Travel to Zagreb Croatia

Travel to Zagreb Croatia

Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. The first recorded appearance of the name Zagreb dates back to 1094, at which time the city existed as two different city centers: the smaller, eastern Kaptol, inhabited mainly by clergy and housing the Zagreb Cathedral, and the larger, western Gradec, inhabited mainly by farmers and merchants. They were united in 1851.

Some sources suggest that the name derives from the term 'za breg' or 'beyond the hill'. The hill may well have been the river bank of the River Sava, which is believed to have previously flowed closer to the city center. According to another old legend, a city ruler was thirsty and ordered a girl named Manda to take water from Lake Manduševac (nowadays a fountain in Ban Jelačić Square), using the sentence: "Zagrabi, Mando!" which means, Scoop it up, Manda!

A Cafe Culture Downtown outdoor cafes are crammed with caffeine-seeking voyeurs, assessing the passersby while gossiping or debating politics. Friendly and funny, many of the city's residents speak English. No double skim lattes, these purists go for espresso -- with or without whipped cream -- or cappuccino elegantly served in cup and saucer.

The Food Over the past millennia, Romans, Ottomans, Venetians and Austrians have all battled over Croatia. The result is a remarkably diverse cuisine based on quality ingredients. Be sure to order Paski sir (cheese from the island of Pag), janjetina na raznju (spit-roasted lamb) and riba na gradele (fish on the grill), as well as Turkish treats cevapi u somunu (grilled meat dumplings) and raznjici (pork shish-kabab). And with all the vineyards around, wine is delicious and inexpensive.

The Cathedral Despite being communist until 1989, Croatia managed to retain its Catholic religion. The twin spires of Zagreb's neo-Gothic cathedral dominate the downtown skyline.

Archeology The Zagreb mummy is too macabre to resist. This mummified body of a woman, replete with toenails and hair, was brought to Croatia from Egypt in 1848. Like many celebrities, the Zagreb mummy is most famous for her clothes. Her bandage wrapping are strips of an Etruscan book made of linen, the longest known text (1,200 words) in this as-yet un translated language.

Museum of Broken Relationships winner of Kenneth Hudson Award for the most innovative museum in Europe. The Museum grew from a traveling exhibition revolving around the concept of failed relationships and their ruins. Unlike ‘destructive’ self-help instructions for recovery from failed loves, the Museum offers a chance to overcome an emotional collapse through creation: such as contributing to the Museum's collection.

The Ethnographic Museum was founded in 1919 and holdings about 80,000 items that cover the ethnographic heritage of Croatia, it comprises three cultural zones: the Pannonian, Dinaric and Adriatic. There are about 3,000 items in the permanent display of the Museum, and they are arranged so as to illustrate two main themes: the folk costumes of Croatia and the popular art and handicrafts with a representative selection of lace from Pag, goldsmith work and Konavle jewelry, as well as collections of rarities from extra-European traditional cultures.

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Varazdin – Trakoscan – Krapina  Northern Croatia – Zagorje. Your first destination is Varaždin, once the capital of Croatia and a town with a well-preserved baroque urban complex. Walk around the picturesque Varaždin streets and visit the National Theatre building, St. Nicholas Church, numerous Baroque style palaces, the old gymnasium, the graveyard with flower beds and geometric patterns. Your journey continues to one of the most beautiful castles in Croatia – Trakoščan – with a guided tour around the castle and its park.

Your excursion continues to Krapina and the Neanderthal museum. The main attraction is the authentic reconstruction of a Neanderthal family of 17 people. The archaeological site on a hill called Husnjak had over eight hundred fossil remains of 75 Neanderthals along with tools and weapons, making it one of the most significant in Europe. 

Rakstone - Plitvice Lake Stopover in a picturesque place called Rastoke - with its watermills run by a waterfall named Fairy's Hair. The Plitvice Lakes - 16 magnificent lakes embroidered with hundreds of wonderful white waterfalls in the midst of forests situated in the mountainous Lika region of Croatia - are part of UNESCO's list of World natural heritage. Walk along pathways and wooden bridges across the lakes and around waterfalls. A boat will take you to the other shore of the lake and the train station.

 

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