Zagreb, Croatia

About a month ago I found a discount (700 Kč / $40) on a one-way bus ticket to Zagreb. The bus left last night at 11:30 and it took a little over six hours to get here from Brno. I was able to sleep for a while during the trip I was fine to tackle the city.

Zagreb is Croatia's capital and has around 1 million inhabitants. There are two parts to the city. The lower town has wide boulevards, large squares, parks, the botanical garden and some cool buildings. The upper town is much more historic with St. Mark's church, the cathedral, government buildings and nice views of the city.

Between upper and lower town is Ban Jelačíć Square. This is the main meeting point in the town center. The square has a large statue of Josip Jelačíć on a horse that was put in place in 1866. He was a Croatian viceroy who defeated the Hungarians in an 1848 battle. In 1947 the Yugoslav communist government removed the statue because it was thought to fan the flames of Croatian nationalism. The statue put back when Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is the tallest building in Croatia. The neo-Gothic church can accommodate 5,000 people.

In front of the cathedral is a plague memorial.


Lotršcak Tower used to be the main city fort. It was built in the mid-18th century. Every day at noon a cannon is fired from the tower.

Zagreb's botanical garden has founded in 1890 and has over 10,000 different plants. It is a very peaceful place in the city. And the best part is that it is free to visit.

St. Mark's is an 18th century church. It's known for its multicolored tile roof featuring the crests of Croatia the city of Zagreb. Most churches tend to be more ornate on the inside than on the outside. Not so here. The outside of the church is definitely nicer than the inside. There is a regular changing of the guard performed in front of the church.

Near the church is parliament. Croatia will be the 28th country to join the EU next year. Everywhere you look in Zagreb are Croatian and EU flags together.

OK, I'm off to bed now. I have an early bus in the morning to Plitvice.