One Day In Zagreb
Enjoy a day in the Croatian capital Zagreb, where Central European architecture meets Mediterranean cuisine among some of the quirkiest museums in Europe.
Welcome to our guide to spending one day in Zagreb, the wonderful Croatian capital with one of the most beautiful old towns in Europe, and some of the continent’s quirkiest museums.
I’ve been on a Zagreb one day trip and spent a week there with my family, enjoying its fantastic Christmas Markets on our recent visit.
Most people visiting Croatia head for the beach, and perhaps the Plitvice Lakes, but rarely making time for the 100-mile trek inland to the capital. Zagreb is also a little too far from European capitals like Budapest and Vienna to be an ‘add-on’, so over twenty years after my initial visit to Zagreb it’s still well off the main European tourist trail.
It shouldn’t be. Our Zagreb 1 day itinerary is designed to show you the best of this splendid city, including its fairytale old town and some of its brilliant museums. We also show you how to get to Zagreb and travel around the city, suggest suitable times of year to visit the city. And if you have more than one day in Zagreb, we’ll tell you about more places to visit around Zagreb as well. Enjoy!
Why Visit Zagreb
Zagreb is one of the most underrated cities in Europe, the Croatian capital often overlooked by visitors heading for the Adriatic coast instead.
Zagreb is a beautiful Central European city, its Habsburg-era architecture reminiscent of that in the likes of Budapest, Vienna and Prague.
The Upper Town or Gornji Grad in Zagreb is wonderful to explore, and you get the chance to explore this wonderful architecture with a fraction of the crowds you get in the other capital cities mentioned above.
Zagreb is also home to some great small museums, from the quirky Museum of Broken Relationships and Hangover Museum to the Museum of Naïve Art and its best art museum, the Mimara Museum.
The Zagreb Christmas Markets – which run from early December to early January, are among the best Christmas Markets in Europe, and are a great reason for a few days’ winter break in the city.
One Day In Zagreb Planning Tips
Most Zagreb tourist attractions and places to see in Zagreb are within a small area in the centre of the city. You could easily spend much of the day in Gornji Grad, Zagreb Upper Town, walking down to the main Ban Jelacic Square and only venturing a short distance from there to some of the Zagreb parks.
I would factor in time to see at least one, probably two Zagreb museums, both of which are up the hill from Ban Jelacic Square around Gornji Grad. The Zagreb ‘80s Museum is great because it’s hands-on – you can pick up anything and everything.
The Museum of Broken Relationships is a wonderfully quirky Museum, its exhibits consisting of items people associate with their old relationships and the accompanying stories.
TIP: I’ve written this article on the basis that you will have a full day in Zagreb – from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm.
Zagreb In One Day Itinerary
Morning
Start the day in Trg Bana Jelacica, the main transport hub of Zagreb where many of its trams and buses call. The equestrian statue commemorates Ban Josip Jelacic, a Croatian-born Field-Marshal in the Imperial Austrian Army who was also the regional ruler of Croatia between 1848 and 1859.
Cross the Square to Splavnica ulica, and from there it’s little more than 100 metres’ walk up to the colourful Dolac Market, the main Zagreb city market.
It’s a superb place to make your first acquaintance with Croatian food and produce. Many of the stalls sell fresh fruit and vegetables, and others sell a selection of produce including, honey, mead and a whole host of treats.
Dolac also has a beautiful setting, with the spires of Zagreb Cathedral (in the adjacent Kaptol district) on one side and the Baroque onion tower of St Mary’s Church on the other.
Unfortunately it isn’t possible to visit Zagreb Cathedral at the moment. It’s the most prominent of Zagreb landmarks, its Gothic twin spires soaring 108 metres (354 feet) above the city.
One of the spires had been undergoing long-term restoration (I could have sworn that the scaffolding was exactly the same as when I had visited 20 years earlier) but in March 2020 an earthquake struck Zagreb, causing the top of the south spire to collapse onto the building, and the top of the north spire has also since been removed for safety reasons.
From the Cathedral, head back to the northern end of Trg Bana Jelacica and turn right up Radiceva towards Gornji Grad or Gradec, the heart of old Zagreb.
Morning – Gornji Grad – Zagreb Old Town
Gornji Grad is a short uphill walk from the Lower Town (Dolni Grad) and it’s where you’ll be doing much of your Zagreb sightseeing. Walk up Radiceva, passing a tie shop (the word ‘cravat’ is derived from Hrvatska, the Croatian word for Croatia) until you reach the Zagreb ‘80s Museum. Just beyond this, turn sharp left, doubling back up the hill until you reach the Stone Gate (Kamenita vrata).
The Gate is a surviving part of the city walls, and houses a small shrine to the Virgin Mary. The painting behind the Baroque era grille survived one of several fires at the site, and it’s a popular site of devotion, with people stopping by to pray and light candles.
It’s a short uphill walk from there to Trg svetov Marka (St Mark’s Square), and one of the most remarkable Zagreb sights, St Mark’s Church, one of the most beautiful churches in Europe.
Its most striking feature is its extraordinary tiled roof, which depicts the coasts of arms of the city of Zagreb and the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slovenia and Dalmatia. Much of the church dates from the 14th century, including the superb wooden sculptures in the south doorway and the interior wall frescoes.
From here, I suggest wandering the streets and lanes of Gradec. Head down Čirilometodska to shady Park Bele IV and the Lotrščak Tower, which commands a great view over the red rooftops and church spires of Zagreb. Just below the Park, the Strossmayer Promenade (Strossmayerovo šetalište), a romantic walk along the Gradec ridge overlooking the modern part of the city below. The path eventually leads to two more viewpoints overlooking Zagreb Cathedral.
Noon – Lunch
Time for a break. There are quite a few cafes around the Gradec district, including Plato Gradec on Strossmayer Promenade, and the Konoba Didov San – Gornji Grad Restaurant on Metačka is the best option in the Upper Town area.
Afternoon
You’ve seen most of Gornji Grad – now it’s time to take a look at some of the best museums in Zagreb.
The best of these is the Museum of Broken Relationships, at the bottom of Čirilometodska near the Lotrščak Tower. It’s a brilliant concept, a collection of people’s stories of relationships and life going awry. Each story is told using an object that symbolises the relationship, along with accompanying text in Croatian and English.
Many are poignant and sad, but one made me laugh out loud. One poor man bought his wife an exercise bike. For him it symbolises the break-up as it represents the many ‘rides’ she had with other men. He seemed philosophical about it, looking on it more as a welcome escape than anything! The Museum also has an excellent café which Faye and Our Little Man strongly recommend.
We also visited the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art on the same street, near St Mark’s Church. Naïve art is difficult to define, but the term generally refers to self-taught artists without formal training, and often simple, almost child-like depictions of scenes. The Museum showcases both Croatian and international naïve art, and is an excellent introduction to the genre.
Just down the hill from the Stone Gate, it’s also well worth seeking out the Zagreb 80s Museum. It’s one of the best museums of its kind in Europe, an apartment in a medieval building furnished and decked out in the style of 1980s Yugoslavia. It’s very well designed and curated, like the larger Retro Museum Prague, and the best thing about it is that you can pick up, handle and try out any of the exhibits – something Our Little Man greatly appreciated.
Late Afternoon / Evening
The ‘lower Zagreb’ or downtown area of the city also has plenty to see. I’ve always enjoyed the parks between Jelacic Square and the train station, especially the shady Zrinjevac Park. They’re a cool haven in summer and in winter are dusted with fairy-light magic for the Christmas Markets.
I suggest also taking a look around Radiceva, where you’ll find one of the entrances to the Gric Tunnel beneath Gradec Hill. This tunnel was built during World War Two, and it served as a civil bomb shelter as well as underground thoroughfare.
For a very different view of Zagreb, take the lift to the top of Zagreb 360, overlooking Jelacic Square.
After a day in Zagreb, it’s time for dinner, and one of the best places to eat is along the atmospheric Tkalčičeva street just to the north of Jelacic Square. As you’ll see, there is a strong Italian and Mediterranean influence in Croatian cuisine, and there are plenty of places to choose from along this atmospheric pedestrianized street.
Zagreb One Day Itinerary Summary
Morning – 0900 to 1030
Start at Jelacic Square (Trg Bana Jelacica)
Walk up to Dolac Market, then Zagreb Cathedral
Late Morning – 1030 to 1300
Walk up Radiceva to Gornji Grad (also called Gradec or Upper Town)
Visit Stone Gate shrine, St Mark’s Church and explore Gradec district
Walk along Strossmayer Promenade
Visit Museum of Broken Relationships
Lunch – 1300 to 1400
Afternoon – 1400 to 1800
Walk back down Gradec to Lower Town, visiting Zagreb 80s Museum on the way
Walk along the Gric Tunnel and see the tiny (66 metre!) Zagreb Funicular Railway
Explore some Zagreb parks including Zrinjevac Park and the nearby Art Pavilion
Late Afternoon and Evening – 1800 onwards
Dinner at one of the restaurants on Tkalčičeva
Take the Zagreb Funicular up the hill and enjoy a sunset drink at one of the bars in Gradec.
And so to bed!
More Than 1 Day In Zagreb – Other Things To Do In Zagreb
If you have more than a day in Zagreb you’ll have time to delve deeper and discover more things to do in the city.
The best Zagreb art museum is the Mimara Museum, which has a large collection of European Old Masters and sculpture. I visited this Museum back in 2000, but didn’t have time to make it back there during my recent week-long stay in Zagreb.
If you’re visiting Zagreb with kids, we recommend a few hours at Zagreb Zoo. It’s in Maksimir Park, a short tram ride from the centre, which also warrants some time wandering. This is across the street from the Maksimir Stadium, home to Dinamo Zagreb, one of the two top teams in Croatia, and regular participants in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
For another perspective on Zagreb, Mirogoj Cemetery is a half-hour walk north of Gornji Grad. It’s a splendid resting place with monumental tombs and ornate colonnades.
South of the city centre and River Sava, you can see how many Zagrebers live by taking a brief look at the Mamutica, the largest apartment block in Europe.
Day Trips From Zagreb
When I visited Zagreb in 2000, I couldn’t resist a swift out-of-town trip for a rendezvous with a kremšnita in the pretty nearby town of Samobor. The town, with its 13th century Castle and onion-domed church tower, has been a popular tourist spot for over 200 years, and the kremšnita – a custard slice topped with puff pastry – is sugar-sweet heaven.
Mount Medvednica is a favourite retreat for locals all year round. It’s over 700 metres higher than the city, so considerably cooler, and it’s often used for ski-ing over the winter months. You can now ascend from the city to the Sljeme summit area, whisked up in just 16 minutes from the Zagreb summit of Dolje in 16 minutes.
The most popular day tour from Zagreb is to the astonishing Plitvice Lakes National Park, a series of lakes and waterfalls 100 miles south of Zagreb near the Bosnia & Herzegovina border. The tour includes a stop at the picturesque village of Rastoke, with its waterfalls and wooden watermills.
Where Is Zagreb
Zagreb is in the north of Croatia, around 20 km (13 miles) from the border with Slovenia. It is also about 100 miles (160 km) inland from the Adriatic coast at Rijeka.
It’s a fair distance from many of the most popular cities in Europe (around 5 hours from both Vienna and Budapest), and, with its distance inland from the popular Croatian coast, Zagreb’s location means it sees only a fraction of the number of visitors the main Croatian seaside towns and islands get.
Here are some distances from Zagreb to other major Croatian and European cities:
Zagreb to Split – 409 km (254 miles) – 5-6 hours by bus or train
Zagreb to Ljubljana, Slovenia – 117 km (73 miles) – 2 hours 40 minutes by bus or train
Zagreb to Budapest – 302 km (188 miles) – 5 hours 15 minutes by bus
Zagreb to Trieste, Italy – 227 km (141 miles) – 5 hours 15 minutes by bus (via Ljubljana)
Zagreb to Vienna – 269 km (167 miles) by bus
How To Get To Zagreb
Zagreb can easily be reached by air, bus, train or by car.
If you’re planning to fly to Zagreb, many major national carriers fly to Zagreb Airport, including Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss and Iberia. Long-haul airlines flying to Zagreb include Air Canada Rouge, Korean Air, and Emirates, Qatar Airways, El Al and Turkish Airlines fly there from the Middle East. Irish budget carrier Ryanair also uses Zagreb as a hub, flying to several European destinations from there as well as London Stansted.
A shuttle bus runs from the airport to the central bus station in Zagreb every 35 minutes, with the last bus leaving the airport after midnight.
We flew into Zagreb from Athens with Aegean, then organized a car to take us to our Zagreb accommodation. If you’re driving in Croatia, we recommend looking at discover cars, which offers price comparisons for the best deal for you.
Zagreb railway station (Glavni Kolodvor) is at the southern end of the city centre, and the main bus station (Autobusovni Kolodvor) is around 1 km away from there you can get between the two on trams 2 and 6.
If you’re travelling overland to Zagreb, we’ve found that it’s quicker to travel to and from Zagreb by bus than by train. For example, the train journey from Budapest takes around ten hours – twice as long as kit takes on the bus.
I first visited Zagreb on a day trip from Ljubljana back in 2000, and it makes quite slow work of the 75-mile journey – closer to three hours one way. I do recommend this journey for the scenic route along the beautiful Sava river, which links the two cities.
How To Get Around Zagreb
Zagreb is easy to get around. I’ve tended to use the trams most, as these pass through either the main square Trg Bana Jelacica or the railway station, but buses are another option, especially for routes towards the outskirts of the city.
The easiest way of doing things is buying tickets from the many kiosks around the city. They also sell newspapers, magazines and tobacco, and you can usually see a small ZET logo (like the one on this Zagreb Transport page) in the window. This link also takes you to the various tram and bus routes around Zagreb.
Best Time To Visit Zagreb
Zagreb is very much a year-round destination. I’ve visited the city in summer and winter – when it was hot and very cold respectively – but would suggest the best time to travel to Zagreb would be in spring or late summer to early autumn when the temperature is likely to be a happy medium in the mid 20s.
We spent a week in the city one December to spend some time at the Zagreb Christmas Markets. We cannot recommend them enough. The Habsburg-era streets of the Gornji Grad (Upper Town) and gorgeous parks lower down make for an extraordinary setting for the annual Advent markets, and we rate Zagreb one of the best Christmas cities in Europe.
How Many Days In Zagreb Ideally
Two days in Zagreb would give you a good overview of the city, giving you time to see several of the best Zagreb museums on top of the main Zagreb sightseeing.
Three days in Zagreb gives you plenty of time, giving you the opportunity to take the new cable car up Mount Medvednica or a short bus trip to Samobor to sample the delicious kremšnita from one of the local cafes.
One Day In Zagreb – Final Thoughts
Zagreb has long been overlooked, but the longer I’ve spent there, the more I’m convinced that it’s worthy of far more visitors than it gets. It’s by far the largest city in Croatia, with by far the most culture to explore.
Zagreb’s architecture is very similar to that you’ll find across much of Central Europe, but its cuisine is strongly influenced by the Mediterranean, and it’s a wonderful place to dip your toes into either part of Europe.
Check out more of our one-day itineraries in Europe below:
David Angel is a veteran Welsh photographer, writer, and historian with over 30 years of experience exploring and capturing Europe’s awe-inspiring landscapes, hidden gems, and iconic sights. His work is regularly featured in worldwide media outlets including The Guardian, BBC, and Conde Nast Traveler.
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