Things To Do In Zagreb – Visit Zagreb – Budget Travel In Croatia

Visit Zagreb to experience rich culture and history, incredible street art and a beautiful old town. One of Europe’s most underrated capitals, Zagreb combines a vibrant city vibe with a medieval appearance.

Whilst most holiday makers in Croatia head straight to the coast, Zagreb is becoming an increasingly popular destination.

Adding Croatia To My Europe Itinerary

Whilst I was in a Budapest hostel, I met a traveller from Malaysia who was only staying for one night. I asked her where she was heading and she replied, “Zagreb”.

As I only usually book one place ahead at a time, I hadn’t looked further than Budapest. Croatia? I always fancied Croatia and there it was, just a few hours from my final destination in Hungary (Pecs).

I knew nothing about Zagreb before I arrived. I did a small amount of research which described it as having a beautiful old town and many cobbled streets and hidden courtyards. It sounded perfect? But before I tell you if it lived up to my high expectations, here are some of the things you can do in Zagreb.

Things To Do In Zagreb

Art Park (Park Ribnjak)

A nice place for a stroll and there is some interesting art to feast on. There are events here during June through to September. Outside these dates, it’s still a nice place to relax. For more info: https://www.facebook.com/ArtParkZagreb/. Map.

Cathedral Of Zagreb

You can’t miss the Cathedral of Zagreb as its twin spires are visible from all over the old town. It has gone under much renovation over the years and the renovation goes on to this day. It is visually stunning, particularly at night when it is illuminated. Map.

Christmas Markets

If you are lucky enough to visit Zagreb in December, you are in for a treat. Zagreb Christmas Market has been voted the best in the world three years running. It’s easy to see why. The market is actually over the entire city centre, with various areas hosting live music, DJs and the usual food, drink and gifts stalls. The city becomes much busier during the advent season and you may find it difficult to find a hostel. I found the market in the lower town too busy and much preferred the atmosphere in the upper town. The live music was better and you didn’t have to queue for food and drinks.

Dolac Market

This is the place to come for fresh produce. There is an outdoor fruit and veg market and an indoor market selling meat and dairy. I bought a delicious rotisserie pork belly joint. Even if you don’t have cooking facilities, it’s worth checking out to soak up the atmosphere of this lively, bustling market. Map.

Museum Of Arts And Crafts

Housed in a stunning Renaissance building, this museum boasts over 3000 artifacts  with arts and crafts dating from the 1300s. Some of the items on display are incredible examples of craftmanship. It’s included in the Zagreb Card and is definitely worth a visit. Map.

Museum Of Arts And Craft Opening Times: 11 am – 7 pm, Tue – Sat. 10 am – 2 pm, Sun.
Museum Of Arts And Craft Entrance Fee: 20 KN

Museum Of Broken Relationships

An absolute must visit in Zagreb, ‘The Museum of Broken Relationships’ (map) began as a travelling collection and now has permanent residence in the upper town of Zagreb. It exhibits personal items from failed relationships along with descriptions. It is an unusual exhibition, often sad but also funny. The exhibits are constantly changing so it is good for return visitors. The items on display included a scab, herpes cream, post-it notes and a toaster!

Museum Of Broken Relationships Opening Times: 10 am – 9 pm, every day.
Museum Of Broken Relationships Entrance Fee: 40 KN.

Museum Of Contemporary Art, Zagreb

The ‘Museum of Contemporary Art’ (map) is located outside the city centre but is easily reachable by tram. The museum hosts temporary exhibitions as well as rooftop exhibits. During my visit, there was an exhibition by the artist Davor Vrankic, a Croatian artists who uses only a 0.9 2B graphite pen, without a sketch and a template, to create incredibly huge images. I was unfamiliar with this artist but was amazed by his work. Check out http://www.msu.hr/ for information on current exhibitions.

Museum Of Contemporary Art Opening Times: 11 am – 7 pm, Tue – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Sat & Sun.
Museum Of Contemporary Art Entrance Fee: 30 KU (every first Wednesday of the month: free admission for all visitors).

Zagreb 80s Museum

Located on the first floor of an old building in the historical upper town, ‘Zagreb 80s Museum’ (map) offers visitors an insight into the typical home in former Yugoslavia in the 1980s. The museum is interactive and you are encouraged to treat the museum like home and handle all the artifacts. There is a games room where you can play on an old Atari and Commodore 64. It is small but fun.

Zagreb 80s Museum Opening Times: 1 pm – 9 pm, Mon – Fri. 11 am – 9 pm, Sat & Sun.
Zagreb 80s Museum Entrance Fee: 40 KU.

Zagreb City Museum

Located in the northern part of the upper town, the Zagreb City Museum is a great place to visit if you are interested in learning about the history of Zagreb. There are many artifacts and displays to guide you chronologically through the years. Map.

Zagreb City Museum Opening Times: 10 am – 6 pm, Tue – Sat. 10 am – 2 pm, Sun.
Zagreb City Museum Entrance Fee: 30 KU.

Zagreb Street Art

There is so much street art in Zagreb but a lot of it is hidden away, in courtyards and derelict areas. I used a street art map from the site https://travelhonestly.com/zagreb-street-murals/. If you don’t use this map, you will miss most of the incredible art.

Zagreb Upper Town

Zagreb upper town is a historic and charming area filled with narrow cobbled streets and home to some of Zagreb’s most interesting attractions. You can reach it from many steep access points or by the Zagreb Funicular. The area is beautiful and offers amazing views over the lower town.

There is also some great street art to be found.

Be sure to visit the charming St Mark’s Church (map).

Zagreb Zoo

I was expecting to find a zoo in disrepair and in need of some maintenance after reading some reviews. However, I was actually surprised at how many animals there were and how nice the zoo was. I only visited here as it was part of the Zagreb Card deal but I had a great time and would recommend a visit. Map.

Zagreb Zoo Opening Times: 9 am – 7 pm, every day.
Zagreb Zoo Entrance Fee: 30 KU.

Zagreb City Card

TOP TIP: I bought the 3 day Zagreb City Card which enabled me access to six of the city’s main attractions and free use of public transport. For more information: http://zagrebcard.com/?lang=en.

Is Zagreb Worth Visiting?

I am pleased to say that not only did Zagreb live up to its reputation, but it also exceeded my expectations. For a capital city, it has an old town atmosphere and it offers a mesmerizing mix of old and new. The street art is sensational and there are lots of cool bars and coffee shops. It was my first stop in Croatia and I ended up extending my stay by three nights. Instead of heading straight to the coast, consider beginning your Croatian adventure in this lively city.

Where To Stay In Zagreb | Food And Drink In Zagreb

For more information, visit https://www.visitzagreb.hr/