Cobble-stoned streets are overflowing with avant-garde coffee shops and cafes. The Austro-Hungarian Architecture is coupled with old communist buildings covered in graffiti. Green spaces, music venues and national monuments cover seemingly every corner of the city.

Croatia’s inland capital is a striking contrast to the Adriatic coast. Zagreb is a modern, hip, and less-crowded alternative to Prague or Vienna. Here’s why Zagreb is the up-and-coming European city you need to know about:

Hip, Functional, and Affordable

Roaming the streets of Zagreb is like walking through a living museum. Its well-kept and organized streets, paved walkways, and bike lanes blend effortlessly into the historic foundation. The Austro-Hungarian Architecture is mixed with cold-cut communist designs from former Yugoslavia.

Zagreb may look nothing like Dubrovnik or Split, but it still takes on the coastal mindset. Nothing in Zagreb is rushed. You won’t find people running to work, or worrying too much about the next step. Locals live frugally, but make it a priority to enjoy and relax. Zagreb is hip, functional, and affordable.

Zagreb Attraction

Zagreb is home to both an eclectic and historic culture. For every museum or art gallery, you’ll find a street market or funky cafe to match it.

Zagreb is most notable known for its Christmas festival, which was awarded best holiday festival in Europe two years in a row.

First, central Zagreb is divided into upper and lower town. Upper Town is filled with cathedrals, markets, and museums, where café bars, parks, and theaters rule lower town.

Upper town

You’ll find every color of the rainbow walking through the central square and streets of upper town.

St. Mark’s Church

As the most popular Church in Zagreb, St. Mark’s displays the Croatian, Dalmatian, and Slavic coats of arms along with the Zagreb’s city emblem. If you arrive here around noon you can see the changing of the guards.

Zagreb Cathedral

This gothic structure towers over Upper Town, and is just as beautiful inside as outside. Entrance is free and you are allowed to take pictures if you remain respectful.

Dolac Market

Wake up early to get the region’s freshest produce and handmade souvenirs!

Mirogoj Cemetery

On the way upper side of town is one of my favorite Zagreb Attractions: Mirogoj Cemetery. Here you’ll find columns cloaked in emerald vines with checkered cobblestones. This enchanting hidden garden is worth the commute by foot or by taking the tram from central Zagreb

Museum of Broken Relationships

Zagreb’s quirky culture shines through this fascinating and moving concept. The Museum of Broken Relationships displays several artifacts and symbols of past relationships from all over the world. Each with a unique and expressive story, some are hilarious and other are somber. Even if you’re not a museum person, this is a must if you’re visiting Zagreb.

Art Park

This place is for all the in-the-know hipsters in town. First you have to go through an underground tunnel, which leads to a secluded park mixed with people painting and playing in the park.

Lower Town

National Theatre

Walking through Lower town you can’t miss the bright bold yellow national Theatre. This area truly looks like a part of Vienna.

Botanical Gardens

If you’re looking to get even further down to earth, the outdoor Botanical Gardens are a serene setting for nature lovers.

Music in the Park

You can also find several other parks located in central lower town, often with live jazz music or other festivities.

Zagreb’s Design District

On the cusp of lower town is right where Croatia’s progressive designs come to life. Croatian Design Superstore is a personal favorite, taking on a contemporary interpretation on Croatia’s culture.

The Coffee Culture

For an authentic way to experience Zagreb, simply sit down at one of the numerous coffee café bars. At every street corner you’ll find a packed coffee shop, each taking pride in its custom funky décor. You’ll learn more about the laid-back lifestyle surrounding yourself with locals sipping lattes than you would from any guided walking tour.

Here are a few of my favorite coffee bars:

Divas Cafe Bar

A Most Unusual Garden

Velvet

Caffe Bar Finjak

Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Eat

I recently stopped eating meat, which is not always welcomed in Croatia’s carnivore diet. However, Zagreb welcomes vegetarians, vegans, and Celiacs with open arms. I was happy to find more than enough gluten-free and vegetarian options during my trip, and I didn’t have to settle for a plain salad or rice this time.

Here are a few of my favorite restaurants:

Njummy

Mundoaka Street Food

Vegehop

Nishta

Other Zagreb traveler tips
How long to stay: As you can see, there are plenty of things to do in Zagreb, and simply spending a short day in the city would not do it justice. I would recommend staying at least three days.

Transport: You can easily fly into Zagreb from other parts of Europe. If traveling around Croatia it is the best place to start or end your trip here. You can easily get around the city by foot, and travel to the outskirts by tram. Take cabs or Uber here, but don’t let cabs overcharge you. For example, a trip from the airport to central Zagreb should only be around 100 Kunas (I once talked to a lady who said she was charged 225 kunas, which is unreal.)

Cost: Zagreb is extremely cheap compared to the rest of Croatia. Accommodations and found will only cost a fraction of what you’ll pay elsewhere in Europe. I stayed somewhere for 180 Kunas a night, and had large meals for 60 Kunas.

Currency: Croatia still uses the Kuna, but euros are still often accepted. Instead of exchanging money, I would recommend taking money out of an ATM for a better exchange rate.

When to go: Though I haven’t been myself, most Croatians will tell you to visit Zagreb in the winter for the beautiful winter festivities. There’s less people in the summer and actually more in the winter, but is an outdoor city year-round.

Zagreb is by far one of Europe’s most livable cities, with an appeal that I still can’t shake. With the combination upbeat, modern city life and the added laid-back Croatian mentality, Zagreb is in a league of it’s own.

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