54 Best Sights in Zagreb and Environs, Croatia

The Naïve school of painting dates back to the 1930s, and the museum features more than 1,900 works of peasant artists who were largely self-taught. The Naïve movement in Croatia began in the village of Hlebine in Koprivnica-Križevci County, and canvases by one of its founders, the highly esteemed Ivan Generalić (1914–1992), 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 is on the second floor of the Raffay Palace.

The building dates from 1895, when it was designed by the Viennese firm Hellmer and Fellner as part of preparations for a state visit by Emperor Franz Josef. In front of the theater, set deep in a round concrete basin, is Ivan Meštrović's 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 repertoire. Don your best clothes as the locals do and enjoy.

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

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 Čigoč. Its 4,858 acres of pastureland are also home to Croatia's highest concentration of indigenous breeds of livestock. Traditional village architecture—in particular, houses made of oak—further contributes to the region's appeal. Three park offices (in Čigoč at Čigoč 26; Repušnica at Fumićeva 184; Krapje at Krapje 16) provide maps and information on where to go and what to see, and also issue park entrance passes. Prices vary with the package; some include boat rides. A car is the easiest way to access the park; if you're 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.

The first museum of its kind in the world 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 the collection has toured numerous locations in Asia, Africa, the United States, and Europe. The museum's collection is ever-expanding, and exhibits change regularly (only 15% of the collection is displayed in a year), which keeps visitors coming back for new stories.

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 that are 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. Since the process is ongoing, new barriers, curtains, stalactites, channels, and cascades are constantly forming and the existing ones are always changing. The deposited sedimentation, or tufa, also coats the beds and edges of the lakes, giving them 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 higher summer entrance fee and the lowered fees during the rest of the year. Plitvice Lakes is not just a summer but a year-round spectacle, with blooming flowers in the spring, sunset-color 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 other hikes range 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, honey, and olive oil are also for sale. Within the lake grounds, there are more than 10 restaurants and bistros offering a mix of local and international cuisine.  At the boat landing near Entrance 2, you can rent gorgeous wooden rowboats for €13 per hour (capacity is four people) during the warm season.

Nestled among the regal buildings of the Croatian parliament, the original church 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, and the steeply pitched roof—decorated in brilliant multicolor 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.  At the time of this writing, the church's interior was closed for renovation, but the exterior is well worth a look. 

Today a historic site and home to part of the City Museum, Varaždin's main attraction is the massive Stari Grad (Old Town), 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 the path that takes you between the outer wall and a ditch that used to be the moat.

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.

Built in 1773 and thoroughly relandscaped in 1905 by Herman Haller, a self-taught landscape architect who revolutionized traditional notions of what graveyards should look like, Varaždin's City Cemetery is as pleasant a place for a restful stroll as can be. Replete with flower beds and rows of tall cedars and linden trees flanking ornate memorials, all 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, 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.

When you arrive here, the view from outside—with stretching vistas of the lush surrounding hills—is sure to stun you, but don't miss wandering around the interior of this impressive castle and learning about its past. Built in the late 15th or early 16th century, the castle had a turbulent history, including being home to nobles (such as the Ratkaj family), being abandoned, and being the site of the chilling legend of Veronika Desnička. The story goes that Veronika, a commoner, and Fridrik II, a count, fell in love, for which they were punished by his noble family. Fridrik is thought to have been locked in a tower in the castle, and Veronika immured in the walls (legend says you can still hear her voice calling out on windy nights). Today the castle hosts many musical, theater, and art events, including the annual Tabor Film Festival, which usually takes place over a week in July.

Dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to the kings St. Stephen and St. Ladislaus, this 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 Hermann 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 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 Glagolitic script. The cathedral's face is ever-changing, as its towers are being reconstructed again following the earthquake that hit Zagreb in 2020.  At the time of this writing, the interior is closed for renovations. 

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 found near Vukovar in Slavonia 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, a 20-minute drive from Zagreb center. At the time of this writing, the museum sometimes offers temporary exhibitions on its first floor. The permanent collection and the rest of the museum building are currently closed for renovations, with no reopening date announced.  Call ahead if you plan to visit to see what's happening.

Buildings lining the city's main 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 also features the Manduševac fountain, located to the east.

Founded in 1889, Zagreb's Botanical Garden includes an arboretum with a regularly used exhibition space, a small artificial lake, and an ornamental bridge. Today, the garden has more than 5,000 species of plants and is run by the prestigious Faculty of Science of the University of Zagreb.  Bring cash, as credit cards aren't accepted.

Located in a traditional wooden Posavina house on the main road through the village center, the information center is the top regional source for all you need to know about storks, the Stork Festival, and nearby Lonjsko Polje Nature Park. Park maps are available for purchase.   Ask about the park's educational programs or appealing boat trips; many options are available for an additional price.

Varaždin's city museum is composed of multiple departments, including Archaeology, History, Ethnography, and more, and is housed in three buildings: the Culture and History Department in the Stari Grad (Old Town) fortress; the Gallery of Old and Contemporary Masters in Sermage Palace, and the Entomology Collection in Herzer Palace. The latter is one of the museum's highlights, with a fascinating presentation of some 50,000 different insect specimens.

Farmers from the countryside set up stalls here daily, though the market is busiest on Saturday and Sunday mornings. On the upper level, fresh fruit and vegetables, along with flowers, traditional souvenirs, and artisan goods from honey to fresh juices are displayed on an open-air piazza. Goods are sold under the protective shade of oversized umbrellas with a distinctive red color, known as Šestinski kišobrani (much smaller versions form part of the traditional garb of Zagreb's Šestine region). Dairy products and meats are sold in an indoor market below.  When you get tired of shopping, pop into one of the stylish eateries right by the market, such as Salo or Broom44, for delicious pastries, brunch, and some of the best coffee in town.

Consecrated in 1650 on the site of a medieval predecessor, this pale yellow church has the highest tower in Varaždin, at almost 180 feet tall. In front is a statue of 10th-century Croatian bishop Grgur Ninski, a replica of the original, which is in Split; another such replica can be seen in Nin.

Housed in the striking 18th-century rococo Palača Sermage (Sermage Palace)—characterized by cinnamon-colored, black-framed geometric medallions decorating its facade and an impressive wrought-iron terrace—this gallery has a rich array of traditional paintings by Croatian and other European artists. It's part of the City Museum Varaždin.

This imposing landmark, one of Europe's oldest city halls, has been the seat of Varaždin's public administration since December 14, 1523. It was completely restored after the great fire of 1776. From May through October you can stop by on a Saturday morning between 11 and noon to watch the changing of the guard called Purgari ( www.varazdinska-garda.com), a 250-year-old tradition that lives on.

Near the spa town of Sveti Martin in the Varaždin region, Jakopić Winery is operated by brothers Martin and Branimir Jakopić, who offer superb dining as well as several kinds of tastings of wines from the lush vineyards near the border with Slovenia. The first wine here was produced in 1908, and the winery is especially renowned for its Pušipel, a notable white wine variety indigenous to Međimurje.

The original 13th-century city walls had four gates, of which only Kamenita vrata remains. Deep inside the dark passageway, locals stop to pray before a small shrine adorned with flickering candles. In 1731 a devastating fire consumed all the wooden elements of the gate. Legend says that only a painting of the Virgin and Child, which was found in the ashes, remained remarkably undamaged. The gate has since become a pilgrimage site, as can be seen from the numerous stone plaques reading Hvala Majko Božja (Thank you, Mother of God).

The look of the city's rectangular main square is largely Baroque and positively lovely, all the more so because some building facades show art nouveau influences. In particular, the pharmacy building at No. 11 has two angels presiding, appropriately, on top. Also overlooking the square is a 17th-century parish church. Enjoy a coffee and a slice of kremšnita at one of the cafés dotting the square.

Located off St. Catherine's Square, Croatia's largest art museum opened in 1982. International, local, classical, and modern art shows are regularly held in its three-story exhibition space, and concerts often take place in the gallery's beautiful atrium.  Some of the city's best street art is hidden just behind the building as well.

Built in the16th century, this tower is the only part of Varaždin's northern town wall that has been preserved. The wall formed part of the onetime city fortress, but most of it was razed in the early 19th century. It's from this spot that Ban Josip Jelačić (to whom Zagreb's main square is also dedicated) led 50,000 soldiers across the Drava in 1848, taking back Croatia's northernmost region of Međimurje from the Hungarian Kingdom. In 2022, during work on the tower, archaeological ruins of the ancient defense system around Varaždin were discovered.

Formerly the entrance to the fortified medieval town of Gradec, Kula Lotrščak now houses a multilevel gallery with occasional exhibits of contemporary art. Each day at noon, a small cannon is fired from the top of the tower in memory of the times when it was used to warn of the possibility of an Ottoman attack. You can climb the tower partway via a spiral wooden staircase for a look into the gallery rooms (which occupy several floors), or you can ascend all the way to the observation deck for splendid views of Zagreb and its environs. You can also take the 216-foot Zagreb Funicular (the world's shortest) straight to the tower.

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 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 gate opposite the city's main soccer stadium, aptly named Stadion Maksimir. A long wide promenade flanked by benches leads to Bellevue Pavilion (1843), perched atop a small hill and featuring a café. Do 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 Grada Zagreb, where admission is €4. To your left is a playground. One restaurant is located in the zoo, and two others are in the park outside it.

On the southwest flank of Mt. Medvednica's summit proudly sits Medvedgrad Castle, Zagreb's guardian fortress and the inspiration for many legends. The original was built in the 13th century by Bishop Filip of Zagreb, but it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1590. Today, the renovated building houses an interactive family-friendly museum with exhibits on the castle's past as well as the surrounding nature; it's worth an hour or two of your time. You can also 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 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.

Although the labor camps at Jasenovac were razed after World War II, a memorial park was eventually established at the site, along with a museum featuring photographs and other exhibits related to the memorial. Current estimates are that somewhere between 77,000 and 97,000 people—mostly Serbs, Jews, Roma, and Croatian antifascists—perished at this string of five camps on the banks of the Sava River between 1941 and 1945 from exhaustion, illness, cold weather, and murder.