Zagreb holidays

How to reach Zagreb

Flight time: Flights to Zagreb from London take about 2 hours 20 minutes. Several airlines operate direct flights from major UK airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

Transfer time: From Zagreb Airport, it takes about 30 minutes to reach the city centre by taxi. The airport shuttle bus to the main bus station takes about 35 minutes, and from there, it’s a short tram ride to the centre.

Price:

• The airport shuttle bus costs around 30 HRK (€4) one-way.

• A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs approximately 200 HRK (€27).

Weather and best time to visit Zagreb

April to June:

• A wonderful time to visit if you enjoy warm weather and fewer tourists.

• Temperatures range from 15°C to 25°C, with minimal rainfall (20–50mm) and plenty of sunshine (8–10 hours daily).

July to August:

• Peak season in the city sees temperatures reach 30°C or higher, with barely any rainfall and about 11–12 hours of sunshine daily.

• It’s perfect for exploring the city’s outdoor attractions.

September to November:

• Shoulder season is a pleasant time to visit with temperatures from 18°C to 26°C, more manageable crowds, and about 7–9 hours of sunshine.

• Rainfall increases slightly, ranging from 50mm to 100mm.

December to March:

• Low season when temperatures drop to around 0°C to 10°C, and snowfall is common.

• The city is quieter, and accommodation prices are lower, making it a good time for a peaceful visit, while the Advent markets add spice to the pre-Christmas season.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Croatian is the official language, but English is widely spoken throughout the city.

• Local habits and customs: Croatians are welcoming and gregarious. Greeting people with a smile and saying "dobar dan" (good day) will be much appreciated. Tips (napojnice) are not obligatory, but if you’ve had a round of drinks or a full meal, it’s polite to round up the bill by 10 percent or to the nearest convenient figure.

• Currency: The official currency is the Croatian Kuna (HRK). ATMs are widely available, and credit cards are accepted in most places.

• Getting around: The city’s extensive public transport system includes buses, trams and taxis. A single tram or bus ticket costs around 8 HRK (€1), and a day ticket 30 HRK (€4), though renting a bike is a popular way to explore the city.

• Electricity and plug types: Wall sockets in Croatia operate at 220 volts and take round, two-pin plugs. UK travellers should purchase a continental adaptor before leaving home.

• Time zone: Zagreb is in Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT. Daylight Saving Time is observed.

Best things to do in Zagreb

Croatia’s understated capital’s combination of café society, contemporary art and cultural energy more than merits a lengthy trip.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Lotrščak Tower: A tightly wound spiral staircase leads up to a small wooden terrace, with superb views of Zagreb’s red-tiled roofs below; don’t miss, either, the daily firing of the Grič cannon at noon.

• Zagreb 360°: Take the lift to the top floor of the sleek 1950s skyscraper on Zagreb’s main square to reach the Zagreb Eye, a combined café and viewing deck that provides sweeping city views.

The best districts

• Upper Town: A tightly wound maze of cobblestone streets, quaint squares and medieval buildings make this a delightful part of the city to explore.

• Gradec: The oldest and most atmospheric part of Zagreb, a leafy, tranquil area of tiny streets, small squares and Baroque palaces.

Museums

• Museum of Broken Relationships: This mould-breaking museum of human emotions is witty, well designed and wryly philosophical all at the same time.

• Naive Art Museum: Excellent introduction to the work of Croatia’s self-taught village painters, who created something of a sensation when first ‘discovered’ by the mainstream art world of the 1930s.

Parks and gardens

• Maksimir Park: Zagreb’s largest and lushest open space is perfect for aimless strolling, with the straight-as-an-arrow, tree-lined avenues at its southwestern end giving way to more densely forested areas in its northern reaches.

• Zrinjevac Park: A typical late 19th-century city park, featuring shady walks, a bandstand and a fountain designed by the ubiquitous Hermann Bollé, which looks like a bizarre cross between a cake stand and a toadstool.

Historical monuments

• Zagreb Cathedral: The tallest building in Croatia, the twin spires of this stunning Gothic cathedral dominate the city’s skyline, and the interior is just as head-turning.

• Monument to the Victims of the Holocaust and the Ustaša Regime: Taking the form of a huge pile of suitcases, this is a sobering reminder that an estimated 800 Zagreb Jews were deported to Auschwitz in August 1942.

Day trips in the area

• Plitvice Lakes National Park: A bewitching sequence of foaming waterfalls and turquoise lakes, hemmed in by forest-clad hills - and a UNESCO World Heritage site to boot.

• Varaždin: A postcard-perfect Baroque town, complete with opulent squares, crumbling palaces and a unique garden cemetery.

Activities for families in Zagreb

As a family-oriented city, there are several weeks’ worth of activities here to engage young minds during your Zagreb holidays.

• Parks and gardens: There’s green space aplenty for families to dive into, including Maksimir Park, with its numerous playgrounds, while the open meadows of Cmrok are perfect for picnics, frisbee games and sledging if it snows in winter.

• Interactive museums: The Museum of Illusions is a hit with kids and adults alike, offering interactive exhibits that challenge perceptions and delight the senses, as does the Nikola Tesla Museum, which also has cool demonstrations of Tesla’s experiments.

• Aquariums and zoos: Leopards, otters and seals are among the most popular animals at the city zoo, along with well-known resident Robi the Tapir, who has enjoyed a measure of media attention for forecasting international football results.

• Theme parks and adventure: Karting Arena Zagreb offers adrenaline-pumping go-karting fun, while there are numerous escape rooms around the city for some family-friendly problem-solving adventures.

Free things to do in Zagreb

You could pretty much spend a week in Zagreb and not have to spend a penny, such is the range of free things to see and do.

• Free events: Zagreb’s impressive menu of cultural events includes a superb range of free festivals, such as April’s Festival of Lights, a series of installations and multimedia works spread across the city centre, and Cest is de best, a week-long festival of street performers augmented by a big range of live music.

• Free museums: Many museums in Zagreb offer free entry on certain days. The Museum of Contemporary Art is free on the first Wednesday of every month, while the Croatian Museum of Naive Art is free on International Museum Day.

• Explore by public transport: Zagreb’s trams are a convenient way to explore the city on the cheap, and for just a few kuna, you can ride through the city’s various districts ticking off many of the key sights.

• Outdoor art and architecture: Wander through the streets of Zagreb to discover its many outdoor art installations and street murals. One particularly novel attraction is the World War II Grič Tunnel which has been spruced up and can be visited free of charge.

Nature and outdoor activities in Zagreb

The city is fortunate enough to be located on the doorstep of a wide range of outdoorsy destinations, which makes holidays to Zagreb more than just exploring the big city.

• Hiking: Just north of Zagreb, Medvednica Nature Park is a haven for hikers with trails for all levels, leading to the peak of Sljeme, where you can soak up panoramic views of the city and beyond. In winter, it's skiing and snowboarding that come to the fore.

• Cycling: Zagreb is a bike-friendly city with numerous cycling paths, though most folk head for the Sava embankment, which has a pedestrian and cycle path running along the top on both sides.

• Kayaking and rafting: For a water-based adventure, the nearby Mreznica or Una rivers should do the trick, with opportunities for both kayaking and rafting in this stunning setting.

• Bird-watching: Nearby Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is a particularly beautiful stretch of seasonally flooded wetland, home to a diverse array of bird species. But what really draws people here are its nesting storks.

Local dishes in Zagreb

The capital is home to the best of Croatia’s new gastro-bistro culture, with a growing number of small, affordable and creative restaurants leading the way.

Some typical dishes

• Štrukli: Firmly part of the city’s culinary landscape, this baked or boiled pastry is densely packed with cheese, and extremely flavoursome it is too.

• Zagrebački odrezak: Similar to a schnitzel, this local offering is a breaded and fried veal or pork cutlet fully stuffed with ham and cheese.

Meat dishes

• Ćevapi: Juicy rissoles of grilled minced meat served with ajvar (a pepper-based condiment) and flatbread - the Balkan staple.

• Peka: Slow-roasted lamb, octopus or other local goodies under the ember-covered metal lid known as a peka, this is the traditional route to a deliciously succulent meal.

Sweets and desserts

• Kremšnita: A lush custard and cream cake that you’ll find in any self-respecting Zagreb patisserie.

• Palačinke: Sate your sweet-toothed fantasies with these Croatian-style crepes, usually served with marmalade, chocolate sauce or walnuts.

Local drinks

• Rakija: There’s nothing like a shot of rakija (grape brandy) to oil the wheels of social intercourse. Knock back a herb-infused travarica or carob-flavoured rogačica for a truly heart- and soul-warming experience.

• Craft beer: The IPAs, red beers and porters produced by Zagreb’s Medvedgrad brewery are delicious, and best enjoyed in one of the city’s many convivial kavanas (cafés).