Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital, as well as the largest city in Croatia. Unlike most of Croatia’s major destinations which are situated along the coastline, Zagreb can be found in the northern part of the country. Zagreb welcomes a lot of visitors, both passing through to reach the coast, but also as a destination itself. It is hope to several sporting arenas, as well as many museums.
Details
Before visiting any town or city make sure you know the basics. General details and important information.
- Emergency Services: 112
- Language: Croatian
- Currency: Croatian Kuna
- Country Code: HR
- Travel Visa: None required
- Population: 806,341
Risk Level
Researching various official sources, we perceive the risk to holiday makers and travellers are as follows;
Travellers Tips
Top travel advice and interesting tip bits of information from experienced travellers.
Emergencies
For the Emergency services just dial 112 from any phone.
Hospitals in Zagreb
Tourist Offices
Travelling Around
Airports
Train Stations
Zagreb Safety
Where can I keep up with local news?
What are some top tips for keeping safe?
Be alert at all times and be aware of your surroundings. Take the usual safety precautions so you do not become a targets for pickpockets. Don’t put your wallet or mobile phone in your back pocket. Put any valuables items in a dark colour shopping bag when going out to avoid attention.
Car thieves normally target expensive cars but there are some exceptional situations where rental cars have been broken in to. Park the car in well lit areas and use car park with CCTV. Don’t leave valuables on your car seat as it could attract criminals, drive with the car door locked all times.
When withdrawing cash from ATM try to go inside the bank. Beware of withdrawing cash from cash points on pedestrian walkways. Try to withdraw small sums and don’t flash your cash around even in the bank.
What are some areas to avoid?
Avoid clubs that play what is known in Croatia as “Turbo-folk” music. These clubs are often featured in the local newspapers as violence erupts in them quite easily.
Avoid strip clubs at all costs. Most of them are often run by very shady characters, and often overcharge their guests. Recent cases include foreigners that were charged €2000 for a bottle of champagne. These clubs overcharge their customers to the extreme, and their bouncers will not have any mercy if you tell them you are unable to pay. You will soon find yourself in a local hospital. This not only applies to strip clubs in Zagreb, but also all over Croatia.
Steer clear of any drunk and rowdy groups of young people you might encounter in the street (especially on weekends at night) or night trams as random beatings have been known to occur. It is not uncommon for such groups to start unprovoked attacks on passersby, although they target mainly younger crowd and teenagers. These are not common but they do happen occasionally, so take precautions.
Local Traditions
Every culture has its customs and traditions, they have been handed down the generations and are always held in high regards by the local residents.
Annual Ceremonies
Statehood Day
People from Zagreb and many visitors from around the country celebrate the day in 1991 when Croatia achieved its independence. The city of Zagreb hosts parades and a variety of other festivals and events, held in May of each year.
Annual Events
Annual events allow a city come together for some amazing experiences. If visiting at this time, make sure you have your accommodation booked and are always aware of your surroundings when travelling around.
Zagreb Events
Zagreb Springtime Jazz Festival
Local and international jazz performers descend the Zagreb Jazz club for an annual celebration of jazz music, many improvised and inspired performances by some of the worlds top Jazz musicians. Amazing energy and vibrancy fills the city. Usually held in March of each year.
October sees a relatively new film festival in Zagreb having only begun in 2003, it has quickly become a major event attracting many famous film stars and people from the industry, with movie screenings at venues across the city.
The Dance Week Festival is one of the most significant dance festivals in the Croatian regions of Zagreb and Rijeka. Established more than 25 years ago, it is held annually in May or June, international dance theatres / companies and their choreographers come together to present a theatrical & musical extravaganza.
Zagreb Highlights
What are some of the best festivals to check out?
ZAGREBI! Festival is a festival that happens every year in September that encourages students, producers and parties to present their projects in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development to protect the environment. The festival arranges various events of musicians and activists who believe in this noble cause of securing a healthy environment for present and future generations.
Zagreb Dox is an international documentary festival, established in 2005, and is held annually in February. It showcases quality documentary films as well as provides a meeting point for reputed writers, photographers, directors & movie makers. The festival also organizes workshops, pitching forums and presentations to help striving film makers to continue develop their projects.
Zagreb International Folklore Festival
The International Folklore Festival is celebrated in mid-July every year. It is a cultural presentation of all folklore groups belonging to Croatia, other European countries and from remaining continents in many forms of traditional culture, especially folk music and dance heritage. The festival presents various music concerts, performances of folklore groups, exhibitions, and presentations either live or on screen. In addition foreign countries also performs at the festival.
What are some of the top attractions to visit?
The Medvednica Nature Park is situated on the slopes of Mount Medvednica. It was established in 1981. The park has walking and hiking trails and in the winters, the slopes of the mountain provide area for snow sports. There are also a cable car, Veternica cave system, which has large bat colonies and prehistoric remains from the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. It is a picturesque place to visit any time of the year for a family.
Museum of the City of Zagreb was established in 1907. It is located in Opaticka Street, in a restored monumental complex of the former Convent of the Poor Clares, of 1650. The Museum deals with topics from the cultural, artistic, economic and political history of the city spanning from Roman finds to the modern period. The exhibits include 75,000 items arranged systematically into collections of artistic and ordinary objects characteristic of the city and its history.
Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters
The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters is a fine art museum in Zagreb, Croatia exhibiting the collection donated to the city by Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer in 1884. It includes around 4,000 works, of which some 250 are on display, with the remainder in storage, or on display at other museums or gallery institutions in Croatia.
