Sunday 26 May 2019

Croatia: Postcard from Zagreb


Greetings! After our adventures along the delightful Dalmatian Coast, and our multiple day trips to see the stunning Plitvice Lakes and Istria Peninsula, my sister and I continued to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

Today I'm sharing some photos that I took during our walks to explore Zagreb. We happened to be there on Friday and Saturday when the locals were out in full force to enjoy the sunny and warm weather.

We began our first walk at Kaptol Square in Zagreb's Upper Town, dominated by the huge Zagreb Cathedral, with its soaring twin spires, its cobblestone streets, and red tile roofed buildings.

Zagreb Cathedral and surrounding buildings

From the Cathedral, we walked to the large Market with red umbrellas and many stands offering flowers, fruits, veggies, meats, as well as puppet toys, souvenirs, and household items. The streets near the market were packed with restaurants, trendy cafes, and a vibrant shopping scene.

Zagreb Market

From the market, we walked to St. Mark's Church with its brightly coloured roof, Stone Gate (the stone gate into town with a Virgin Mary shrine popular for prayer and candle lighting), Strossmartre Gate, and Lotrscak Tower. This is a large tower with daily cannon blasts and an observation area providing panoramic city views and the view of the funicular.

St. Mark's Church, Stone Gate, Lotrscak Tower

Views of Zagreb and the Funicular

We continued to explore the winding streets of the Old Town and reached Ban Jelacic, the city's main square, accessible only by foot and by tram. It’s a popular meeting spot thanks to the giant statue of Josip Jelačić on his horse that acts as a convenient landmark.

Ban Jelacic, Zagreb's Main Square

For our second walk, we started from the main square, and walked south towards Zagreb Central Train Station and the Botanical Garden in Zagreb's Lower Town. The parks, gardens, and fountains along this stretch are beautiful. On the weekend when we were there, the locals were out to enjoy the green space, outdoor art exhibits, blossoming trees, and sunshine.

Park and Central Station in Zagreb

The main streets in Zagreb's Lower Town form a U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped area with many beautiful and big buildings. It would be time well-spent to explore the history and the architecture here.

Buildings in Zagreb

Building in Zagreb

Zagreb is a charming and pedestrian-friendly city. We enjoyed our walks both in the Upper Town and Lower Town. The weekend was beautiful so even though there was an extensive tram network in Zagreb, we decided to walk and did not use the trams.

This city was our last stop in Croatia, before flying home from Zagreb International Airport. Our time in Croatia was amazing. I hope you've enjoyed visiting (or revisiting) Croatia through my lens.

I'd love to hear your comments.

42 comments:

  1. Hi Natalie, I think my father-in-law talked about Zagreb many times so perhaps he spent some time there growing up. I'm enjoying your Croatian travels very much. #lifethisweek

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    1. Hi Sue - Zagreb is a nice city. I imagined it had left your FIL with very good impressions. Have a beautiful day!

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    2. HI Natalie, thanks for sharing your postcards with us at #MLSTL Croatia is such a beautiful country.

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    3. Thank you, Sue, for hosting. Have a beautiful week!

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  2. Looks like a fabulous place to visit! Great pictures. Thanks. #SeniSal

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    1. Thank you, Darlene, for your comment. I like Zagreb and would not hesitate to re-visit it.

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  3. Hi Natalie, I am enjoying my geography lesson along with the amazing photos. Interesting about some of the brightly coloured roofs. I really like the concept of a pedestrian friendly city. It is amazing how much you can see on a walking tour. I appreciate living vicariously through you. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thank you, Erica, for your comment. I've been living a car-free lifestyle for many years so I always appreciate visiting pedestrian-friendly places.

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  4. Hi Natalie. I’m working from my iPad before I go into the office & am having problems getting my comment to stick. Anyways, I said something about how great your weather was, how I must add Croatia to my bucket list & thank you for taking us on this walk.

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    1. Hi Jo - I encountered the same issue before (commenting from an iPad and the comment doesn't appear). Thank you for trying. I think you'll enjoy Croatia when you decide to go there.

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  5. You sure have a knack for finding/selecting beautiful, historical, walkable cities, Natalie. And for lucking out with the weather. Thanks for sharing your Zagreb photos and walks. I’ll add it to my Croatia list. :-)

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    1. Hi Liesbet - I think you'll enjoy Croatia as it offers a lot to see both on land and at sea. I've been living car-free for many years and walk to get around every day when I'm at home so it's kind of my 'standard' to look for walkable cities when I plan my travel :-)

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  6. When we visited Croatia we didn't get to Zagreb but we definitely will go there next time as I've heard great things. And now your photos showing it looking amazing with beautiful architecture and so full of history. Love it! #lifethisweek

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    1. Hi Deb - Zagreb is a nice city to visit. Zagreb international airport is modern and easy to navigate if you fly in or out from there. Thank you for stopping by.

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  7. Oh that looks lovely! And it's exciting for me as I'm heading there later this year! :)

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    1. Hi Sanch - Very exciting indeed. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on Zagreb. Thank you for stopping by.

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  8. My husband went walking in Slovenia and has since said he'd like us to visit Croatia. Your photos show it's as beautiful as he thought it would be.
    #MLSTL

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    1. Thank you, Lorraine, for your visit and comment. There are lots of places to explore and enjoy in Croatia.

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  9. More blue skies, more beautiful buildings, more great travel experiences - you are so lucky Natalie. Your trip was so great wasn't it?
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I've shared on my SM :)

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    1. Thank you, Leanne, for hosting and sharing. It was a great trip with many photos to review :)

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  10. I can tell you really enjoyed your visit to Croatia.

    Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek and next week's optional prompt is 22/51 First Job. 3/6/19 Warm wishes, Denyse

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    1. Thank you, Denyse, for hosting. I plan to wrap up my month of May in my next post.

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  11. This is such a wonderfully historic part of the world! I'm so glad you share these awesome images. I'm sure they are all I will ever see from that part of the world.

    Your link is a great part of 'My Corner of the World' this week! Thanks for joining us.
    My Corner of the World

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    1. Thank you, Betty, for hosting and sharing your photo.

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  12. I really enjoy your travel posts, Natalie! Another place that's on my list! :-)

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl, for your comment. I think you'll enjoy Zagreb very much when you go there.

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  13. Your trip looks like it was very wonderful!! #Lovinglifelinky

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    1. Thank you, Lydia, for your comment. It was a wonderful trip.

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  14. Another wonderful trip report! Thank you, Natalie!

    SSG xxx

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    1. Thanks, SSG, for reading and commenting. I greatly appreciate it.

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  15. As always, I love reading about your travels and seeing the photos. I will probably never see a lot of these places in person, so I appreciate the opportunity to visit them through you. #MLSTL

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    1. Thank you, Christie, for your comment. I love that there are so many beautiful places to explore.

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  16. Gorgeous photographs as usual Natalie ... and I am being educated! I hadn't even heard of Zagreb - let alone know that it was the capital of Croatia. You're a good teacher! ;-) #TeamLovinLife

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    1. Thank you, Min, for your comment. I learn about places in Australia from your posts, too. Have a fabulous day!

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  17. Every time I visit your site you make me want to travel! I've not yet found a job but until last year travel wasn't a priority for me but now I've got the bug again.. (A little anyway!)

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    1. All the best with your recent job interviews, Deb. The travel bug has been with me for a while :) I'll keep traveling while I still enjoy it.

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  18. I found you through the Senior Salon. A very interesting guide to a lovely place, with great photos!

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    1. Thank you, Clive, for your visit and kind comment. I'll look for your blog shortly.

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    1. Thank you for your kind comment. Much appreciated.

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  20. I love riding on funiculars. They’re such a great idea.

    BTW, I always read and comment from my iPad. The trick to make sure the comment function works is to always refresh the page before commenting. Also, it’s a good idea to avoid the “preview” button.

    Jude

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    1. That's a great tip for how to comment from an iPad. Thanks, Jude, for sharing it.

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