Zagreb and Environs

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Zagreb and Environs - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

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  • 1. Čigoč Information Center

    In a traditional house of posavina oak, Čigoč Information Center is situated on the main road that runs through the village center. It is the top regional source for all you need to know about storks, the Stork Festival, and nearby Lonjsko polje Nature Park. It's open daily 8–4, and park maps are available for purchase. Be sure to find out about the park's educational programs or attractive boat trips (many options are available for an additional price).

    Čigoč 26, Cigoc, Sisacko-Moslavacka, 44213, Croatia
    044-715–115
  • 2. Croatian Museum of Naïve Art

    Gornji Grad

    The Naïve school of painting dates back to the 1930s, and the museum features more than 1,600 works of untutored peasant artists, primarily from the village of Hlebine in Koprivnica Križevci County. Canvases by the highly esteemed Ivan Generalić dominate here, though there are also paintings, drawings, sculptures, and prints by other noted members of the movement, plus a section devoted to foreigners working along similar lines. The museum sits on the second floor of the Raffay Palace.

    Sv. Ćirila i Metoda 3, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-485–1911

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 25 Kn, Tues.–Fri. 10–6, Sat.–Sun. 10–1
  • 3. Croatian National Theater in Zagreb

    Donji Grad

    The building dates from 1895, when it was designed by the Viennese firm Hellmer and Fellner as part of the preparations for a state visit by Emperor Franz Josef. In front of the theater, set deep in a round concrete basin, is Meštrović's little, eerily lifelike sculpture Zdenac Života (Fountain of Life), from 1912, which depicts four naked couples writhing uncomfortably in each other's arms around a small pool of water while one lone, likewise naked gentleman stares meditatively into the pool. The only way to see the impressive, stately interior of the theater is to attend a performance from its impressive show repetoire. Don your best clothes like the locals do and enjoy.

    Trg maršala Tita 15, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-488–8418
  • 4. Krapina Neanderthal Museum

    The Krapina Neanderthal Museum is located near the world-famous site of the Krapina Neanderthals "Hušnjakovo," and its architecture evokes the habitat of the prehistoric man. Displays at the museum provide insight into who these early Neanderthals were and how they lived, and more broadly into the region's geology and history.

    Šetalište Vilibalda Sluge BB, Krapina, Krapinsko-Zagorska, 49000, Croatia
    049-371–491

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 60 Kn, Apr.–June and Sept., 9–7; July–Aug., Tues.–Fri. 9–6; Sat.–Sun. 9–5, Nov.–Feb., Tues.–Fri. 9–4, Sat.–Sun. 9–5; Mar. and Oct., 9–6
  • 5. Kumrovec Staro selo

    Museum Village

    The old quarter of Kumrovec is an open-air museum with beautifully restored thatched cottages and wooden farm buildings, orchards, and a stream giving a lifelike reconstruction of 19th-century rural life. On weekends craftsmen, including a blacksmith, a candlemaker, and others, demonstrate their skills.

    Kumrovec BB, Kumrovec, Krapinsko-Zagorska, 49295, Croatia
    049-225–830

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 20 Kn
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  • 6. Lonjsko Polje Nature Park

    One of the largest floodplains in the Danubian basin, this unique ecological and cultural landscape of 20,506 acres along the Sava River was accorded park status in 1990 and is included on UNESCO's roster of World Heritage sites. It has numerous rare and endangered plant and animal species, from white-tailed eagles and saker falcons to otters and the Danube salmon—as well as storks, which are as easy to come by here as in Čigoć. Its 4,858 acres of pastureland is also home to Croatia's highest concentration of indigenous breeds of livestock. Traditional village architecture—in particular, houses made of posavina oak—further contributes to the region's appeal. The park office provides park maps and other information on where to go and what to see and also issues park entrance passes (40 Kn or more depending on the package you'd like). You can opt to take a solar-powered boat ride for 250 Kn, take a guided walking tour for 75 Kn, or do a group bird watching session for 250 Kn too. The easiest way to access the park is by car; if driving from Zagreb, exit the motorway at the pretty village of Popovača and take the road to the right through the villages of Potok and Stružec toward Sisak.

    Krapje 16, Krapje, Sisacko-Moslavacka, 44325, Croatia
    044-672–080

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 40 Kn
  • 7. Maksimir Park

    For a peaceful stroll in Zagreb's biggest and southeastern Europe's oldest public park, hop on a tram and head to Maksimir. A short ride east of the center of Zagreb (10 minutes on Tram 11 or 12 from Trg bana Jelačića or 15 minutes on Tram 4 or 7 from the train station), this 44½-acre expanse of vine-covered forests and several artificial lakes was a groundbreaker when it opened back in 1794. After getting off the tram, you walk forward a bit and enter on the left, through a prominent gate opposite the city's main soccer stadium, aptly named Stadion Maksimir. A long, wide promenade flanked by benches leads from here to Bellevue Pavilion (1843), perched atop a small hill and featuring a café. Be sure to check out the Echo Pavilion (Paviljon jeka), built in the late 19th century in honor of the Greek nymph Echo. Stand in the middle and you can hear the whispers of anyone standing within the pavilion, as if they were right next to you. To your right along the way are some small lakes and, beyond, the city's modest zoo, Zoološki vrt Zagreb, where admission is 30 Kn; it's open daily from 9 am to 5 pm (last tickets sold at 4 pm). To your left is a playground.

    Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
    01-232–0460
  • 8. Museum of Broken Relationships

    Gornji Grad | Museum/Gallery

    The first museum of its kind in the world, this museum displays objects connected to love stories that didn't work out. The entire exhibition is made up of personal belongings donated by people from around the world who endured a failed relationship, and each exhibit is accompanied by a brief text, explaining the connection between the object and the relationship. Subtly illustrating the tragicomedy that is love, it is now one of Zagreb's most visited museums, and its collection has toured numerous locations in Asia, Africa, the U.S., and Europe.

    Ćirilometodska 2, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-485–1021

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 25 Kn
  • 9. Plitvice Lakes National Park

    This 8,000-acre park is home to 16 beautiful emerald lakes connected by a series of cascading waterfalls, stretching 8 km (5 miles) through a valley flanked by high, forested hills home to deer, bears, wolves, wild boar, and the Eurasian lynx. Thousands of years of sedimentation of calcium, magnesium carbonate, algae, and moss have yielded the natural barriers between the lakes, and since the process is ongoing, new barriers, curtains, stalactites, channels, and cascades are constantly forming and the existing ones changing. The deposited sedimentation, or tufa, also coats the beds and edges of the lakes, creating their sparkling, azure look. Today a series of wooden bridges and waterside paths lead through the park. The only downside: because it's so lovely, the trails can get crowded from June through September. That said, there's no litter along the way—a testament to both respectful visitors and a conscientious park staff. There's also no camping, no bushwhacking, no picking plants, and absolutely no swimming. This is a place to look, to spend a day or two, but not to touch. It is, however, well worth the 200 Kn summertime entrance fee, and the lowered fees during the rest of the year. This is not just a summertime, but a year-round spectacle, with blooming flowers in the spring, sunset-colored foliage in the fall, and magical-looking frozen waterfalls in the winter. The park is right on the main highway (E71) from Zagreb to Split, and it's certainly worth the three-hour trip from the capital. There are three entrances just off the main road about an hour's walk apart, creatively named Entrance 1, Entrance 2, and auxiliary Entrance Flora. The park's pricey hotels are near Entrance 2, the first entrance you'll encounter if arriving by bus from the coast. However, Entrance 1—the first entrance if you arrive from Zagreb—is typically the start of most one-day excursions, if only because it's within a 20-minute walk of Veliki slap, the 256-foot-high waterfall. Hiking the entire loop that winds its way around the lakes takes six to eight hours, but there are other hikes, ranging from two to four hours. All involve a combination of hiking and being ferried across the larger of the park's lakes by national park service boats. There are cafés near both entrances, but avoid them for anything but coffee, as the sandwiches and strudels don't offer the best value for your money. Instead, buy some of the huge, heavenly strudels sold by locals at nearby stands, where great big blocks of homemade cheese are also on sale. At the boat landing near Entrance 2, you can rent gorgeous wooden rowboats for 50 Kn per hour.

    Plitvicka Jezera, Licko-Senjska, 53231, Croatia
    053-751–014

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: July–Sept. 200 Kn; Apr.–June and Oct. 90 Kn; Nov.–Mar. 80 Kn, Daily 7 am–8 pm
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  • 10. Sljeme

    The peak of Mt. Medvednica is an ideal place for picnicking, but you may wish to save your appetite for dinner at one of the excellent restaurants (located in large mountain cabins) on the road home. On the southwest flank of the summit of Mt. Medvednica is a reconstructed fortress called Medvedgrad. The original was built in the 13th century by Bishop Filip of Zagreb, and after a succession of distinguished owners over the next two centuries it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1590. You can wander around the outside (for free) and take in great views of Zagreb. It's a one-hour trek to the fortress from the cable car, or you can reach it more directly by taking Bus 102 from Britanski trg in central Zagreb (just off Ilica, a 20-minute walk west of Trg bana Josipa Jelačića) to the "Blue Church" in Šestine, and then hiking some 40 minutes uphill from there. Take trail No. 12, which is off the paved road past the church cemetery.

    Sljeme, Virovitick-Podravska, Croatia
  • 11. St. Mark's Church

    Gornji Grad

    The original building was erected in the 13th century and was once the parish church of Gradec. The Baroque bell tower was added in the 17th century, while the steeply pitched roof—decorated in brilliant, multicolored tiles arranged to depict the coats of arms of Zagreb on the right and the Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia on the left—was added during reconstruction in the 19th century. It underwent another reconstruction in the first half of the 20th century. At that time, renowned painter Jozo Kljaković painted its walls, while the altar was decorated with works of famous sculptor Ivan Meštrović.

    Trg Svetog Marka 5, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-485–1611

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Open for Mass only, July–Aug., Mon.–Fri. 6 pm; Sat. 7:30 am; Sun. 11 am and 6 pm.; during rest of the day, only the church lobby is open to the public.
  • 12. Stari Grad

    Today a historical museum, Varaždin's main attraction is the massive Stari grad, which assumed its present form in the 16th century as a state-of-the-art defense fortification against the Turks, complete with moats, dikes, and bastions with low, round defense towers connected by galleries with openings for firearms. In the ensuing centuries it was often reconstructed by the families that owned it; for more than three centuries, until its 1925 purchase by the city, it belonged to the Erdödy clan. From the 12th century up until 1925, the castle served as the seat of the county prefect. You enter through the 16th-century tower gatehouse, which has a wooden drawbridge, to arrive in the internal courtyard with three levels of arcaded galleries. Indoors, there's an extensive display of antique furniture, with pieces laid out in chronological order and each room representing a specific period. Even if you don't go inside, do take a stroll around the perimeter, along a path that takes you between the outer wall and a ditch that used to be the moat.

    Strossmayerovo Šetalište 7, Varaždin, Varaždinska, 42000, Croatia
    042-658–754

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 12 Kn, Closed Mon. and public holidays, Tues.–Fri. 9–5, Sat.–Sun. 9–1
  • 13. Tkalčićeva Street

    Gornji Grad

    This street was once a stream until it was built over, but few people know that the water still flows beneath it. Today Tkalčićeva is a charming, well-maintained pedestrian zone lined with 19th-century town houses, many of which have been converted into popular café-bars at street level, attracting a huge cross section of locals and tourists from morning until late at night.

    Tkalčićeva, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
  • 14. Trakošćan Castle

    Croatia's most visited castle took on its present neo-Gothic appearance during the mid-19th century, compliments of Juraj VI Drašković, whose family had already owned the castle for some 300 years and would go on to live there until 1944 (there has been a building here since the 14th century). The inside is as spectacular as the outside, with the wood-paneled rooms—a Baroque room, a rococo room, a neoclassical room, and so on—filled with period furnishings and family portraits, giving you some idea of how the wealthy local aristocracy once lived. A restaurant, café, and souvenir shop occupy the less extravagant Ministry of Culture–owned building at the foot of the hill.

    Trakošćan 1, Bednja, Varaždinska, 42253, Croatia
    042-796–281

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 40 Kn, Apr.–Oct., daily 9–6; Nov.–Mar., daily 9–4
  • 15. Varaždin Cemetery

    Built in 1773 and thoroughly relandscaped in 1905 by Hermann Haller, a self-taught landscape architect who revolutionized traditional notions of what graveyards should look like, Varaždin's Gradsko groblje is as pleasant a place for a restful stroll as it may be, when the time comes, to be laid to rest in. Replete with flower beds and rows of tall cedars and linden trees flanking ornate memorials and laid out in geometric patterns, the cemetery sublimely manifests Haller's conviction that each plot should be a "serene, hidden place only hinting at its true purpose, with no clue as to whether its occupant is rich or poor, since all are tended equally, surrounded by every kind of flower…producing perfect harmony for the visitor." Haller himself, who ran the cemetery from 1905 to 1946, is buried here in a rather conspicuous mausoleum. You can reach the cemetery by walking about 10 minutes east of the castle along Hallerova aleja.

    Hallerova aleja, Varaždin, Varaždinska, 42000, Croatia
    042-210–987

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: May–Sept., daily 7 am–9 pm; Oct. and Mar.–Apr., daily 7 am–8 pm; Nov.–Feb., daily 7–5
  • 16. Veliki Tabor

    This is one of Croatia's best-preserved and most beautiful late Medieval-Renaissance buildings. Don't miss wandering around the interior of the impressive castle. The colonnaded galleries of the interior cast sublime shadows in moonlight.Outside, you'll find stretching vistas of the rolling hills surrounding you. To reach the site, you need to rent a car and make it part of a half-day tour of rural Zagorje.

    Košnički Hum 1, Desinic, Krapinsko-Zagorska, 49216, Croatia
    049-374–970

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 25 Kn, Apr.–Sept., weekdays 9–5, weekends 9–7; Oct. and Mar., weekdays 9–4, weekends 9–5; Nov.–Feb., every day 9–4
  • 17. Zagreb Cathedral

    Gornji Grad

    Dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to the kings St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus, the Zagreb Cathedral was built on the site of a former 12th-century cathedral destroyed by the Tatars in 1242. The present structure was constructed between the 13th and 16th centuries. The striking neo-Gothic facade was added by architect Herman Bollé following the earthquake of 1880, its twin steeples being the identifying feature of the city's skyline. Behind the impressive main altar are crypts of Zagreb's archbishops and of Croatian national heroes. The interior is imposing and inspires silent reflection. Don't neglect the north wall, which bears an inscription of the Ten Commandments in 12th-century Glagolithic script. The cathedral's face is ever-changing, as its towers are being reconstructed again following the earthquake that hit Zagreb on March 22, 2020.

    Kaptol 31, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-481–4727

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, Daily 7–7. Masses held Mon.–Sat. 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 6 pm; Sun. and church holidays Masses at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 10 am, 11:30 am, 6 pm
  • 18. Archaeological Museum

    Donji Grad

    Museum exhibits here range all the way from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. Pride of place is given to the Vučedol Dove, a three-legged ceramic dove, dating back to the 4th millennium BC, and a piece of linen bearing the longest known text in ancient Etruscan writing. The courtyard features a collection of stone relics from Roman times. The museum also runs the Archaeological Park Andautonia, an ancient Roman town with well-preserved ruins located in the modern-day village of Šćitarjevo, just outside of Zagreb.

    Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 19, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-487–3000

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: 30 Kn, Closed Mon. and public holidays, Tue., Wed., Fri., and Sat 10–6; Thu. 10–8, Sun. 10–1
  • 19. Ban Jelačić Square

    Gornji Grad

    Buildings lining the square date from 1827 onward and include several fine examples of Secessionist architecture. The centerpiece is an equestrian statue of Ban Josip Jelačić, the first Croatian viceroy, erected in 1866. Originally facing north toward Hungary, against which Jelačić waged war as a commander in the Austrian Imperial Army, the statue was dismantled after World War II by the communist government, only to be reinstalled in 1990, this time facing south. The square, which is Zagreb's main one, features the Manduševac fountain located to the east.

    Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
  • 20. Botanički Vrt

    Donji Grad

    Founded in 1889, Zagreb's Botantical Garden includes an arboretum with a regularly used exhibition space, a small artificial lake, and an ornamental bridge. Today, the museum has over 5,000 species of plants and is run by the prestigious Faculty of Science of the University of Zagreb.

    Marulićev trg 9a, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
    01-489-8060

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free, April– Nov., Mon., Tues. 9–2:30, Wed.–Sun. 9–7

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