Unique Things To Do In Zagreb

An Overview of Zagreb

Zagreb is a beautiful city serving as a cultural and economic hub for the Republic of Croatia. The city was initially “founded” when the medieval towns of Gradec and Kaptol merged into one administrative zone. Since then, Zagreb has maintained many of it’s historical buildings and neighborhoods. While the majority of Zagreb is spread out, the historic center is compact and can easily be strolled around. There are many unique things to do in Zagreb.

Unique Things To Do In Zagreb

St. Mark’s Church

St. Mark’s Church is one of the oldest architectural features of Zagreb, located in St. Mark’s Square in the upper district of the city. The church is a pretty structure with a uniquely patterned rooftop and a useful landmark when visiting some of Zagreb’s historical features.

Tkalciceva Street (Ulica Ivana Tkalčića)

This is a vibrant shopping and pedestrian street found in Zagreb’s city center. The route passes cafés and streetside shopping centers, extending to the central Ban Jelačić Square.

Zagreb Museum of Broken Relationships

This is a poignant and emotional museum in a repurposed baroque palace. The museum showcases exhibits made of personal objects left behind by people recalling profound and ended relationships. It includes memorabilia from former lovers, parents, siblings and children lost. Each item is accompanied by a brief, poetic description. The museum is one of the more unique things to do while visiting Zagreb.

Brestovac Sanatorium

Hidden in the woods past winding roads heading North of Zagreb, this ruined building was once a state-of-the-art tuberculosis hospital and treatment spa. In the late 1960s, the building was eventually abandoned. It’s now know as a popular field for paintball players.

Ban Josip Jelačić Square

Surounded by narrow buildings and a damatic statue on horseback, Ban Jelačić Square is the central square of Zagreb. The square is named for Ban Josip Jelačić, a successful army general and influential supporter of Croatian independence and the abolition of the serfdom system.

Lotrščak Tower

This is a fortified tower found in the old part of Zagreb’s Upper Town. The tower, which was constructed in the 13th century, was originally part of the southern gate’s defense system. The tower is an excellent overlook for viewing the city and is often seen when taking Zagreb’s funicular to the Upper Town area.

Dolac Market

Dolac Market is a popular and bright open-air farmer’s market found in the center of Zagreb, within Gornji Grad. The market is known as a scenic and enjoyable sight, partially due to the red-and-white umbrellas which shelter the venue. The market operates Monday to Saturday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. On Sundays, the hours are from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Nikola Tesla Technical Museum

The Nikola Tesla Technical Museum is a history-and-technology education center in Zagreb showcasing the scientific inventions applied to Croatia’s development. The museum contains exhibits of cars, machinery and historic aircrafts.

Muzej Mamurluka (Museum of Hangovers)

The museum of hangovers is a novel art-and-culture center full of entertaining and surprisingly insightful stories about drinks and hangovers. The museum also offers “drunk simulator” activities, such as playing “drunk darts” while wearing drunk goggles or crash spectacularily while driving drunk in the drunk-car simulator.

Croatian Museum of Naïve Art

During the 20th century, art materials became more widely accessible to the public and Western art styles gradually moved to formal, instructional and academic creative expressions. The Naïve Art form was created promoting the opposite traits, using allowing self-taught painters and sculptors with non-centralized styles to show off their masterworks, despite being not formally trained. Naïve art was especially prominent in Croatia, where middle-class citizens from the villages and countryside created artworks. The museum is one of the more unique things to do in Zagreb.

Grič Tunnel

Originally operating as an underground WWII evacuation tunnel, this pedestrian route was converted into a walkthrough cultural center displaying the history, culture and events regarding Croatia.

Stone Gate

The Stone Gate is a landmark found in the Upper Town area of Zagreb. The white structure leading to a cobbled road houses a small statue of the Virgin Mary and small, intimate chapel. The Gate was originally built between 1242 and 1266 but was restored to it’s modern appearance during the 18th century.

Art Park Zagreb

This is a small, colorful hillside park with various outdoor artwork features. It’s a popular location for people to rest and relax.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Located roughly two hours away from Zagreb, this is a popular day trip and UNESCO World heritage site. The gorgeous area is known for it’s stunning chain of 16 terraced lakes connected by a series of tumbling waterfalls moving down a limestone canyon.

Park Zrinjevac

This is part of a green belt leading to some of the more beautiful and relaxing places in Zagreb. One feature are the artful fountains found at Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square, which are often lit up at night.

Arheološki muzej u Zagrebu (Archaeological Museum in Zagreb)

This museum contains over 400,000 artifacts and monuments gathered from various sources with the core of the exhibitions centered around Croatian historical items. \

Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb

Located in the southern downtown part of the city, the Zagreb Botanical Garden is a relaxing space full of different plant species, walking trails, quiet ponds, fountains and flower beds.

Žumberak and Samobor Mountains

Located an hour-and-a-half West of Zagreb, this small mountain range is a protected nature reserve filled with alpine ridges, karst formations, expansive pastures, bears, wolves, deer and numerous species of birds.

The Ethnographic Museum of Zagreb

This is a well-organized cultural heritage museum exploring traditional lifestyles of Croatia’s people. The venue has a large collection of historical artifacts, restored traditional outfits and unique instruments.

Samobor Castle

Located a half-hour outside of Zagreb, Samobor Castle is a ruined structure found atop Tepec Hill in Samobor. The old castle contains spectacular ruins encased in greenery, allowing visitors to see the old castle moat and massive walled-entrances.

Krapina Neanderthal Museum

Located an hour North of Zagreb, this compelling museum chronicles the evolution of humans with a strong focus on the Neanderthal period. The museum has various exhibits showing how Neanderthals are thought to have lived, using models, artwork, semi-caves and in-depth descriptions.

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