Zagreb, Croatia. Top things to do in Croatia's capital city - Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia and is full of history, gardens, stories and fun and unusual things to do. Walking the city is the best way to see the old town area, and then stroll around the colourful gardens, markets or catch a tram to one of the many parks, or even the famous cemetery. You will find the “bloody bridge”, the prettiest street in Zagreb, the miracle of the Stone Gate and the incredible St. Mark’s Cathedral with its unique roof tiles. Of course, don’t miss the canon fire at 12pm every day - or the shortest funicular in the world, or the WWII tunnel where you can walk from one side of Zagreb’s old town to the other - underground.
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Nicola Zrinski Square
Nicola Zrinski Square in Zagreb is a beautiful and peaceful spot in the heart of the city. We started our walking tour around the city here. It is a really gorgeous park and there are lots of places to sit and enjoy the pretty gardens.
The main square in Zagreb features two main features, the Ban Josip Jelacic statue and the Mandusevec fountain. It is the heart of the city and many events are held here.
The Stone Gate
There are many wonderful historic buildings to see while walking around the Upper and Lower Towns of Zagreb. Of course you will pass by the Stone Gate which was the original entrance to the city. It is now a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary because of the miracle of the painting of Mary surviving a catastrophic fire that destroyed everything, except this painting. You can now see the painting in the Stone Gate.
St Mark’s Cathedral
Make sure to take the time to explore the area around St Mark’s Cathedral. There are some unusual museums there, but also the huge tower, that fires a canon every day at 12pm. It is extremely loud as it uses real gunpowder - but only shoots out paper. After you have watched the canon fire, you can take the shortest funicular ride in the world back to the lower town, or if you want to be a bit more adventurous, then walk through the 350m long WWII tunnel that joins one side of the old town to the other.
Streets of Zagreb
As you explore Zagreb city you will find many wonderful buildings with Austro-Hungarian architecture. There are many statues that dot the parks and streets as well. You will find cobblestone streets to explore full of shops, markets and restaurants. Zagreb truly is a wonderful city to get lost in.
The “Green Horseshoe” of Zagreb is another way to see a different side of the city of Zagreb. There are 7 parks, including the botanic gardens that make up this unique walk. Just follow the green spaces on the map and you will wander through stunning parks, filled with gardens, statues and fountains. At the railway station you will come across the Botanic Gardens. These gardens have such a huge variety of plants and there is a large lily pond and many areas to sit in the shade and enjoy the surroundings.
Makismir Park
If you love green spaces in cities, then Zagreb won’t disappoint. Maksimir Gardens is a 15 minute tram ride from the centre of Zagreb. The park is as big as New York Central Park and contains five massive lakes, a zoo and many tracks and paths for walking.
Mirogoj Cemetery
One of our favourite things to do while in Zagreb is to visit the Mirogoj Cemetery. It is the oldest and largest cemetery in Croatia and is a public cemetery which means anyone from any nationality or religion can be buried here. The cemetery is full of interesting graves and is surrounded by a huge wall, with chapels and a large Cathedral. It is a 10 minute bus ride from the centre of the city.
Zagreb was a wonderful city to explore, and we enjoyed our time walking from one end of the city to the other. As you can see we enjoyed exploring the wonderful sights that Zagreb has to offer.