Discover Croatia - City of Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital of the Republic of Croatia, its almost a million strong political and diplomatic, cultural, economic, mercantile, transport & communication and sports centre. It is a town of contrasts – young and old at the same time, dedicated to business in the morning, relaxed and fun loving in the evening, a typical European metropolis in many ways but at the same time it is city its guests remember for the charm of its centre and hospitality of its citizens.

Zagreb, Croatia’s capital and the largest city in the country, is a typical Central European town. It grew out of two medieval settlements that flourished for centuries on neighbouring hills. Zagreb’s written history dates to the year 1094, when a diocese was established there. The classicist and secessionist facades of its historical nucleus exude the lofty spirit of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but here and there one can also discern the contours of the panoramas of Prague. Almost all of the main sites of the city and cultural venues are located in the very centre, which teems with charming coffee houses, fine restaurants, garden restaurants, and lovingly tended parks like, for instance, Ribnjak, which lies beneath the walls of Kaptol. The pivotal point of the city is the magnificent Gothic cathedral with its filigree spires. Zrinjevac, a park located only a few steps away from the main square, also forms part of the Lenuci green horseshoe that encompasses some of the most beautiful buildings in town. Zagreb, indeed, is a city tailored to the human scale.

Built on the foundations of two medieval burgs that blossomed on the nearby hills of Gradec and the Kaptol bishopric, with a documented history from 1094, Zagreb has always been Croatia's true cultural metropolis. With places of interest such as the Croatian National Theatre, the Art Pavilion, the Academy of Science and Arts, the university library, numerous museums and galleries, as well as wonderful parks and gardens, Zagreb has always been a truly central European cultural centre whose significance is best witnessed by the 20 theatres, equal number of museums, 30 galleries and numerous art exhibitions.

Capital of Croacia - Zagreb

Zagreb is an important tourist center, not only in terms of passengers travelling from Western and Central Europe to the Adriatic Sea, but also as a travel destination itself. Since the end of the war, it has attracted close to a million visitors annually, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy. However, the city has even greater potential as many tourists that visit Croatia skip Zagreb in order to visit the beaches along the Croatian Adriatic coast and old historic Renaissance cities such as Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar. There are many interesting things for tourists in Zagreb, for example, the two statues of Saint George, one at the Marshal Tito Square, the other at Kamenita vrata, where the image of Virgin Mary is said to be only thing that hasn't burned in the 17th century fire. Also, there is an art installation starting in Bogovićeva street, called Nine Views. Most of the people don't know what the statue Prizemljeno sunce (The Grounded Sun) is for, so they put graffiti or signatures on it, but it's actually the Sun scaled down, with many planets situated all over Zagreb in relative scale with the Sun.

The historical part of the city to the north of Ban Jelačić Square is composed of the Gornji Grad and Kaptol, a medieval urban complex of churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings that are popular with tourists on sightseeing tours. The historic district can be reached on foot, starting from Jelačić Square, the center of Zagreb, or by a funicular on nearby Tomićeva Street.