Croatia · City break

Zagreb City Guide

A capital hardly anyone has on their list. Up on the hill the baroque old town with the colourful roof of St. Mark's Church and the noon cannon at Lotrščak Tower, below it the Habsburg-era centre with its green parks, and the Dolac market in between. One ready-made day route links both levels, from Trg bana Jelačića.

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Our walking tours of Zagreb

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Zagreb, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Upper Town, Dolac & Lower Town

From Trg bana Jelačića up a flight of steps to the Dolac market, on to the scaffolded cathedral and through the café lane Tkalčićeva. Through the Stone Gate into the upper town for the colourful roof of St. Mark's Church, the noon cannon on Lotrščak Tower and the Museum of Broken Relationships. Finally down on one of the world's shortest funiculars and through the lower town into Zrinjevac park.

Trg bana Jelačića. The big square with the equestrian statue of Ban Jelačić is the city's zero point. Every tram line crosses here and all of Zagreb arranges to meet here. Facades from two centuries ring the square, from neoclassicism to post-war modernism. In the north-east corner the Manduševac spring bubbles away. Legend says the city took its name from it. Stand still for a moment and watch the bustle, then head up the steps to the market.
Dolac Market. One flight of steps above the main square lies Dolac, the belly of Zagreb, a sea of red parasols with fruit, vegetables and flowers straight from the farms around the city. In the covered hall below you'll find meat, cheese and fish, plus stalls selling fresh štrukli, the region's filled dough dish. Go in the morning. From early afternoon the stalls come down and all that's left is an empty concrete deck. For photos, stand at the upper edge and look out over the parasols.
Cathedral. The neo-Gothic cathedral with its twin spires is Zagreb's landmark and was long Croatia's tallest building. Honestly, right now you mostly see a building site. The 2020 earthquake snapped off one spire, and since then it has been under scaffolding with only parts of the interior open. The short detour is still worth it, if only for the sheer scale and the surviving Renaissance defensive walls around it. Expect a look from outside rather than a full visit.
Tkalčićeva. Tkalčićeva is the city's café lane, car-free, gently uphill and in summer one continuous terrace. Where people now drink coffee, the Medveščak stream ran until the 19th century, separating the upper town from the church district of Kaptol. The two settlements were forever at each other's throats. The low, colourful houses date from after the stream was covered, many with wooden verandas. Sit down for a coffee; in Zagreb that always takes longer than planned.
Stone Gate. Kamenita vrata is the last survivor of the upper town's five city gates. In a fire in 1731, so the story goes, only a painting of the Virgin came through unscathed. Ever since, the archway has doubled as a chapel. Candles burn all day and stone thank-you plaques line the walls. It's a thoroughfare and a place of prayer at once; someone wheels a bike through while a woman kneels alongside. Keep your voice down accordingly.
St. Mark's Church. The colourful tiled roof of St. Mark's is Zagreb's postcard shot, with the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia on the left and that of the city of Zagreb on the right, laid in glazed tiles in 1880. The church itself is far older; the richly carved Gothic south portal dates from the 14th century. You can realistically only get inside during services, and the roof is the point anyway. Parliament and the seat of government stand around the square, which is why there are always police about.
Lotrščak Tower. The Romanesque tower guarded the upper town's south gate in the 13th century; today you climb a tight spiral staircase for the best all-round view in the city, with rooftops, the cathedral spires and, on a clear day, the Medvednica mountain. On the stroke of noon the Grič cannon is fired from the top, as it has since 1877, with two long silences. After the First World War it stayed quiet until 1928, and after the 2020 earthquakes until February 2022. The bang is loud enough to send the pigeons flying down in the lower town. Be up there just before twelve and you get both at once. The tower is closed on Mondays. Right next to the tower stops the Zagrebačka uspinjača, at 66 metres one of the shortest public funiculars in the world (since 1890). Take it downhill at the end to save yourself the stairs.
Strossmartre (Strossmayer Promenade). Strossmayerovo šetalište runs as a tree-lined promenade along the old city wall below the upper town, looking out over the rooftops of the lower town. In summer it turns into the Strossmartre festival, with live music, art stalls and bars under the chestnut trees, well into the night. A bronze figure of the poet Matoš sits on one bench, a favourite photo stop. From here it's just a few steps to the funicular's upper station.
Museum of Broken Relationships. The Muzej prekinutih veza collects objects from failed relationships, donated by people around the world, among them a toaster, an axe, a wedding dress, each with a short anonymous story beside it. What sounds like a gag is surprisingly serious and lands harder than you'd like. The idea started in Zagreb in 2006 as a travelling exhibition and has since won a European museum award. The place is small, an hour will do it, and there's no air conditioning. In high summer it gets sticky inside.
Zrinjevac. Zrinjevac is the first of eight parks in the so-called Green Horseshoe, with which the lower town was laid out in the 19th century on a Viennese model. Under old plane trees stand a cast-iron bandstand, a small meteorological pillar from 1884 and a row of busts of Croatian worthies. In summer brass bands play on Sundays; in Advent the park is the heart of the Christmas market that has won Zagreb several awards. A calm way to end the day, and the tram back stops right alongside.

Planning your visit

One day is enough. The route from Jelačić Square runs three kilometres past the Dolac market to the cathedral, through the Tkalčićeva and the Stone Gate up to the upper town with the colourful roof of St Mark's. At the Lotrščak tower a cannon fires every noon, and afterwards the Strossmartre leads back down. The Museum of Broken Relationships sits on the way and is exactly as singular as it sounds. Five evening tips are ready, and the Plitvice Lakes are a day of their own.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

OUT Rooftop. Rooftop bar above Ilica with a wide view over the lower town, DJs and a young crowd in the evening. The cocktails are solid rather than outstanding. You come for the view and the terrace.

Nightlife quarters

Tkalčićeva. Café row by day, bar after bar by night. This car-free lane is Zagreb's nightlife spine. Everything is within walking distance, no taxi needed.

Food & restaurants

Vinodol. Croatian cooking in a covered courtyard, known for štrukli and meat cooked for hours under a bell of hot ashes. Honestly, portions and service have slipped lately and reviews are clearly split. Book ahead for the evening.

Bars & clubs

Pivnica Mali Medo. A brewpub in the middle of Tkalčićeva with its own unfiltered beer and a large terrace. Hearty food too, if the night runs long.

Stage & concerts

Kroatisches Nationaltheater. A golden-yellow showpiece from 1895 with opera, ballet and drama, built by the Viennese theatre architects Fellner and Helmer. Tickets are dirt cheap by Western European standards, and there are daytime tours of the building.

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Practical information for Zagreb

Public transport

Operator. Everything that runs within the city belongs to ZET, the Zagrebački električni tramvaj. The tram network comprises almost 120 kilometers of track, plus 134 daytime bus lines, which also serve Velika Gorica and Zaprešić as well as the municipalities of Bistra and Stupnik. The funicular up to the Upper Town and the cable car up to Sljeme also belong to ZET, though a separate fare applies to the cable car. The fare has two zones, the entire city area of Zagreb has been zone one since 2006. Velika Gorica and Zaprešić lie in zone two. The suburban trains in the Zagreb area are run separately by the railway operator HŽPP, and for both together there's only a combined coupon, ZET plus HŽ, on the monthly and annual pass. For a short visit that means tram, bus, and funicular are covered by a single ticket, the train isn't included.

Network. A dense tram network, buses and a short funicular to the upper town.

Modes of transport. Tram · Bus · Funicular (Uspinjača) · Cable car to Sljeme (Žičara) · Suburban train (HŽPP)

Operating hours. Daytime service runs roughly from 4 am until just after midnight. Tram 6 between Črnomerec and Sopot serves as an example, it starts on weekdays at 4.03 am and ends at 0.12 am, with departures during the day a few minutes apart. After that the night lines take over. On public holidays and days off, the Sunday timetable applies on all lines. The funicular up to the Upper Town runs every day from 6.30 am to 9.50 pm every ten minutes, a ride takes 64 seconds. The Sljeme cable car starts on weekdays at 10 am and on weekends and public holidays at 9 am, the last ascent from the valley station departs at 6.30 pm, the last descent from the top at 7 pm. In strong wind or thunderstorms the cable car stops running.

Night service. After midnight, four night trams take over, running every night of the week. The 31 runs Črnomerec to Savski most, the 32 Prečko to Borongaj, the 33 Mihaljevac to Savišće, and the 34 Ljubljanica to Dubec. The frequency is wide, on the 31 the departures listed from Črnomerec are 12.11 am, 1.04 am, 1.54 am, 2.48 am, 3.44 am, and 4.37 am, on Saturdays a service at 5.27 am is added. Night buses connect at the endpoints, on the 31 for example line NL172 to Zaprešić. The night fare is a separate price, a ride costs 1.99 €, whether bought in advance or from the driver. Anyone with a day or multi-day ticket travels at night with no surcharge.

Buying tickets. Single paper tickets can be bought at ZET's own sales points and at the kiosks of partners Tisak and iNovine, as well as directly from the driver, though at a higher fare there. Important for a short visit is the exception, multi-day tickets for 3, 7, 15, or 30 days and the combined ticket with the railway are only available at ZET's own sales points, not at a kiosk. The most convenient address for that is Petrićeva 4, a few steps from Trg bana Jelačića, open weekdays from 7 am to 7.50 pm and Saturdays from 8 am to 2.50 pm. The other locations such as Črnomerec, Dubrava, Mihaljevac, Zapruđe, or Pothodnik are only open half days, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7 am to 1.50 pm, Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 6.50 pm, closed Saturdays. Paper tickets must be validated when boarding, the validators are located by the first door, and in newer trams also by the rear doors. Anyone traveling more often can use the rechargeable Vrijednosna karta, which costs 1.33 € and is tapped on the reader when boarding.

App and payment. With Moj ZET, ZET has its own app for Android and iPhone. It's free and sells single tickets as well as monthly and annual passes. Payment isn't made directly at purchase, but through a credit balance topped up beforehand in the app's customer account. To activate, you hold your phone up to one of the QR stickers found in every ZET vehicle, or tap it via NFC at the same sticker. Only then does validity start running. The app warns when only about 20 percent of the time is left. Anyone wanting to link the account to their ZET data gets a confirmation code for that through the web portal.

Which ticket. Bought in advance, a single ride costs 0.53 € for 30 minutes, 0.93 € for 60 minutes, and 1.33 € for 90 minutes. From the driver it's 0.80 €, 1.33 €, and 1.99 € for the same time windows. On the night service, every ride costs 1.99 €. The day ticket is 3.98 €, exactly three rides at 1.33 €. The multi-day tickets cost 9.29 € for 3 days, 19.91 € for 7 days, 26.54 € for 15 days, and 53.09 € for 30 days. The three-day ticket equals seven single rides at 1.33 €, the weekly ticket fifteen. Day and multi-day tickets are valid on both daytime and night service and include the funicular, whose single ride otherwise costs 0.66 €. All these prices apply in zone one. For the Sljeme cable car a separate fare applies, 6 € one-way and 10 € round trip.

Fare zones. The entire city area is zone I, every ticket is valid there. The airport lies in Velika Gorica and is therefore in zone II. The day ticket is only valid in zone I. For bus 290 to the airport you need the two-zone ticket for 180 minutes at 2.65 €.

Tip. The funicular is one of the shortest in the world and takes a minute.

Getting there

Main station

Location. South of the centre, with the green squares of the Lenuci Horseshoe leading straight to the main square.

Long-distance trains. Zagreb Glavni kolodvor is the hub of the Croatian network. Within Croatia, direct trains run to Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Vinkovci, Vukovar, Varaždin, Čakovec, Koprivnica, Bjelovar, Slavonski Brod, Virovitica, Karlovac, and Ogulin. Internationally, EC 78 and 79, named Croatia, run via Maribor and Graz to Wien Hbf, EC 214 and 115, named Mimara, run via Villach to München Hbf, departing Zagreb at 8.16 am and returning at 7.20 pm. To Ljubljana there are three train pairs a day, departures from Zagreb include 10.34 am and 1.07 pm. A dedicated train runs at 5.11 am to Villach Hbf. At night, through carriages on trains EN 414 and 415 leave from 7.39 pm to Zürich HB and to Stuttgart Hbf, arriving in the morning. There's a daytime connection to Sarajevo. In summer, additional seasonal trains run via Ljubljana to Pula. Suburban service in the Zagreb area runs frequently, for example on the Harmica and Savski Marof axis to Dugo Selo, and can be used with the combined ZET-HŽ pass.

Opening hours. On weekdays the first train departs at 4.38 am to Koprivnica, the last at 11.18 pm. The last arrival is at 0.10 am. A normal weekday counts around 160 departures.

Airports

ZAG

Into the city. The Pleso prijevoz shuttle takes 35 to 40 minutes to the Autobusni kolodvor bus station and costs 9 € each way. ZET bus 290 to Kvaternikov trg takes 45 to 50 minutes and costs 2.65 € with the two-zone ticket.

Frequency. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes between the bus station and the airport. Line 290 runs every 35 minutes, from Kvaternikov trg from 4.20 am to 11.25 pm, in the opposite direction from Velika Gorica from 4.30 am to 0.15 am, also on Saturdays and Sundays.

Local quirks

The noon cannon. A shot is fired from the Lotrščak Tower every day at noon. Anyone standing next to it should be prepared.
Fulir, the free electric shuttle in the pedestrian zone. In the pedestrian zone of the center, two small electric vehicles with five seats each drive around for free. The service is named Fulir after a film character and is called up by phoning the driver, with destination and route agreed directly. It runs every day from 8 am to 8 pm and is aimed mainly at older and mobility-impaired people, visitors to the city may also use it when a seat happens to be free. In rain or wind the service pauses, it's offered until the end of October.
The Sljeme cable car counts as local transport. From the edge of the city in Gračansko dolje, a cable car runs via the intermediate station Brestovac up to the local mountain Sljeme. The route is a good five kilometers long, climbs 754 meters in altitude, and takes just over 16 minutes. The operator is the same as for tram and bus, but the normal local transport ticket isn't valid here. Visitors pay 6 € one-way and 10 € round trip, under 15 pay 2 € and 3 €. The first ride is at 10 am on weekdays, 9 am on weekends, the last ascent departs at 6.30 pm.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F
Time zone: Europe/Zagreb
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 90 km/h (expressway 110 km/h), motorway 130 km/h

The town sign alone isn't decisive. Within built-up areas, traffic signs can permit up to 80 km/h. From November 1 to March 31, dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on even during the day. With an unbraked trailer, the limit is 80 km/h, and 90 km/h on the motorway.

Tipping. Ten percent in restaurants, rounding up in cafés.

Tolls. Motorways are tolled. Take a ticket and pay on exit. The Pelješac bridge is free.