Zagreb.
Your next chapter?

Overview

Zagreb is a city in Central Croatia and the capital of Croatia. The city has a charming medieval 'old city' with architecture and cobbled streets reminiscent of Vienna, Budapest, Prague and other Central European capitals.

Understand

Zagreb is a vibrant city of around 770,000 people (2021, metropolitan area: 1,100,000). In 2017 it was visited by over a million tourists, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy. Zagreb is also well known for its Advent festival, which occurs from December to early January, boasting vibrant nightlife and additional cultural and gastronomic activities.

Other information points are located at the airport, bus station, railway station and at the Lotrščak Tower.

Get in

Buses leave from the airport at 07:00 and every 30 minutes between 08:00 and 20:00. Beyond these hours, there are buses leaving to the main bus station every time a Croatia Airlines plane lands. When traveling to the airport from the main Zagreb bus station, the buses are scheduled between 04:30 and 20:30. A journey takes about 30 min. Online timetable can be checked at the Pleso prijevoz website. Airport buses leave from the main bus station which is in the wider city center; they leave from its northeast wing (toward the city)—look for "Croatia Airlines" and "Eurolines" banners on the building. A cheaper local ZET bus 290 also goes to the city center (and back to the airport) from the main road outside the terminal. You can also order a taxi, Bolt or Uber.

Five trains a day run from Ljubljana, taking 2 hr 30 min via Zidani Most and the border at Dobova. Two of these start from Villach (4-5 hr). Tickets cannot be purchased online; they can only be purchased at the station.

From Zurich, Munich or Vienna change at Villach. From Budapest change at Graz and Zidani Most.

Domestic trains are slow. Two per day are from Rijeka (one direct, one with a change), taking 5 hours via just about every intervening village with a j or v in its name. One train a day from Split takes 8 hours. Three per day run from Hrvatska Kostajnica, taking 1 hr 40 min. Local trains fan out to Harmica, Ivanić-Grad, Koprivnica, Novoselec, Ogulin, Savski Marof, Sisak Caprag, Vinkovci, Virovitica and Zabok.

See Croatia Railways for timetables and tickets.

Trains no longer cross the border to Sarajevo in Bosnia. The work-around rail route is to take the train from Zagreb main station at 09:00 to Hrvatska Kostajnica, arriving by 10:45. This is 3 km from the Bosnian border crossing, either take a taxi, or walk south into town then east and cross the river by the first bridge. Once you've entered Bosnia, find a taxi to Banja Luka, 100 km southeast and taking 90 min. You'll reach Banja Luka in time for the 15:45 local train to Sarajevo via Zenica, arriving by 20:40. Or take the direct bus from Zagreb to Banja Luka.

By bus International bus lines come from 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.

Timetable information and prices can be found at the AKZ website. Croatian and international coach operators maintain scheduled lines covering all major domestic and European cities.

You can hand over your luggage for safekeeping at the platform 106 of the main bus station. This service operates from 06:00-22:00.

The FlixBus ticket office and lounge are easily located. If you have an active FlixBus ticket (even though it isn't usually checked), the FlixBus lounge is comfortable, with wifi, electric sockets, toilets and tables — ideal to wait for your next ride! The lounge also includes a clean pay toilet.

By car Almost all highways (motorway; autocesta in Croatian) in Croatia start or end in Zagreb.

Travellers from Vienna can pass by Graz and Maribor and then take the A2 highway upon entering Croatia. Mind the toll in Slovenia.

Travellers from Budapest can pass by Székesfehérvár and then use the Croatian A4 motorway. It also connects Varaždin. You will have to pay toll from shortly after entering Croatia until shortly before reaching Zagreb.

Travellers heading from Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey can use the Croatian A3 motorway to reach Zagreb.

Travellers heading from Ljubljana can use the A3.

Travellers coming from the west - Italy, Rijeka or Istria - can use the A7 motorway (near and bypassing Rijeka), A6 motorway (Rijeka-Bosiljevo) and then the A1 (Bosiljevo-Zagreb).

Those travelling from Italy can bypass the expensive motorway toll in Slovenia by using the state route SS21 through Trieste, route E61 through Slovenia (in a bad shape) and then A7 south to Rijeka, then Rijeka bypass, then A6 east to Bosiljevo and A1 northeast to Zagreb.

Travellers heading from the south - Dalmatian coast (Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik...) or from Montenegro - can use the A1 highway, often combined with the state roads D8 (by the coastline) and D1 (through the hinterland).

To use highways in Croatia you must pay in euro. You may also pay by credit card- American Express, Diners, MasterCard, Maestro or Visa cards. It is issued by Hrvatske Autoceste, but pays off only if travelling more than 500 km (that's a return trip Zagreb-Zadar or Zagreb-Serbia) or 250 km for a seasonal Smart Card (a return trip Zagreb-Rijeka or two return trips to Zagreb from Austrian border). There are also transponders by Hrvatske Autoceste for electronic toll collection (called ENC). You can find a toll details here.

Get around

Zagreb has a well-developed and efficient public transport system that consists of trams, buses and trains. You can find routes and schedules from Easyway journey planner or Google maps, or you can download the official ZET app.

The tram network operates 24 hours a day - from around 04:30 to just after 00:00 there are 15 "day-time lines" (tram lines 1–9, 11–15 and 17). From 00:00 to 04:00 there are 4 "night" lines (tram lines 31-34) which cover most of the day-time lines on a reduced (around 30-40 minute) frequency. Occasionally, buses replace trams on night lines. Tram lines 1, 3, and 8 do not operate Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays. Tram 1 doesn't operate in summer. Maps of daytime lines are available under the link "Network of daytime tram lines". Both buses, trams and the funicular are operated by ZET.

By bus As for the buses, there are 138 day-time and 4 night lines. ZET buses cover the area outside the city center, and some neighboring towns in Zagreb county. The buses use the same ticketing system as the trams. There does not appear to be a map of bus routes. Google Maps is probably the easiest planner to use.

By funicular A historic funicular railway (uspinjača in Croatian), one of the steepest and shortest in the world, operates between the lower and upper towns with a travel time of just one minute. The funicular operates every 10 minutes, but for a fee of (in addition to regular tickets for everyone on board), an immediate ride can be purchased.

Ticketing system for buses & trams ZET operate city buses, trams, funicular & Sljeme cable car.

Paper tickets & chip cards can be purchased at any news-stand/kiosk (Tisak), including at the airport. It is cheaper to buy a ticket here than from a driver.

Many locals use Stored Value electronic chip cards to pay for the ride. These can be bought at ZET company offices for and need to be charged with money in advance. They are also used for the multiple day tickets. The advantage is that they are easier to use than paper tickets, as buses and trams often have fewer machines that accept paper tickets (one by the first and one by the last tram doors, the latter only in low-floor trams). If you want a cheaper short-duration option, you need to select it on the display before waving the chip card, otherwise you'll buy a 1.5-hour ticket.

Another easy option is to buy tickets by smartphone using the MOJ ZET app (iOS, Android) which can be topped up in euro increments using a credit card. You purchase tickets on the app and then activate them by reading the blue QR code near the vehicle doors or using NFC.

Tickets purchased from the drivers Once you enter a vehicle, validate your ticket by inserting it in the little orange machine. All single tickets are valid for travel using all vehicles in a single direction within the allotted time after validation, so you won't need a new one when switching trams and/or buses. The most significant place in zone 2 is the airport.

By train Trains operated by Croatian Railways (Hrvatske Željeznice) run every 15 minutes from the east to west of the city, connecting the suburbs of Zagreb with the central railway station. They are usually the quickest form of transport for those coming from the areas of Zagreb far from the railway station (Glavni kolodvor), or beyond the tram network.

Zagreb Card Travellers who intend to visit many museums may consider buying the Zagreb Card. The card offers unlimited travel on public transport in Zagreb, discounts at virtually all of the city's museums, reduced prices at many restaurants, shops, and service providers and many other concessions. Holders of the card also receive a special booklet with a list of all of the establishments and the discounts available to them.

There are few companies that offer bicycle rent option:

BajsZagreb. There are more than 180 stations and over 2000 bikes available across the whole of the city.

nextbike is the one which offers automated public bike rental stations. Bikes are available at many stations in the city.

Tariff is per 30 mins. Weekly and annual passes are also available for and respectively. They include unlimited number of free rides up to 30 minutes. Additional 30 min is charged according to the usual tariff. You can pay using mobile application.

By foot Zagreb is a compact city and can be best explored by walking. For the lower town (Donji Grad) the six squares of Lenuci Horshoe and the Botanical Garden can be covered in about 2 - 3 hours of walking. This area is also the home of Zagreb's major museums, galleries and theaters. The upper town (Gornji Grad) can also be covered in about 2 - 3 hours of walking and includes the cathedral, St. Mark's Church and Main square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića) and the Museum of Broken Relationship.

By taxi There are few taxi companies in Zagreb:

By car Zagreb has about average traffic congestion for a city of its size. However parking in the inner city is a problem. It is expensive and time limited and empty parking spaces are hard to find.

City is divided into few zones, parking tariffs are the following:

I zone: per hour or per 1/2 hour. Maximum parking time is 2 hours. II zone: per hour. Maximum parking time is 3 hours. III zone: per hour. IV.1 zone: per day. IV.2 zone: per day.

ZgPark mobile application m-parking service Parking meters. Cards are accepted only in newly installed parking meters. Electronic parking permit purchased at a newsstand Zagrebparking’s ePK Portal

There are also 2 companies that offer car sharing:

See

Caution: Several of Zagreb's historical buildings sustained damage due to a moderate earthquake that struck the city in March 2020 and are temporarily closed until repairs are finished.

The city of Zagreb is mainly divided into two parts Gornji grad (Upper Town) and Donji grad (Lower Town). They are the cultural, religious, and commercial hubs of Zagreb. These are 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 Jelačića (Jelačić Square) to the railway station and the Sava River.

Apart from the two main parts, the City of Zagreb is extended both north-south and east-west. The northern part consists of the mountains and wilderness while the Southern part extends beyond the River Sava and consists of modern Zagreb and is known as Novi Zagreb. So Zagreb can be classified under five areas: Upper Town (Gornji Grad) Lower Town (Donji Grad) Northern Zagreb Trnje New Zagreb (Novi Zagreb)

Gornji Grad (Upper Town) Churches and religious structures:

Zagreb Cathedral. The Zagreb Cathedral with its twin spires is the most well known landmark of the city. The original cathedral dates back to 1217 but the present structure dates to 1906. The chief architect was Hermann Bollé.

St. Mark's Square. St. Mark's Church is known for its colourful roof tiles depicting the coat of arms of Croatia and Zagreb. St. Mark's Church was constructed in 1499.

St. Catherine's Church. Baroque style church

Old Town Gate. now a shrine to virgin Mary - the "Kamenita vrata" where you can light a candle and, as the locals believe, your wish will be granted. Please be silent, even if just passing through the Gate. The portrait of Mary is said to be sacred, because it is the only thing that survived the large fire. Near the Old Town Gate is the sculpture of St. George having slain the dragon. The other statue, him fighting the dragon, is located on the Marshal Tito's Square near the Croatian National Theatre (roughly 1 km away).

Ribnjak Park. the Ribnjak is an English-style park complete with exotic plants, sculptures, and a children's playground. The park used to be the site of Bishop's fish pond.

Museums: Most museums and historical sights close at 13:00 on Sundays and do not reopen until Tuesday.

Museum of Broken Relationships. What remains after a break-up? Museum's permanent display is an opportunity to experience a unique emotional journey through dozens of love leftovers collected from all around the world. Museum is also the winner of Kenneth Hudson Award 2011 for the most innovative museum in Europe.

Museum of Hangovers. Specialty museum about nightlife culture and hangovers; interactive exhibits and short visit (45–60 min).

Klovićevi Dvori Gallery. This gallery in the old Jesuit monastery with changing exhibitions introduces Croatian and foreign cultural and artistic heritage across all eras. In most exhibitions, photography without flash is permitted.

Zagreb City Museum. The permanent collection tells the history of the city but there are also temporary exhibitions

Lotrščak Tower. Great local views if you are prepared to climb the spiral staircase.

Grič Tunnel. A 450-m-long pedestrian tunnel that was built as bomb shelter is sometimes used for concerts.

Sabor Palace. The seat of the Croatian Parliament.

Parks: Other city parks are connected in the "Lenuci Horseshoe", an unfinished project of combining small green squares and parks at the core of the centre of the town.

Strossmayer Square. Named after Josip Juraj Strossmayer, politician and Roman Catholic Bishop.

Zrinjevac Square. The park of the Academy, connecting the Zrinjevac and Tomislav parks.

King Tomislav Square. Decorated with floor beds and fountains and lined with trees it is dominated by a horse mounted statue of King Tomislav.

Botanical Gardens. Arboretum, greenhouses, Croatian flora, rock gardens, annuals, perennials, and a few animals.

Mažuranić Square. Named after Croatian poet Ivan Mažuranić.

Marulić Square. Marulić Square houses the Croatia State Archive, and a statue of Marko Marulić.

Republic of Croatia Square. One of the largest and greenest squares of Zagreb, with the Croatian National Theatre in its centre.

Museums: Most museums and historical sights close at 13:00 on Sundays and do not reopen until Tuesday.

Mimara Museum. 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.

Archaeological Museum. 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), and the numismatic collection. A part of the museum is set aside for the collection of stone monuments dating back predominantly to the Roman period.

Art Pavilion in Zagreb. Designed by the Hungarian architects Korb and Giergl for the Millennium Exhibition 1896 in Budepest, its iron frame was transported to Zagreb after the exhibition, where the permanent pavillion was built by the famous Viennese designers of theatres in Central Europe Hellmer and Fellmer. It is a neo-classical exhibition complex and one of the landmarks of the city centre. The exhibitions are also held in the impressive Meštrović pavilion on Trg žrtava fašizma.

Croatian National Theatre. Croatian National Theatre, Zagreb was built in 1895. There are also Croatian National Theatres in Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Varaždin and Zadar.

Modern Gallery. Exhibits fine artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

National Museum of Modern Art. Closed for renovation.

Josip Račić Gallery. Second smaller site of the National Museum of Modern art hosting temporary exhibitions.

People and Art House Lauba. Presents works from the Filip Trade Collection, a large private collection of modern and contemporary Croatian art and current artistic production.

Museum of Arts and Crafts. Closed for reconstruction

Technical Museum Nikola Tesla. Has a lot of technical inventions, fire engines, a cabinet of Nikola Tesla, a planetarium and an underground mine.

Museum of Illusions. Prepare to be deceived. A few exhibits are more suited to two people.

Typhlological Museum. Rather specialised museum focusing on the history of institutions for the blind, writing systems for the blind and other visual impairments together with more modern developments. There is a dark room where you can experience what it is like not to see and identify objects in the dark.

The Grounded Sun. Prizemljeno sunce by Ivan Kožarić is a 1971 sculpture, a 2-m-wide bronze sphere, which represents the scale model of the Sun, with 9 planets of the solar system in their scaled size compared to this Sun. Mercury is in Margaretska street, a couple of hundred meters to the west, turn right after reaching Cvjetni trg, you should see it on the wall to the right after passing a dozen or so meters. Venus is on the pole of the building with Hypo bank on the Ban Jelačić Square. Earth is in Varšavska street to the left. For other models, click the link of the sculpture above.

Buildings: The Meštrović Pavilion on the Square of the Victims of Fascism (Trg žrtava fašizma) is an impressive circular building with a colonnade that houses art exhibitions.

Maksimir Park & Zagreb Zoo. The biggest park in Zagreb. Great place to chill out, drink coffee, eat lunch (picnic or at the park's restaurant) or take nice long walks through the forest or by the small lakes. Good for joggers, cyclists, also child and dog friendly. Offers lake rowing. The zoo has red pandas. It has operated since the 1930s.

Mirogoj Cemetery. Mirogoj is the central cemetery of Zagreb. It was opened in 1876 north of the city centre. 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 nearby Cathedral and take bus number 106 (Kaptol - Mirogoj - Krematorij). The ride takes approximately 10 minutes. The Croatian Day of the Dead is on November 1st. You may find the sight of hundreds of thousands of candles after nightfall impressive and worth seeing, but you may take note that on that day and a few preceding and following days the cemetery will be very busy and quite different from usual peaceful appearance; on those days buses to the cemetery are very frequent but crowded.

Medvedgrad Castle and Medvednica. The imposing mountain overlooking Zagreb (Medvednica) contains a preserved fortress (Medvedgrad) and fascinating views of the city. Being respectful in the fort is a good idea, since it is the site of the Altar of the Homeland memorial, dedicated to Croatian soldiers who died in the Homeland war. There are several historical festivals during the year, including knights tournaments.

Novi Zagreb Lakes Zagreb has two very popular lakes:

Jarun. Jarun Lake is a recreational area based around a large lake where locals go to relax, exercise - and party! The centrepiece of the area is the lake, which is used for windsurfing and has a large rowing section with spectator stands. There are also shingle beaches surrounding the water, alongside which are several bars that get very busy during the weekends but are also nice for a sunny lunchtime snack. All the bars there are considered 'fancy' places and usually play commercial music.

Bundek. Park with lake, hosts horticultural shows, firework festivals, workshops, concerts and music festivals (mostly during the summer).

Museum of Contemporary Art. Follows and presents contemporary trends in fine arts.

Croatian Museum of Naïve Art. Houses more than one thousand works belonging to Croatian naïve art.

Do

Strossmayerovo šetalište. In the summer, it is an outdoor scene for painters, musicians and other artists offering food, drinks, performances and concerts. Popular meeting place for all ages, with a great view of the Lower Town.

Football: GNK Dinamo Zagreb play soccer in HNL, the top tier. Their home ground is Stadion Maksimir (capacity 28,000) 2 km east of city centre. NK Lokomotiva also play in HNL, at Stadion Kranjčevićeva (capacity 5000) 1 km southwest of city centre. NK Rudeš were promoted in 2026 so they too play in HNL. Their home ground is 3 km west of city centre but they sometimes use the Lokomotiva ground, Stadion Kranjčevićeva.

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" (Snježna kraljica) - usually takes place in January. 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.

Mount Sljeme. Part of the Medvednica mountains, this is the highest mountain (1,035 m) of Zagreb and quite popular with hiking, trail running. Take Tram 8 or 14 to the last stop (Mihaljevac) and then change to tram 15 to the Gračansko dolje terminus. From here you can either take the cable car (ZET card accepted) or start your hike. You can also go up by bus 140 (Mihaljevac-Sljeme) or car. Different trails exist with good views and restaurants on the top where you can enjoy some traditional Croatian hiking food.

Cinemas Foreign language movies are subtitled, not dubbed; only children's movies are dubbed.

Main cinema chains are CineStar and Cineplexx:

Cineplexx Centar Kaptol. A multiplex cinema (5 screens) within the Kaptol Shopping Centre north of the Cathedral.

Cineplexx City Centre One East. A multiplex cinema (7 screens) on the east side of Zagreb.

Kino Europa, Varšavska 3. - this cinema is in the city centre. Kino Jadran, Ilica 42; 062-100-100 (within Croatia). Kino Central, Petrinjska 4; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).

Kino Tuškanac. Showing much more than just European filmography, alternative and older films. Films are screened in their original language with only Croatian subtites.

Learn

The University of Zagreb combined with the Croatian Heritage Foundation Matica Hrvatska offers comprehensive Croatian language courses for foreigners. The courses occur in the fall and spring semesters along with an intensive one-month course in July. More information can be found by visiting the University's website.

Many universities in Croatia accept a small group as international students every year, who stay in dorms and learn Croatian.

FER (Fakultet elektrotehnike i računarstva, trans. Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) is a globally-appreciated school of computer related learning. It is part of the University of Zagreb and accepts around ten international students a year.

Zagreb has its own hackerspace called Radiona where anyone interested in computers, technology, machining, science, digital art or electronic art can meet, collaborate, learn and engage in the ongoing workshops open for public.

Work

For creative types, Croatia is occupied by some street performers and many stands selling jewellery or other hand-crafted products, so the populace has an open mind to casually buying things from an interesting stand near the main square or dropping a few coins into a musician's case.

Zagreb is becoming one of the most popular digital nomad destinations, with a surge of new coworking spaces.

Buy

There are many small grocery stores around Croatia such as Konzum and Diona. There you can buy most necessary foods, hygiene products and items like cigarettes and alcohol.

If you have a more specific need (like appliances, cutlery) or wish to go bulk shopping then try one of the larger Konzums or Kaufland.

Bread in Croatia is sold unsliced, and with no preservatives used is generally inedible after the second day, so if you don't eat bread much then ask for half a loaf ("pola").

Most international brands, like Nutella or M&Ms, can be found in the larger stores but are rather expensive. Trying a domestic alternatives is not a bad idea.

Zagreb also has designated areas, the singular being a "platz", where you can buy and bargain for clothes and shoes as well as perfume, chocolate and souvenirs. Illegally imported cigarettes are also cheap (because of high importation taxes).

Turistički Informativni Centar. Sells everything ranging from postcards and books to pottery and crystal

GEA Gallery. a wide range of souvenirs that are handmade in Croatia and are very reasonably priced. Very knowledgeable staff.

Millennium. Pottery, crystal, costume jewellery, and other gifts.

Eat

Tobacco smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and some bars and cafes. The smaller bars and cafes could opt (and some did) to allow smoking.

Budget There are many take out, pizza-cut, sandwich bars and fast foods around the city. Most are located in the city centre (main square - Ban Jelačić and surrounding blocks). There are also food chains such as the "McDonald's", "Mlinar", "Pan Pek", and the preferred "Dubravica". (updated May 2022). You can also find many kebabs and pancake-to-go places.

Nocturno. Good place to try the local gastronomy. An excellent restaurant with a variety of offers and helpful staff and a pleasant atmosphere.

Sandwich Bar Pingvin. Classic sandwich bar with a wide menu and reasonably good mix of languages. One of the most popular dishes is the toplo/hladno (hot/cold), a grilled chicken and vegetables sandwich.

La Štruk. One of Zagreb's oldest fast food spots. Highly recommended are the grilled cheese sandwich, the grilled stuffed lungic and the zagrebacki sandwich.

Taquitos Bandidos. Exactly what street food should be. Simple, fast, tasty and well thought out creative dishes that surprise you and overdeliver. Try their amazing chipotle sauce! It's Mexican street food.

Plac Kitchen & Grill. Tasty Cevapcici sausages, fast service and not expensive. Fantastic peppers, cevapi and great special burgers. The restaurant is a bit hidden.

Bistro Dolac. Somewhat of a Zagreb institution. The decoration is very "old school" (high ceilings, pot plants, yellow walls, functional furniture).

MS Grill Restaurant. It's a family owned local restaurant. The staff is very nice and welcoming

Restaurant Kvatric. Has a nice terrance in the back garden. Close to tramstop 'Kvaternikov Trg'.

Mali Medo. Another traditional Croatian restaurant. Lively atmosphere, youthful clientele, and all very affordable. Excellent ćevapčići and gulaš, not to mention superb beer.

Zrno bio bistro. Almost all vegan and organic. Some ingredients come from their own Zrno farm, less than an hour away. Mains rich in umami, luscious desserts. An extensive beer and wine list.

Koykan Gajeva. Italian piadinas, Japanese teriyaki sticks, oriental wraps, Bubble tea from Taiwan and Japanese mochi cakes.

Oliva. Italian restaurant (pizza, pasta).

Food Garden. Healthy Eating restaurant mainly plant based with some pescetarian options.

Le Bistro. A French restaurant within the Regent Esplanade Hotel.

Restaurant Suhina. An old family-run restaurant on the old Samobor road that offers a variety of roasted food.

Takenoko. Zagreb may not be synonymous with sushi restaurants, but this one is superb. It is not cheap, but the sushi they make is incredible.

Velika Klet Obitelji Bunčić. A very popular place that offers Croatian cuisine, live music on weekends, a stable, fish pond and basketball courtyard.

100% juice bar. Pricey but a good place to get a healthy snack or fruit smoothie.

SladoMazo. A pancake restaurant with a wide range of crazy both sweet and salty filling ideas.

The Cookie Factory. Homebaked American sweets. Cookies, brownies and bars, krispy treats, muffins, cupcakes, banana breads, scones, cobblers, biscotti, top notch coffee, smoothies, cakes and pies.

Torte i To. A great little caffe offering the best cheese cake in town, and other great cakes.

Vincek. The local, best-known ice cream and cake palace in town centre. Offers diet foods.

Konoba Didov San. Excellent food, unique menu, large portions and great location.

Drink

Bars and pubs Many bars are found around Flower square (Cvjetni trg aka Preradovićev trg), the main square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića), Preradovićeva, Tkalčićeva, Radićeva, Bogovićeva, and Gajeva streets.

Booksa. A cafe, bookshop and library famous with local young intellectuals.

Cica. Bar mostly known for its great and varied choice of the local schnappses (rakija). Interesting always changing, gallery-like interior. The whole bar is small but offers outdoor seating. Very popular and crowded, brimming with young business and student clientele.

Funk club. Cafe and bar that offers various music night programmes in the basement (mostly alternative, DJs, world music) and spacial backpacker evenings. Very good atmosphere, lots of character, cheap and tasty Rakija shoots and excellent electronic music: funky, electro, jazz, d'n'b, house, dubstep.

KIC. Offers free internet and cheap international call centre. Hosts a cinema with various alternative movies.

Kino Grič. Old cinema. Hosts movies, festivals, music nights and Zagreb's hipster crowd.

Mali Medo. Offers a good choice of local beer and food. Indoors smoking prohibited. Has a terrace facing Tkalčićeva street.

Melin. A cheap bar brimming with young people and students. Offers indoors, a roofed terraced leveled seating and an open terrace facing Tkalčićeva street. Known for crowds of people often drinking even around the bar, in the park and playground in front of it.

Oliver Twist. A choice of good Irish beer with a great atmosphere. Big summer terrace in front.

Portal. Next to Melin, offers same service, the Portal and Melin crowds often mix at the outdoors terraces.

Purgeraj. A bar/club in the Ribnjak park in the city centre. Offers mostly rock, blues and alternative music. Sometimes hosts concerts. Popular with student crowd esp on Thursdays when it hosts the popular "take me out" evening offering a mix of indie and alternative music. In the summer, outside Purgeraj, in the Ribnjak park there are live concerts and various workshops offering summer fun under the name 'Park In Zagreb'.

Tolkien's House. A small fantasy cafe/bar for Tolkien lovers. Offers a variety of beers, cider and hot drinks.

ŽeraBar. Bar owned by Crvena jabuka frontman Dražen Žerić.

Garden Brewery Taproom. Out of town brewery tap. Two food concessions on-site. 12+ craft beers brewed on-site.

Aquarius. Saturday night is drum'n'bass & dancehall music, Friday is hip-hop/r'n'b night. Good concerts.

BP Club. Jazz and blues lovers should check it out.

Funk club. Very good atmosphere, lots of character, cheap and tasty Rakija shoots and excellent electronic music: funky, electro, jazz, d'n'b, house, dubstep!

Jabuka. Cult club for alternative, punk music. Cheap drinks opened on weekends, often concerts of alternative bands. Mostly visited on weekends, especially Fridays.

KSET. A popular student club. Offers various indie and alternative programmes every night of the week. Indoors smoking prohibited. Serves only beer and non alcoholic drinks.

Medika. A local alternative club/legalized squat usually loaded with people during weekends, playing various music genres until the early morning.

Močvara. A local alternative club (rock, punk, metal, indie) with various concerts and theme nights/programmes. Sometimes hosts festivals, young indie talent concerts, movie nights, exhibitions.

SAX! - Klub hrvatskih glazbenika. A great place to enjoy live music of a wide array of styles including blues, jazz, rock and pop.

The Jazz Club. Jazz, blues, and funk bands, often from other countries.

Sleep

Whole Wide World Hostel. Lively backpacker hostel with a bar

Chillout Hostel Zagreb. A hostel in the city centre, free linen, free towels, free wifi, 24-hr bar and reception

Fulir Hostel Zagreb. 2 rooms, including a 12-bed dorm. Great place to meet people, but can be a wait to use the bathroom.

Hobo Bear Hostel. A cozy hostel very near the town centre. There is a basement hang out lounge with a TV, including cable and many DVDs, as well as free (fast) internet and computers. The staff is amazingly helpful and speak perfect English, the beds are comfortable and come with free linens and blankets, and there is also a well stocked kitchen facility.

Hostel Lika. Small and cozy hostel a bit out of the city centre.

Nokturno Hostel. Free internet access, free linens and towels.

Logistics Youth Centre. Logistic youth centre, also works as a regional information centre. From the host, you can get complete information about everything that interests you. The space has 10 rooms, lobby with fireplace, dining room, kitchen and a cinema hall, where you can stream movies from your laptop. The most interesting part is the terrace with space for tents and 30 seats. Located further from downtown, but the centre has its own bus which runs as needed. Parking for approximately 30 vehicles.

HI Hostel Zagreb. Convenient for main station. HI Hostel but can also be booked on common booking sites.

Hotel Jägerhorn. 3-star hotel founded in 1827, Hotel Jägerhorn is the city's oldest standing hotel.

Arcotel Allegra. 4-star hotel which is Zagreb's first "lifestyle" hotel. All rooms are spacious and air-conditioned and feature mini bar, safe, internet connection, bigscreen TV and DVD player. A very cool touch are the free apples supplied in your room in a very funky holder!

Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria. 3-star hotel

Panorama Hotel Zagreb. 4-star hotel.

Hotel Central. 66 room, 3-star hotel.

Hotel Dubrovnik. 4-star hotel. Clean, centrally located, good service. Some rooms are small.

Hotel Jadran. 3-star hotel. There is a big shopping centre near-by - the Importanne Gallery.

Palace Hotel. 4-star hotel. It was built in the Secession style in 1891 and converted into a hotel in 1905. The Arts Pavilion is 50 m away.

Esplanade Zagreb. Built in 1925 for passengers of the famous Orient Express train, which connected Paris and Istanbul. If you can, check the Emerald Ballroom with its soaring dome shaped roof. The hotel includes the Zinfandel's Restaurant, Le Bistro and the Esplanade 1925, the hotel's lounge and cocktail bar.

Sheraton Zagreb Hotel. Features air-conditioned rooms and suites with classic furniture and marbled bathrooms. It also includes King Tomislav Restaurant, Fontana Restaurant, Piano Bar, Café Imperial, 17 meeting rooms and an 800-m² Grand Ballroom.

Westin Zagreb. The hotel features the Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Shower and probably offers the best view in the city.

Boutique hotel Le Premier Zagreb. 5-star hotel