We offer you a brief description of attractions of Zagreb in Croatia with photos and we strongly recommend you to visit this wonderful Balkan city to touch its culture and history. What to see in Zagreb?
Top 18 attractions in Zagreb
Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, was born in the 11th century after the merger of two small villages on different hills, made on the orders of King László I, who ruled in those early days. Since then, Zagreb has been called the city of two hills.
This ancient city, along with its entire country, has experienced happy times and great tragedies, joy and sorrow. All these historical events are reflected in the beautiful architecture of European Zagreb.
Jelacic Square
This is the main city square in Zagreb, which began to be built in the 16th century. That is why there are many buildings built in different architectural styles: classic, baroque, art nouveau, etc.
This square had different names over the centuries, until in the mid-19th century it was named after the national hero Count Jelačić, and later his bronze monument. Today it is one of the favorite places for walks of citizens and guests of the capital.
Railway station
In Zagreb, at the end of the 19th century, a station of extraordinary beauty was built. It is still considered the main station of the capital. The station building is almost 200 meters long, and its facade is decorated with various sculptures in the ancient style.
Inside, the walls and ceilings of the station are decorated with exquisite mosaics. The station itself has everything you need for a comfortable stay in it for passengers and people who meet them. The railway station in Zagreb is one of the best architectural landmarks of the city.
Zagreb Cathedral
This Catholic cathedral was built at the end of the 11th century on the orders of the Croatian king László I and was consecrated in honor of the Virgin Mary. It has been destroyed many times. It was first destroyed by the troops of Batyi Khan, who came to this region in the 13th century.
The last time this happened was at the end of the 19th century during a major earthquake. Once again, the cathedral was built with donations from townspeople in the 19th century in a refined Neo-Gothic style, with two towers. The cathedral is the real jewel of Zagreb.
Croatian National Theater
This theater has long been the cultural center of the Croatian capital. It was built in the neo-Gothic style, and on its stage periodically appear world-famous celebrities in the field of opera, ballet, classical music, cinema, etc.
The first opera singers performed in Zagreb back in the early 19th century in the local town hall, until the national theater was built in the middle of that century, which adorned the entire capital. At the beginning of the 20th century, a fountain was built near it.
Parliament
This building was built at the beginning of the last century and has long been an architectural landmark of Zagreb. The building has been repeatedly reconstructed and restored, so it has gathered a variety of styles in architecture.
Parliament is also famous for the fact that within its walls the most important legislative acts were adopted, which had a great influence on the fate of the entire country and its citizens. Therefore, Parliament is also a monument to history.
Mimar Museum
This museum is named after its first owner, the collector Mimar. It was he who laid the foundation for a large collection of artistic masterpieces and various interesting artifacts.
Mimar was a great patriot of his country, and a poet out of love for his homeland gave it his huge collection, with many paintings by famous painters, sculptures by famous sculptors and other values.
The Fortress Gate and the Lotrscak Tower
Ancient Zagreb was originally a mighty fortress, often destroyed by medieval wars and then rebuilt again. Today, only a strong fortress gate and a small tower are left of the fortress.
The stone fortress gate was built in the mid-18th century, and today it has become a hallmark of Zagreb. And the tower has a more serious age, it was built in the 13th century. Every day at noon sharp a cannon is fired from its roof.
Dolac Market
This is another famous attraction of Zagreb. But it is not a medieval market, as in other European cities, Dolac was built in the 1930s. Its upper floor is covered, while the lower, wide-spread one is open.
The symbol of the market is a bronze sculpture of a woman with a basket on her head. Interestingly, the sitter who posed for the sculptor is peddling not far from this sculpture. The market is a very picturesque place.
Octagon
This building was built in the very beginning of the 20th century, designed by the famous Croatian architect Vankas. Its peculiarity is that it has an octagonal dome and magnificent stained-glass windows. At first it was a bank, but today it is a shopping center.
The building stands on Flower Square. Inside, it has beautiful mosaics on the floors. And in the backyard is a sculpture of a dog that lived with the builders of the building.
Museum of Divorce
It is a very entertaining museum, which keeps the certificates of divorce as a memory of former love and family happiness. The museum opened only a few years ago at the initiative of local artists Vištica and Grubišić.
They were happily married for a long time, until their hearts were broken and divorce happened. To preserve the memory of their feelings, they put up divorce papers. Then there were other similar testimonies from different people.
Botanical Garden
This magnificent garden was planned, laid out and built in the 1990s of the 19th century on the orders of the Austro-Hungarian leadership. The result is shady alleys, wonderful landscaping, English gardens, lots of ponds and pools.
Today in this garden in Zagreb you can see more than 10,000 plants representing the different climatic zones of our planet, including. there are unique, exotic and endangered species.
Museum of Naive Art
This wonderful museum was opened in Zagreb in the 1950s. There is a large collection of works by primitivist artists, one of the popular directions of modern painting to this day.
There are now nearly 2,000 pieces of primitive art in this collection. There are not only paintings, but also sculptures, drawings, posters, etc., which were fashionable at the time. A great deal of attention is paid to Croatian artists.
Maximirsky Park
This park was laid out at the very end of the 18th century on the orders of the Croatian Bishop Maximilian. The then fashionable English designer Brown was invited to organize the park.
The park is decorated with sculptures created in the ancient style, fountains and various landscaped beauties. On its territory there is a local zoo, which contains rare animals.
Zagreb Cable Car
This form of public transport appeared in the Croatian capital at the end of the 19th century and is still functioning properly. Zagreb is located in a hilly area. Not every resident or visitor is able to climb the mountain without help.
The city funicular has preserved its original Art Nouveau design unchanged, so today it is considered a historical monument. The cable car ride allows you to see the beauty of Zagreb and its surroundings.
The Church of St. John the Baptist. Brand
It is the oldest Catholic church in Zagreb, erected in the middle of the 13th century. It has been restored and reconstructed many times, so it has absorbed many styles: Gothic, classical, Baroque.
The last restoration of the temple took place in the middle of the 19th century, the same look it has today. It is one of the calling cards of Zagreb and the whole of Croatia, because. on the roof of the temple are their coats of arms.
Archaeological Museum
The museum was opened in Zagreb in the 1970s. He immediately offered unique artifacts for visitors to view, telling the story of the country’s archaeological history. Today there are almost 500,000 such artifacts.
The museum collection began to be collected at the beginning of the 19th century, and since then it has been constantly replenished thanks to excavations by archaeologists. In the courtyard of the museum you can see the real ruins of the ancient Roman settlement.
Myrohoy Cemetery
This cemetery was founded in the 1970s. Today it looks more like an exhibition of ancient Greek sculptures, so the cemetery can be called another cultural attraction of Zagreb.
There is a small Catholic chapel, the most famous natives of the city are buried here, as well as some citizens and residents of Croatia, fighters for the independence of the country, the heroes of various wars, etc.
Medvednitsa
North of Zagreb are the mountains, where residents of the city and tourists have long been used to relax. This mountain range is called Medvednitsa. Much of it is overgrown with dense forest, and a beautiful Catholic church stands nearby.
It has a well-developed tourist infrastructure, through which you can comfortably spend a weekend or vacation. You can also see the local landmark – the mine, which worked in the 15th century.
