Day 1 – Zagreb

We arrived at Zagreb on Saturday at 5.15pm on Croatian Airlines and getting out of the airport was a breeze. Zagreb airport (IATA: ZAG) is really small for a capital of a European country. There are no gate-entrances from the aircraft to the airport. The plane will stop on the tarmac and upon taking the staircase down from the airplane, you will be received by a bus waiting for passengers to get in, that will take you at the airport.

Marina and Franjo, our hosts from inZagreb apartments received us at the airport. A 30-minute drive to the city center (Old Town), following the “Zagreb Center” signs was pleasant and easy. In one of the cobbled-streets (Petrinijska) was our apartment on the first floor. Similar to apartment buildings in United States, entrances to apartment buildings in Croatia requires a key. We had a clean, beautiful one bedroom apartment with all the basic facilities – towels, coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave and internet.

After settling in and a quick shower, we headed south on Petrinijska. A 5 minute walk and we were at Glavni Kolodvor (Train Station) – the main train station of Zagreb from where all the national and international trains depart or arrive.

Right next to Glavni Kolodvor is the main post office (Hrvatska Pošta) and stopped by to send some postcards for friends & family around the world. Most post offices in Croatia carry postcards, but the best ones can be bought at souvenir shops or roadside newspaper stands (HRK 2-3).

Walking west on the street right across Glavni Kolodvor, we turned north on Trg Karlja Tomislava. On the right of the street are major consulates and embassies, whereas on the left is the Zrinjevac park, where you will see a lot of teenagers in groups or elderly people walking their dogs. At the intersection of Trg Karlja Tomislava and Josipa Boškovića, you will see the Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti (Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts). Keep walking on Trg Karlja Tomislava and you will reach the main square – Trg Josip Bana Jelačića (pronounced: Trig Yosip Baanaa Yelachicha).

Just past the main square is the Dolac Market where locals sell flowers, vegetables and fruits every morning starting 6am. And walking up a few steps from Dolac Market, on the left is the street Ivana Tkalčića, which is lined up with cafes and restaurants. On a weekend evening, you can see teenagers and young people drinking and partying out at practically every restaurant here.

Our hosts from inZagreb recommended Agava, which is an upscale restaurant as compared to others on the street. It’s a bit high-up from the main street with good views of the other cafes around Tkalčića.

After a sumptuous meal, we walked back to our apartment and called it a day.

Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate of USD 1 = HRK 5 at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult.