Zagreb

Zagreb is a city in Central Croatia and the capital of Croatia. The city has a charming medieval 'old city' with architecture and cobbled streets reminiscent of Vienna, Budapest, Prague and other Central-European capitals.

Understand
Zagreb is a vibrant city of around 770,000 people (2021, metropolitan area: 1,100,000). In 2017 it was visited by over a million tourists, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy. Zagreb is also well known for its Advent festival, which occurs from December to early January, boasting vibrant nightlife and additional cultural and gastronomic activities.

Tourist information


Other information points are located at the airport, bus station, railway station and at the Lotrščak Tower.

By plane
Getting there:


 * Buses leave from the airport at 07:00 and every 30 minutes between 08:00 and 20:00. Beyond these hours, there are buses leaving to the main bus station every time a Croatia Airlines plane lands. When traveling to the airport from the main Zagreb bus station, the buses are scheduled between 04:30 and 20:30. A journey takes about 30 min. The price of the single ticket is . Online timetable can be checked at the Pleso prijevoz website. Airport buses leave from the main bus station which is in the wider city center; they leave from its northeast wing (toward the city)—look for "Croatia Airlines" and "Eurolines" banners on the building.
 * A cheaper local ZET bus 290 also goes to the city center (and back to the airport) from the main road outside the terminal.
 * You can also order a taxi, Bolt or Uber. A ride from the airport to the city center can cost from.

By train
There are direct services from major European cities such as Vienna (6½ hours) via Graz (4 hours), Budapest, Zurich, Munich, Salzburg, Ljubljana and Belgrade as well as domestic services to all major towns (except Dubrovnik). There is also an all-year-round overnight train (with sleeping compartments) between Zagreb and Split (6 hours, 8 if going overnight). The main rail station is centrally located.

Trains are not fast everywhere in the country; a journey to Split takes ~6 hours while by bus it takes ~5 hours, while other destinations along the coast are practically not reachable by train.

Croatian railway times and prices can be found here where you can buy e-tickets for travel within Croatia. There is a Croatian rail app but this does not appear to be available to non residents of Croatia.

Tourists coming from or going to neighboring capitals should note the following EuroCity and InterCity as well as EuroNight railway lines:
 * EC "Mimara": Villach - Ljubljana - Zagreb
 * EC "Croatia": Vienna - Maribor - Zagreb, also by EuroNight train
 * IC "Agram": Budapest - Zagreb
 * EN "Lisinski": Stuttgart - Munich - Salzburg - Ljubljana - Zagreb (overnight), extending to Rijeka April-Aug
 * EN "Alpine Pearls": Zurich - Innsbruck - Ljubljana - Zagreb - Belgrade (day part from Belgrade, overnight from Zurich)
 * B 410: Ljubljana - Zagreb - Belgrade (overnight service)

Trains no longer run across the border to Sarajevo in Bosnia. The work-around route is to take the local train from Zagreb main station at 09:00 to Hrvatska Kostajnica, arriving by 10:45, for a fare of. This is 3 km from the Bosnian border crossing, either take a taxi, or walk south into town then east and cross the river by the first bridge. Once you've entered Bosnia, find a taxi to Banja Luka, 100 km southeast, costing around and taking approximately 90 min. You'll reach Banja Luka in time to catch the 15:49 local train to Sarajevo via Zenica, arriving by 20:41. (The easier workaround, but with less trains, is a direct bus from Zagreb to Banja Luka for ; The journey takes 3.5 hr and you'll arrive in Banja Luka directly at the joint bus and train station at around 14:00.)

Most of the services are operated by Croatian Railways. EuroNight trains can be booked via ÖBB (Austrian railways), DB (German railways) or SBB (Swiss railways), or any other ticketing agency.

You can leave you luggage in lockers in the hallway of the Zagreb Main railway station´s central area. Locker rental price per day varies per locker size: from approximately.

You can hand over your luggage for safekeeping at the Passenger Service Office on Platform 1, too. This will cost you approximately per day.

By bus
International bus lines come from London, Paris, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, numerous cities in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, many destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia.

Timetable information and prices can be found at the AKZ website. Croatian and international coach operators maintain scheduled lines covering all major domestic and European cities.

You can hand over your luggage for safekeeping at the platform 106 of the main bus station. This service operates from 06:00-22:00.

For luggage up to 40 kg the price is per hour for the first four hours, and  for any following hour.

By car
Almost all highways (motorway; autocesta in Croatian) in Croatia start or end in Zagreb.

Travellers from Vienna can pass by Graz and Maribor and then take the A2 highway upon entering Croatia. Mind the toll in Slovenia.

Travellers from Budapest can pass by Székesfehérvár and then use the Croatian A4 motorway. It also connects Varaždin. You will have to pay toll from shortly after entering Croatia until shortly before reaching Zagreb.

Travellers heading from Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey can use the Croatian A3 motorway to reach Zagreb.

Travellers heading from Ljubljana can use the A3.

Travellers coming from the west - Italy, Rijeka or Istria - can use the A7 motorway (near and bypassing Rijeka), A6 motorway (Rijeka-Bosiljevo) and then the A1 (Bosiljevo-Zagreb).

Those travelling from Italy can bypass the expensive motorway toll in Slovenia by using the state route SS21 through Trieste, route E61 through Slovenia (in a bad shape) and then A7 south to Rijeka, then Rijeka bypass, then A6 east to Bosiljevo and A1 northeast to Zagreb.

Travellers heading from the south - Dalmatian coast (Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik...) or from Montenegro - can use the A1 highway, often combined with the state roads D8 (by the coastline) and D1 (through the hinterland).

To use highways in Croatia you must pay in euro. You may also pay by credit card- American Express, Diners, MasterCard, Maestro or Visa cards. A third option is to use the HAC Smart Card, which can reduce the cost of travelling on the Croatian highways by 10-25%. It is issued by Hrvatske Autoceste, but pays off only if travelling more than 500 km (that's a return trip Zagreb-Zadar or Zagreb-Serbia) or 250 km for a seasonal Smart Card (a return trip Zagreb-Rijeka or two return trips to Zagreb from Austrian border). There are also transponders by Hrvatske Autoceste for electronic toll collection (called ENC). You can find a toll details here.

Get around


Zagreb has a well-developed and efficient public transport system that consists of trams, buses and trains. You can find routes and schedules from Easyway journey planner or Google maps.

The tram network operates 24 hours a day - from around 04:30 to just after 00:00 there are 15 "day-time lines" (tram lines 2–9, 11-15 and 17). From 00:00 to 04:00 there are 4 "night" lines (tram lines 31-34) which cover most of the day-time lines on a reduced (around 30-40 minute) frequency. Occasionally, buses replace trams on night lines. Tram lines 1, 3, and 8 do not operate Saturdays, Sundays and on public holidays. Tram 1 doesn't operate in Summer. Maps of daytime lines are available under the link "Network of daytime tram lines". Both buses, trams and the funicular are operated by ZET.

By bus
As for the buses, there are 138 day-time and 4 night lines. ZET buses cover the area outside the city center, and some neighboring towns in Zagreb county. The buses use the same ticketing system as the trams. There does not appear to be a map of bus routes. Google Maps is probably the easiest planner to use.

By funicular
A historic funicular railway (uspinjača in Croatian), one of the steepest and shortest in the world, operates between the lower and upper towns with a travel time of just one minute. The funicular operates every 10 minutes, but for a fee of (in addition to regular tickets for everyone on board), an immediate ride can be purchased.

Funicular Fare

Ticketing system for buses & trams
ZET operate city buses, trams, funicular & Sljeme cable car.

Paper tickets & chip cards can be purchased at any news-stand/kiosk (Tisak), including at the airport. It is cheaper to buy a ticket here than from a driver.

Many locals use Stored Value electronic chip cards to pay for the ride. These can be bought at ZET company offices for and need to be charged with money in advance. They are also used for the multiple day tickets. The advantage is that they are easier to use than paper tickets, as buses and trams often have fewer machines that accept paper tickets (one by the first and one by the last tram doors). If you want a cheaper short-duration option, you need to select it on the display before waving the chip card, otherwise you'll buy a 1.5-hour ticket.

Another easy option is to buy tickets by smartphone using the MOJ ZET app (iOS, Android) which can be topped up in euro increments using a credit card. You purchase tickets on the app and then activate them by reading the blue QR code near the vehicle doors or using NFC. Tickets purchased from the drivers

By train
Trains operated by Croatian Railways (Hrvatske Željeznice) run every 15 minutes from the east to west of the city, connecting the suburbs of Zagreb with the central railway station. They are usually the quickest form of transport for those coming from the areas of Zagreb far from the railway station (Glavni kolodvor), or beyond the tram network.

Zagreb Card
Travellers who intend to visit many museums may consider buying the Zagreb Card. The card offers unlimited travel on public transport in Zagreb, discounts at virtually all of the city's museums, reduced prices at many restaurants, shops, and service providers and many other concessions. As of 2023, it costs for 24 hours or  for 72 hours from the date and time entered on the card. Holders of the card also receive a special booklet with a list of all of the establishments and the discounts available to them. The card can be purchased at any of Zagreb's Tourist Information Centre, at the reception desks of the majority of Zagreb's hotels, and ordered online (shipping cost is added).

By bicycle
There are few companies that offer bicycle rent option:



nextbike is the one which offers automated public bike rental stations. Bikes are available at 20 stations in the city. 

Tariff is per 30 mins. Weekly and annual passes are also available for and  respectively. They include unlimited number of free rides up to 30 minutes. Additional 30 min is charged according to the usual tariff. You can pay using mobile application. 

By foot
Zagreb is a compact city and can be best explored by walking. For the lower town (Donji Grad) the six squares of Lenuci Horshoe and the Botanical Garden can be covered in about 2 - 3 hours of walking. This area is also the home of Zagreb's major museums, galleries and theaters. The upper town (Gornji Grad) can also be covered in about 2 - 3 hours of walking and includes the cathedral, St. Mark's Church and Main square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića) and the Museum of Broken Relationship.

By taxi
There are few taxi companies in Zagreb:



By car
Zagreb has about average traffic congestion for a city of its size. However parking in the inner city is a problem. It is expensive and time limited and empty parking spaces are hard to find.

City is divided into few zones, parking tariffs are the following:


 * I zone: per hour or  per 1/2 hour. Maximum parking time is 2 hours.
 * II zone: per hour. Maximum parking time is 3 hours.
 * III zone: per hour.
 * IV.1 zone: per day.
 * IV.2 zone: per day.

Parking payment methods:


 * ZgPark mobile application
 * m-parking service
 * Parking meters. Cards are accepted only in newly installed parking meters.
 * Electronic parking permit purchased at a newsstand
 * Zagrebparking’s ePK Portal

There are also 2 companies that offer car sharing:



See


Caution: Several of Zagreb's historical buildings sustained damage due to a moderate earthquake that struck the city in March 2020 and are temporarily closed until repairs are finished.

The city of Zagreb is mainly divided into two parts Gornji grad (Upper Town) and Donji grad (Lower Town). They are the cultural, religious, and commercial hubs of Zagreb. These are where most of the restaurants, bars and tourist sights are located. The Upper Town, which is the medieval core of the city, developed as two separate (and often warring) towns - Kaptol, the seat of the Bishop (where the imposing Cathedral now stands), and Gradec, the free town where tradesmen and artisans lived (proclaimed by King Bela of Hungary in the 12th century) merged in the 1770s to form the northern section of historic Zagreb. Following this, the city expanded south of today's Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića (Jelačić Square) to the railway station and the Sava River.

Apart from the two main parts, the City of Zagreb is extended both north-south and east-west. The northern part consists of the mountains and wilderness while the Southern part extends beyond the River Sava and consists of modern Zagreb and is known as Novi Zagreb. So Zagreb can be classified under five areas:
 * Upper Town (Gornji Grad)
 * Lower Town (Donji Grad)
 * Northern Zagreb
 * Trnje
 * New Zagreb (Novi Zagreb)

Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
Churches and religious structures:

Parks:

Museums: Most museums and historical sights close at 13:00 on Sundays and do not reopen until Tuesday. Other Buildings:

Donji Grad (Lower Town)
Parks: Other city parks are connected in the "Lenuci Horseshoe", an unfinished project of combining small green squares and parks at the core of the centre of the town.



Museums: Most museums and historical sights close at 13:00 on Sundays and do not reopen until Tuesday.

Street architecture:

Novi Zagreb
Lakes Zagreb has two very popular lakes:

Museums:

Do

 * Football: GNK Dinamo Zagreb play soccer in HNL, the top tier. Their home ground is Stadion Maksimir (capacity 28,000) 2 km east of city centre.
 * NK Lokomotiva also play in HNL, at Stadion Kranjčevićeva (capacity 5000) 1 km southwest of city centre.
 * NK Rudeš were relegated in 2024 so they now play in Prva NL the second tier. Their home ground is 3 km west of city centre but they sometimes use the Lokomotiva ground, Stadion Kranjčevićeva.
 * NK Lokomotiva also play in HNL, at Stadion Kranjčevićeva (capacity 5000) 1 km southwest of city centre.
 * NK Rudeš were relegated in 2024 so they now play in Prva NL the second tier. Their home ground is 3 km west of city centre but they sometimes use the Lokomotiva ground, Stadion Kranjčevićeva.


 * Mount Sljeme. Part of the Medvednica mountains, this is the highest mountain (1,035 m) of Zagreb and quite popular with hiking, trail running. Take Tram 8 or 14 to the last stop (Mihaljevac) and then change to tram 15 to the Gračansko dolje terminus. From here you can either take the cable car (ZET card accepted) or start your hike. You can also go up by bus 140 (Mihaljevac-Sljeme) or car. Different trails exist with good views and restaurants on the top where you can enjoy some traditional Croatian hiking food.
 * Mount Sljeme. Part of the Medvednica mountains, this is the highest mountain (1,035 m) of Zagreb and quite popular with hiking, trail running. Take Tram 8 or 14 to the last stop (Mihaljevac) and then change to tram 15 to the Gračansko dolje terminus. From here you can either take the cable car (ZET card accepted) or start your hike. You can also go up by bus 140 (Mihaljevac-Sljeme) or car. Different trails exist with good views and restaurants on the top where you can enjoy some traditional Croatian hiking food.

Cinemas
Foreign language movies are subtitled, not dubbed; only children's movies are dubbed.

A regular ticket will cost you. About is the combined price of a medium popcorn and cola.

Main cinema chains are CineStar and Cineplexx:
 * Kino Europa, Varšavska 3. - this cinema is in the city centre.
 * Kino Croatia, Katančićeva 3; +385 1 48-13-711.
 * Kino Jadran, Ilica 42; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).
 * Kino Central, Petrinjska 4; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).
 * Kino Europa, Varšavska 3. - this cinema is in the city centre.
 * Kino Croatia, Katančićeva 3; +385 1 48-13-711.
 * Kino Jadran, Ilica 42; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).
 * Kino Central, Petrinjska 4; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).
 * Kino Croatia, Katančićeva 3; +385 1 48-13-711.
 * Kino Jadran, Ilica 42; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).
 * Kino Central, Petrinjska 4; 062-100-100 (within Croatia).

Learn
The University of Zagreb combined with the Croatian Heritage Foundation Matica Hrvatska offers comprehensive Croatian language courses for foreigners. The courses occur in the fall and spring semesters along with an intensive one-month course in July. All courses cost around. More information can be found by visiting the University's website.

Many universities in Croatia accept a small group as international students every year, who stay in dorms and learn Croatian.

FER (Fakultet elektrotehnike i računarstva, trans. Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) is a globally-appreciated school of computer related learning. It is part of the University of Zagreb and accepts around ten international students a year.

Zagreb has its own hackerspace called Radiona where anyone interested in computers, technology, machining, science, digital art or electronic art can meet, collaborate, learn and engage in the ongoing workshops open for public.

Work
For creative types, Croatia is occupied by some street performers and many stands selling jewellery or other hand-crafted products, so the populace has an open mind to casually buying things from an interesting stand near the main square or dropping a few coins into a musician's case.

Buy
There are many small grocery stores around Croatia such as Konzum and Diona. There you can buy most necessary foods, hygiene products and items like cigarettes and alcohol.

If you have a more specific need (like appliances, cutlery) or wish to go bulk shopping then try one of the larger Konzums or Kaufland.

Bread in Croatia is sold unsliced, and with no preservatives used is generally inedible after the second day, so if you don't eat bread much then ask for half a loaf ("pola").

Most international brands, like Nutella or M&Ms, can be found in the larger stores but are rather expensive. Trying a domestic alternatives is not a bad idea.

Zagreb also has designated areas, the singular being a "platz", where you can buy and bargain for clothes and shoes as well as perfume, chocolate and souvenirs. Illegally imported cigarettes are also cheap (because of high importation taxes).

Eat
Tobacco smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and some bars and cafes. The smaller bars and cafes could opt (and some did) to allow smoking.

Budget
There are many take out, pizza-cut, sandwich bars and fast foods around the city. Most are located in the city centre (main square - Ban Jelačić and surrounding blocks). There are also food chains such as the "McDonald's", "Mlinar", "Pan Pek", and the preferred "Dubravica". (updated May 2022). You can also find many kebabs and pancake-to-go places.

Bars and pubs
Many bars are found around Flower square (Cvjetni trg aka Preradovićev trg), the main square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića), Preradovićeva, Tkalčićeva, Radićeva, Bogovićeva, and Gajeva streets.


 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris
 * Cafe de Paris

Mid-range




Connect
As of April 2023, the city has 5G from all three major carriers (HT, A1 and Telemach). Wi-Fi is widely available in public places.

Stay safe
As with much of Croatia, Zagreb is very safe on the whole. But just as anywhere else in Europe, dark/poorly lit alleys, parks (during the night), and some poorer neighborhoods should be avoided, and common sense should be followed. The chance of getting in trouble in Zagreb is fairly low, especially in the centre where most of the hotels and restaurants are located, and for foreigners, who are in general respected and welcome. Visitors soon realize that Zagreb is safer than the majority of European capitals such as London, Paris, Vienna, Rome, and Budapest.

Pickpocketing isn't a particularly common occurrence in Zagreb, but you might be approached by beggars and similar people on the street – ignore them and they will go away. Do be extra careful inside and close to the main railway station.

Though Croatia has become a more tolerant nation, outbursts of homophobic behaviour have been known to occur regularly, so it is advisable for non-straight couples to not show affection in public, especially in low control conditions and when near groups that look like football hooligans, skinheads or similar. For example, a lesbian couple from UK was assaulted by an angry passenger in a tram, and they suffered minor injuries, and the perpetrator was apprehended by the police.

Park Ribnjak, very close to the city centre, is safe during daytime and worth visiting, especially for children. However, it has become a night-time meeting place of alternative youngsters, and subculture violence involving skinheads and similar violent young people has occasionally occurred. It's best to steer clear of Ribnjak after dark, which shouldn't be a problem because of a lack of interesting activities there for most tourists anyway.

Further, if you are going out at night (especially on weekends), steer clear of any drunk and rowdy groups of young people you might encounter in the street or night trams as random beatings have been known to occur. It is not uncommon for such groups to start unprovoked attacks on passers-by, although they target mainly younger crowd and teenagers. These are not common, but have occurred, and individuals have been beaten up and even killed by such attacks in the past, so take precautions. It is advisable for men not to wear feminine styles.

Avoid night clubs playing "Turbo-folk" music, as violence erupts in them quite easily. Also, do your best to avoid strip clubs at all costs. Zagreb is not famous for such clubs and they are rare; however, most of them are often run by very shady characters, and often overcharge their guests. Foreigners have been charged 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.

Reading and speaking
Croatian children start learning a foreign language in primary school, and for the majority it is English, so younger people can usually speak the language well enough, and many older people know some. You may also try German or Italian, as both are popular (for historical and cultural reasons).

It is also advisable to learn some basic Croatian words and phrases - because Zagreb can be a vibrant, busy city, a few basic molim (please), hvala (thanks) or oprostite (excuse me, pardon me, I'm sorry) will go a long way to avoid being ignored by a busy local.

Visiting during summer
Summer time is traditionally time in Zagreb for maintenance and road repairs. If you visit Zagreb at that time, you should do some research on what streets are open and what aren't and also be prepared to get stuck in traffic jams during rush hours.

Embassies

 * 🇦🇱 Albania
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * 🇦🇹 Austria
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇯🇵 Japan
 * 🇲🇰 Macedonia
 * 🇳🇴 Norway
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇰🇷 South Korea
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Samobor - a picturesque medieval town with well preserved old lore and long tourist tradition. 25 km west of Zagreb, accessible by bus (~30 min distance from Zagreb, ticket price ~).
 * Sisak - a beautiful town at the intersection of 3 rivers with long history. 50 km southeast of Zagreb, accessible by fast train (about 30 min), and bus.
 * Vrbovec - a town for all who would like to see the typical way of Croatian life. 32 km northeast of Zagreb, accessible by bus.
 * Karlovac - a stunning town at the intersection of 4 rivers. 45 km southwest of Zagreb, accessible by bus.
 * Zapresic -Town next to Zagreb, place of life and death of one of the most prominent Croatian historical figure- ban (semi-ruler of Croatia) Josip Jelacic
 * Ljubljana, Slovenia.
 * Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is easily reachable by a direct bus. It offers an interesting mix of cultures in a beautiful landscape.