jutro is a lovely cafe located in a courtyard just off Teslina Street. Interior is full of cute, handmade crafts
that are not only decorations, but are also on sale. Jutro serves great coffee, a good selection of teas,
homemade cakes, and good choice of Croatian homemade schnapps.
Palinovka is located in Zagreb’s Upper town. It’s a popular Zagreb cafe with a wonderful outdoor terrace
and friendly, neighborhood atmosphere.

And since many people are at work during a lunchtime, many restaurants offer a cheap (less than 5€),
simple but delicious and homemade lunch menu (called gablec in Zagreb).

Tortureum is a torture museum recently open in Radiceva Street in Zagreb. The museum is small, yet
very interesting. It exhibits a range of tools used for torture and execution throughout history.

Visit Zagreb cemetery. Zagreb cemetery is listed on Tripadvisor as 7th of 64 attractions in Zagreb.
Description on Tripadvisor says “This cemetery contains world-class artwork and atmosphere.”

Amelie: Amelie is the most popular pastry shop in Zagreb with shops at three different locations in
Zagreb: in Vlaska Street just next to the main square, and two other in residential area of Zagreb, both
not far from thr Maksimir Park. Amelie offers a wide variety of cakes and pastries, as well as a choice of
hot and soft drinks.

Mak Na Konac: Less frequented by tourists, but loved by locals, pastry shop Mak Na Konac, located near
Mestrovic Pavillon in downtown Zagreb, is run by Petra Jelenic, perhaps the best Croatian pastry chef.
Cakes here are freshly made, original, and absolutely yummy. A bit expensive, but if you want to taste
the best cakes in Zagreb, Mak Na Konac is the place to do it.

Toster. Forget omelettes, forget bacon and forget pancakes. Toster, as the name suggests, specializes in
toasts (surprisingly enough, Toster is Croatian for a toaster). Although conceived as a hang out place for
chilling and socializing over drinks and toasts in the evening, this low-key spot will satisfy every hungry
soul right from the early morning. A toasted sandwich filled with yummy cheese, ham and veggies never
disappoints. The Toster selection of toasted sandwich combinations and spreads includes some classic
toastie stars such as cheese, ham, mayonnaise, veggies, eggs, prosciutto and tuna, but there are a few
more interesting spin-offs. Vegetarians will want to try a Feta Marie toast with feta cheese, fresh
peppers, olives, tomatoes and a horseradish spread while passionate carnivores will be happy to hear
there’s a burger toast on the menu. The prices are really ridiculous with an average of 2 euro for a toast
that will satisfy various appetites and tastes. A great place for a quick breakfast when travelling.

Petrinjska ulica 7, Zagreb, https://www.facebook.com/Tosterzgb/, Mon-Wed 7 am-11 pm, Thu-Sat 7 am-

2 am

Jutro: Hidden in a courtyard off Teslina Street, Jutro is an artistic and unique coffee shop with a
bohemian vibe. The cafe is smoking-free (rare in Croatia), and besides a great selection of coffee and tea,
cafe also features various crafts for sale.

U Dvoristu: Another local hot spot when it comes to coffee, cafe bar U Dvoristu (literal translation In the
courtyard) is hidden away in one of many Zagreb courtyards. This place is cozy and warm, making you
feel at home, in your own living room. Here you can taste real Ethiopian coffee, but it’s also an
occasional place to buy fresh, organic produce, as they organize a green market from time to time.
Tram ticket costs 10 ln for a single ride, 30 kn for a day, or 70 kn a three-day ticket.

Take a funicular ride. A funicular connects Down and Upper town. The ride is only few minutes, and a
ticket costs 4 kn per person.

The Upper town still features gas street lamps. And they are lit by hand every evening.

Visit Samobor, a lovely little town near Zagreb.

TOUR 1

This walk starts at Britanac Square – second oldest Zagreb square and a landmark of this arty
neighborhood. It takes you uphill through a hidden green common (Rokov Perivoj) and a beautiful
forested path (Dubravkin put) all the way to an open green summit (Cmrok), from which you get amazing
views of the city. This part of the walk is leafy and serene, making you forget you’re in the city at all.

The way down leads through Jurjevska street, revealing stunning early 20th century architecture. The
street features some of the prettiest urban villas built around the 1920s. Some are slightly decrepit while
others have been renovated (often in tasteless nouveau rich style). You’ll get a sense of the once
bourgeois culture of Zagreb, now crisscrossed with different layers of the city’s history.

Jurjevska ends at a small charming square, Ilirski trg: a northern entrance to Upper Town. Here is one of
the best hidden coffee shops in Zagreb – Palainovka. Quirky and cozy, it used to be a hide-out of Croatia’s
great writer Antun Gustav Matos. After a refreshing drink, the walk takes you to three best small
museums of Upper Town: Atelier Mestrovic, Croatian Museum of Naïve Art and Museum of Broken
Relationships. Some are more famous than others, but they are all worth visiting. The best thing about
them is that they are full of character, small, well laid-out and they can be explored in less than an hour.

After a museum visit, stray off the trail even though it takes you to the Jelacic Square (main Zagreb
square). Find another great coffee place and keep charting your own flâneurie.

THINGS TO ADMIRE:

1 | Ruined villa on the way up to Rokov Perivoj

Seeing this dilapidated house will make you weep. Its old glory shines through crumbling walls, broken
windows and piles of rubbish in the courtyard. No one lives here any more, even though the house is
surrounded with affluent residencies. It belonged to one of Croatia’s most distinguished sculptors: Vojin
Bakic. Much of Bakic’s work was destroyed during the Tudjman era, mainly because of his Serbian ethnic
origin. His wish to turn the house into a gallery after his death never came to fruition. Zagreb city council
aimed to refurbish the house but legal quarrels over its ownership put a stop to the project.

2 | Aleksandrove stube (Alexander Stairs)

A secluded set of staircases lead from Rokov perivoj to Tuskanac (which further connects with Dubravkin
put). The hilly parts of Zagreb (everything north from the main street Ilica) is full of narrow staircases,
often exuding an air of mystery and eeriness. They have been built to connect and criss-cross larger
streets usually laid out in the north-south direction. You can see many interesting graffiti at Alexander
staircases.

3 | Cmrok

A wide green expanse surrounded by woodland offers beautiful views of the city. You can spot the
famous Mirogoj cemetery dome from here. I usually stop here and just breathe in the fresh air.

4 | Jurjevska street

The whole street is a monument to the once bourgeois Zagreb. Admire the original, now slightly run
down, urban villas, juxtaposed to the more modern ones. I prefer the Art Deco style, but later
architecture is no less interesting, telling you of different historical and political developments of the city.

5 | St. George’s chapel and old Orthodox cemetery

Half-way down Jurjevska, on your left-hand side, there is a small chapel. Don’t miss poking your nose
into the courtyard – it hides an atmospheric old cemetery and moss-covered tombstones. Not many
people will know of it!

6| Palainovka

One of the best coffee shops in Zagreb is tucked behind a chapel on Ilirski trg. In the old days it had a
piano and was frequented by A.G. Matos (Croatian writer). It still oozes with ambience and in the
summer is the coolest terrace in town.

7 | Upper Town museums

I love compact, well-organised museums that don’t leave me with a feeling of having missed something.
All three museums are like that, but my favourite is the Atelier Mestrovic. The sculptor lived and worked
in this house. Enjoy some of Mestrovic’s best work and get a unique glimpse into an Upper Town private
interior.

TOUR 2

Many tourist miss the fact that Zagreb has a river: the Sava. Unlike the Vltava in Prague or the Thames in
London, the Sava doesn’t flow through the center of Zagreb. It’s probably why some people say that
Zagreb doesn’t like its river.

The Sava also caused a disastrous Zagreb flood in 1964. Today the riverbed is surrounded with wide
green mounds on both sides. The walking paths alongside are not a usual urban trail, but are definitely
worth exploring.
Zagreb itineraries | Sava River

Zagreb itineraries | Sava River

People who love the Sava mounds most are runners and joggers. You’ll see many activities taking place
there: from cycling, fast walking, baby strolling – but runners have almost acquired a monopoly over
these trails. When you follow this Sava flâneurie, you’ll observe captivating urban sculptures dotted
around. The most memorable one is the statue of the runner.

The walk begins at Bocarski dom (bowling sport center) and leads to the Sava mound through a small
playground. It’s a long linear stroll along the river, first to the right towards the Railway Bridge and then
back to the left towards the Mladost Bridge. On the way back and to avoid retracing your steps, it takes
you into a residential area of Cvjetno naselje to explore some of the nicest and truly interesting socialist
villas built around early 1960s.

THINGS TO ADMIRE:

1 | Sculptures alongside the Sava mound

There are numerous sculptures all along the walking/running track on the Sava mound. Each one is
interesting, but my favorite ones are the runner and the three frogs.

Zagreb itineraries | Sava River

Zagreb itineraries | Sava River

2 | Kockica

Kockica (little cube) is a cubic glass building on the northern mound. It was built in 1968 to host the
Communist Party Headquarters. It’s a valuable tribute to the socialist clean-line, functionalist
architecture. Today it’s home to the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure
and The Ministry of Tourism.
3 | Pogon Jedinstvo

Jedinstvo used to be one of the largest factories in socialist Croatia, producing equipment for the food,
chemical and pharmaceutical industries. It was called a factory that manufactures factories. After closing
down in the early 1990s it was turned into the cultural centre Mocvara. Jedinstvo is among many tragic
examples of how powerful socialist factories met their end, either through corrupt privatization or
simply due to Europe’s deindustrialisation tendencies. The old industrial architecture is an important
part of Zagreb cultural heritage.

Zagreb itineraries | Leafy Zagreb

Zagreb itineraries | Leafy Zagreb

4 | Cvjetno naselje

Several streets north of the Sava mound uncover a residential area built for the highest ranking
communist politicians. Roam these streets to admire socialist villas – a funny contradiction since
socialism was supposed to be an egalitarian society. The houses are huge and some, which are kept in
good conditions, exhibit the finest features of the 1960s urban prestige. Close by are socialist skyscrapers
built around the same time, but for the proletariat, not the ruling class. Another nice example that
socialism had a class ideology of its own.

5 | Pecenjara Cvjetno

Just before you finish your walk, stop in this unobtrusive grill house and get some of the best cevapi (a
Croatian kebab) in town. There aren’t many coffee places around this area, apart from Ferax café, just
opposite Bocarski dom. The place is nothing special, but again, an authentic example of a neighborhood
hang-out: quite a different story from fancy central Zagreb coffee places.