Zagreb
We had a seven-day vacation planned to the Croatian coast with friends so the kids could play on the beach but with a free week beforehand we decided to spend a few extra days and see some other sites. With that in mind, we planed short visits to Zagreb, Ljubljana and Palmanova before ending out stay on the beach in Rovinj
Zagreb is the Capital of Croatia located in the northwest part of the country. Its architecture has been greatly influenced by being a part of the Hapsburg empire in the 18th and 19th century. After driving for about four hours from Belgrade we spent some time finding parking for our Air BnB room for the two nights we were there. We did the Air BnB thing the whole trip which made for some interesting moments as you will see. One recommendation, that was a nice find from my wife, who had recently been to Zagreb to give a presentation, was to not stay right in the main tourist areas as she did that time. She had to deal with the noise all night long. We were close and while just above the street level, it was quiet at night.
It was a short walk from our hotel to lunch which we booked at Pod Zidom Bistro & Wine Bar which is right at the foot of Zagreb Cathedral, one of the two important churches to visit when there. Pod Zidom is a wine bar with full food service. They have a little patio in front with views of Cathedral. We were going to explore some varietals of Croatian wine. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the region and the grapes and was willing to answer our endless questions. So we got to try eight different wines along with very creative appetizers.
After lunch, we took a stroll through the church which is very dark. Not sure what time of day would be best but it is defiantly not early afternoon. We then walked through the market which at this time was torn down. They set up and tear down the market washing it all down and setting up as a town square for the evening. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the lower town which is a collection of artisan shops, souvenirs and restaurants. There is a little park there where we stopped had a drink and let Ella play.
Dinner that night was at Vinodol, with a lovely patio, inside garden area and then the main restaurant which looks like a reconstruction of an old building with its brick arches. Ella had had a big bowl of pasta at lunch and was not overly hungry so she got the chocolate cake with ice cream which was very good. My wife got sardines which she loved and I had a bowl of fish stew and the spaghetti with shrimp. The food was great the service excellent. You will find like most tourist-centric areas no issues with speaking English. After dinner on the way back, we took a stroll through the green horseshoe a series of parks that form a U shape in the middle of the lower town. You could spend a day or more along here a seeing the fountains, monuments and visiting the Botanical Gardens. It is also on the horseshoe where many museums, parts of the university and the National Theater are located.
We had breakfast the next morning at a coffee shop right in front of the National Theater. We walked a little through lower town and then took the little tram up to the upper town. Just off the tram is the second famous church in Zagreb, St Marks. The church is famous for it tile roof making the shape of the Croatian coat of arms. We spent most of the day walking around seeing the Parliament and the various other builds before back down to lower town for some shopping and souvenir hunting.
We had dinner at Restaurant AGAVA, as we liked the look of the place, a terraced restaurant overlooking the street. As the sun went down there were playful shadows on the building opposite making for a delightful evening. Ella had her usually pasta which to that point was the best of the trip. We had the caricature plate trying some Croatian meats and cheeses which was good and share the duck breast. The duck was overcooked and would have been much better if served medium-rare. We had a lovely wine, the Plavac Mali
The next morning we had a quick walk to the market to see if in full swing as we had missed it so far before we craved a pastry on the way and left the city. Driving out of town the city converts into a typical post-war communist city with 50’s area structures combine with new construction that goes on and on for quite a while.
Up next time Ljubljana
Web sites:
Pod Zidom https://m.facebook.com/PodZidom/
Vinodol. https://m.facebook.com/PodZidom/
Restaurant AGAVA http://www.restaurant-agava.hr/