I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the story about the origin of Zagreb. Even city locals have two versions of it but in order to my emotional nature I’ll stick around with more romantic of the two. Once upon a time, there was a young knight walking through Balkan Peninsula. He was extremely exhausted from long wandering around deserted land and all he craved in his poor state of living was to find water to soothe his intense thirst.
Suddenly, he saw a stranger – a girl beautiful as can be. Manda was her name. He tried to ask for some water but unfortunately, she didn’t have any. ‚There’s no spring,’ she replied,
,but try to scratch the dirt from the ground with your bare hand.’ In Croatian she used the word ‘zagrebi’ to say scratch. The knight obeyed and when he did what maiden advised him, he froze in shock. Out of nowhere, there appeared a spring of water right at the place he had scratched the ground with his fingers. He drank water feeling relieved that he wouldn’t die. Then he took girl’s hand and asked her to marry him. And the moment she said yes, the entire land blossomed.
So now, we can say that there where the knight ‘zagrebed’, the city of Zagreb was born. Through years and years it has been spreading underneath Medvednica mountain until it has grown to a proper European metropolis. And now that we set our feet on the medieval stones of this capital city, we could enjoy the lively athmosphere hidden in the narrow streets of its historical centre.
The first place where our journey was led was Jelačić square (Trg bana J. Jelačića in Croatian). Our accomodation was quite close to the historical part of the city so we did all our wanders around Zagreb on foot. This was a good decision because almost all sights in Zagreb are located in somewhat proximity. Moreover, they are interconnected by streets containing charming buildings or parks full of photogenic views. Indeed, walking around Zagreb can never make you feeling bored. There’s always something to look at on the way, wherever it is you go.
Even we made a few stops on our way to the heart of the city centre. At one moment, someone yelled: ‚Guys, look! There’s a botanical garden just across the street!’ which immediately meant something like an obligatory stop for us biologists. Now I have to say the garden is a real must-see, at least if you’re a fan of bothany. The garden is quite big and yet – with its crooked paths and many exotic trees and plants that throw shades on the ground even on the hottest of days – it seems quite cosy. A good place to unwind, indeed. It’s a lovely example of how even in the middle of urban area there is a place for a piece of nature. It’s great Croatians keep that on their minds…
However, Botanički vrt (or Royal Botanical Garden) in Zagreb is only one part of so-called Lenuci Horseshoe. Lenuci Horseshoe is an area of seven parks that together form a shape of horseshoe surrounding a couple of blocks in downtown (Donji Grad). Designed in 19th century, it was a part of redesign projects after Zagreb earthquake in 1880. One of these parks has been built around Croatian National Theatre which is one of the most iconic buildings in Zagreb. Built in a neo-baroque style with its walls painted yellow this building literally shines on sunny days, just like the day we visited it.
Park Zrinjevac
& the story of a magical fountain
In another park (park Zrinjevac, to be specific), located at the other end of the horseshoe walk, there’s a fountain that makes everyone’s wishes come true. Locals call it Zagreb di Trevi and they say that when you throw a coin into it and wish for something, your wish will be fulfilled. And that’s exactly what we decided to do, which now reminds me of a funny story connected to this rather simple goal of ours. It was a hot sunny evening when we arrived to the eastern tip of Lenuci Horseshoe and the first thing we saw was a small, rather ancient looking fountain. We stepped near – determined to confide our most secret wishes to this fountain and drown them in the depths of water just like coins we pulled out of our wallets for one and only reason. However, when we looked at the fountain, it seemed quite empty, with no coins lying on its bottom.
‚What now?’ we thought, as our superstitious nature feared our wishes would remain forgotten if someone reclaimed our coins from the depth of the fountain. After a while of intense thinking my friend came up with an idea of throwing his coin to the upper part of the fountain so that nobody could ever get to it. He aimed very precisely and threw the coin exactly where he wanted to. Then a slight complication came up – I aimed very precisely, as well, and missed my target. Classic me. So I said: ‚Nevermind. At least, I didn’t forget to wish for something.’
But now comes the better part – we walked a few metres away from the fountain and laid our eyes upon real Zagreb di Trevi. At that moment, I couldn’t resist pulling out a sarcastic laugh. The thought of wasting so much time and energy trying to figure out how to throw a coin to the upper part of the fountain that in the end was never meant to fulfill our wishes was quite funny. But still, even when we found Zagreb di Trevi, it wasn’t much helpful anyway. Why – you ask? Simply, because there’s two of them…
Well, there we have two lovely looking fountains, I thought. And here we have two superstitious youngsters ready to share their dreams with their waterstreams. So me and my friend made a deal as we stood on a pathway right between a pair of fountains. We made up our wishes, pulled out our coins from our pockets and went on separate ways – I walked to the fountain on the left and he walked to the one on the right. As we were thinking of our wishes, we both have thrown our coins to the bottom of the fountains. And now we have to wait – to see if our wishes come true. When they do, I’ll add a P.S. to this letter unravelling which one of the fountains really makes wishes come true. A real experiment, isn’t it?
When you pass the parks of Lenuci Horseshoe, you’ll get very close to the main square in Zagreb – Jelačić square – finally… What I have to say about this square is that I was very surprised when I saw young people playing volleyball right in the middle of it, just a few metres away from tracks for trams. Meanwhile, on the other corner of the square, there was an old man entertaining a huge crowd of locals and tourists by trying to do something like magic tricks. Although, the tricks weren’t that impressive, at least that guy was funny and made the crowd laugh quite often. I mean, what else to say? Jelačić square has a unique athmosphere, combining busy city life with an easygoing southern mood that makes everyone stop and enjoy life for a second.
Krvavi most
& the legend of two villages
Once you go up the hill, you’ll get to a calmer street leading right to the most iconic building of Zagreb. Its name is Cathedral of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary but to save time everyone calls it just Zagreb Cathedral. It dominates the historical part of Zagreb called Kaptol which used to be one of the two villages that after long years of fighting intertwined into what we now know as Zagreb historical centre.
The other village of the two was called Gradec. For years and years, inhabitants of these neighbouring villages had arguments that often resulted in fights. Nowadays, the memory of the biggest bloodshed there was during their long coexistence consists of a street between Tkalčićeva and Radićeva. The street is called Bloody Bridge (Krvavi most in Croatian) and even though it reminds people of a sad story, it still provides visitors by a nice view of the cathedral. So when in Zagreb, go visit Krvavi most, it’s recommended…
When we were wandering the streets of Zagreb, we passed the street Krvavi most not even knowing it’s THAT street. Such a pity, but at least we didn’t miss the street, that would be even worse. However, what we did miss, was the Stone Gate (Kamenita vrata) which has been an eastern entrance to the city of Gradec in the days of old. This cultural landmark is also connected to an interesting story.
Kamenita vrata
& the legend of a big fire
Long time ago, there was a fire in the upper-town that broke in the dark of the night. People were asleep so there was nobody ready to put out the fire. When people finally got up and realized what had been happening, half of the city had already turned to ash, legend says. Not even the great Stone Gate endured the flames and all that left after the fire were remains of the watchtower which had stood above it. However, in the remains, there was a painting of Virgin Mary that was found untouched. People of Gradec couldn’t understand this wonderful phenomenon so they claimed it a miracle. Till now, the painting is exposed near the reconstructed Stone Gate and still catches interest of tourists passing through. When we were visiting this part of the city, we were trying to find some reasonable lunch (for a reasonable price, of course). I guess that now you understand why we missed the gate.
Additionally, I realized we were just a few metres away from the Stone Gate, struggling with stairway to heaven – or the long and steep stairway that goes all the way up to the upper-town. It was almost noon when we were there, so I reckon I don’t have to describe how hot it was. After long struggle, we could at least enjoy a nice view… and a pint of cold beer in a local pub.
On hot days like the day we visited, it is highly recommended to try out the local transport that takes you to the upper-town without a single burned calory. I mean, I’m not complaining about our way of discovering the city’s sights but just in case you’re not fan of walking up a steep hill, there is another way up. And although, it costs some kunas, it can be a great experience for kids. It’s the funicular tram that goes all the way up to the Lotrščak Tower. We didn’t try this attraction by ourselves, yet still, I managed to take a pic of how the track looks like from the station at the hill.
Lotrščak Tower
& the most beautiful tradition
As I said before, we didn’t take funicular up to the city. We took the stairs – then we needed a short break – but after our recovery with a pint of cold beer, we went on to the Lotrščak Tower that again relives an important part of Zagreb’s history each and every day. In case of this small tower, Zagreb found a way how to charm me more than I had ever expected. You see, on the top floor of Lotrščak Tower, there is an open window. In the window, there is a canon which fires a blank every day at noon. The firing makes a lot of noise, so be careful if you want to observe it from a little square in front of the tower. Each day at noon, lots of tourists gather around the tower to do so and when the canon fires, they always freeze in shock and then they laugh together as they shake off the surprise from sudden rumble and tumble. But there’s so much more to this tradition – to describe how much locals value the habit of Lotrščak Tower, I can tell you that the city has employed 5 men to substitute elderly man who’s been responsible for firing of the canon at Lotrščak Tower for a few decades now, in case he’s unavailable. Locals say that man has become a very respectable citizen of Zagreb and that everyone loves him for his kindness and charisma. Also, they claim that for the last 300 years there hasn’t been a single day without shooting from Lotrščak Tower and that something as serious as Armageddon would have to come to sabotage this local tradition.
The Upper Town
& the story of all the broken hearts
At noon, one more interesting thing is happening in the upper-town. It’s the changing of guards in front of St. Mark’s Church. Again, it’s nice to see but if you want to enjoy the square with a nice view of the photogenic church, rather go there later in the afternoon when there’s a little bit less tourists. During the changing of guards, there is a huge crowd of people which sometimes makes you fight for a good position from which you could look at the unique scene. Also – at noon – the little stones that cover the ground of the upper-town (which, by the way, is built on remains of an old cemetery) emit so much heat it almost feels uncomfortable to just stand there and try not to fall on the ground, dead. And those men had to stand in the heat clothed in black cloaks, right? They are real heroes.
That day, we were saved from the heat by the existence of something called Museum of Broken Relationships. I’m sure you must have heard of it – but in case you haven’t, I’ll write a little something about this place. Museum of Broken Relationships is one of two museums in the world of this kind and it’s dedicated to memories and prophecies people wanted to say after their heartbreaks. Other such museum is located in San Francisco and it’s a partnering institution with the one in Zagreb. To this day, many people from many countries have decided to share some things along with their lovestories with this museum, that includes these things in its exposition. And so can visitors not only see favorable objects which these people had shared, but also they can read the stories hidden like a memory within all these knick-knacks. Some stories make you laugh, whereas others make you take a deep breath and embrace the intense sadness. I won’t spoil any of the stories so the last thing I’ll say is: Go there and allow yourself to feel emotions that people shared with you. It’s worth it.
And then give yourself a minute to rest on the street with a nice view of St. Mark’s Church… (Btw, we gave ourselves 30 minutes of such rest, when we couldn’t get our friend out of this museum… So any other proof of how good this museum is?)
Grič tunnel
& the story of medieval cemetery
When you feel psyched to wander a bit further away from the city centre, there’s one more place I can recommend. Although, after I tell you what it is, you might feel a bit puzzled. But believe me, it’s nice to see it. The place is Mirogoj Cemetery and it looks like this…
So peaceful it almost doesn’t feel like a cemetery. And if you’d feel demotivated to make a walk there, remember that the entire upper-town of Zagreb is built on old gravestones. Fun fact: If you’d like to walk underneath an area of medieval cemetery, there is a tunnel crossing the entire Medveščak hill with the upper-town. The Grič tunnel has been built during second world war when it served for protection of citizens during bombings. Now it serves as an attraction and also as a place where you can cool down a bit when you feel tired from the heat.
Night in Zagreb
& the best bar in the city centre
Another places are good to take a rest at. Zagreb has become very famous for its lively nightlife, when all the little cafés and pubs in the city centre fill with people. Believe me, there’s always a huge spectre from which you can pick the bar where you want to spend the night. Though, don’t underestimate the crowds of people who want to go out at night and have fun. Rather book your table at the bar, or otherwise you might not get it when you come too late. One such place we visited was Swanky Monkies Bar – and it was such a pity we could not stay because it was way too wonderful. Many people know it though, and so the place is full almost all the time…
If you’re looking for food, I can recommend one of the classics of all Balkans – and that’s čevapi which is basically little pieces of cooked minced meat. Another great pick is štrukli which looks a lot like Italian lasagna. The only difference (though an important one) is that there’s no meat baked between two layers of pasta once you order štrukli. You can take štrukli with cottage cheese, chilli or many other kinds. And if your stomach feels adventurous, you can go for the weekly special – just as one of my friends did. And when his štrukli hidden in an onion soup came on his table, he couldn’t be happier. He enjoyed his special štrukli, so I reckon he would now join my recommendation for this classic Balkanese dish.
Dolac market
& the Saturday morning tradition
Or – if you don’t want to order meals at restaurants – there are still other options. Our first choice for every breakfast was Mlinar, a chain of bakeries where we found freshly baked pastries every single morning. It was the first thing we did every morning we spent in Zagreb – going to Mlinar. And if you want something even more traditional, there is a Dolac market right in the city centre, just a few metres from Jelačić square. A beautiful place, it really is. Walking beneath all the red umbrellas that keep people from getting sunburnt feels incredibly comfortable even when the weather is hot. Especially, for people of Zagreb this place carries a very special value. It is said that most of the locals gather at Dolac market in the morning every Saturday to buy fresh fruit and veggies, chat with their friends and at the same time, enjoy seeing performances of Croatian folk groups dressed up in beautiful traditional dresses and playing musical instruments. It is so great that the morning when we were visiting Dolac market was Saturday morning and so we could take part in this nice tradition for at least once. So if you’re visiting Zagreb, make sure you will have time to explore city centre and Dolac market on Saturday morning. The athmosphere is really worth it.
I still remember (as if it was only yesterday) how I used to run around this market like crazy. At that time, I was trying to find a strawhat that would protect me from heatstroke. And I must say that after a long long search I found my favourite. And I took it with me on my other adventures. And along with this lovely strawhat, I kept carrying a piece of Zagreb with me wherever I went next, just like I kept carrying full pockets of memories of this charming city. Again, thanks for all, Zagreb…
Love,
Antonia
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