Zagreb, Croatia

August 26-27, 2026:

In Zagreb, you’ll find historic neighborhoods, a thriving café culture, an impressive variety of good restaurants, urban people-watching in Croatia, an almost Prague-like Old World streetscape, and relatively few tourists.

Wednesday, August 26, 2026:

We stayed one night at the Art Hotel Like, right in the center of Zagreb (located on the 1st floor, right above a Spar Grocery Store).

Steps up to our Hotel

Reception

Breakfast on the Patio

Mirogoj Cemetery
We started our Zagreb, Croatia trip by visiting Mirogoj Cemetery, one of Europe’s finest, studded with great architecture and beautifully designed tombs.

We only had time (and energy) to explore the central part of Mirogoj Cemetery around the Central Cross – leaving the northern part (with the Avenue of the Greats) and the southern part (with the Jewish Cemetery) for another visit.

Entrance to Mirogoj

Partial View of Mirogoj Arcades

Central Cross

We saw some unusual tombs.

Herljević Family Tomb

Hrvoje Petrovic Tomb

Perenčević Family Tomb

Levak Family Tomb

Tarnik Family Tomb

Penic and Gaj Family Tombs

Grubisic Family Tomb

Zrno Family Tomb

Josip Mamic Tomb

Matko Family Tomb

Zlatko Baloković Tomb

Ebric Family Tomb

Milletich Family Tomb

And the grave of the first Croatian President, Franjo Tuđman.

Franjo Tuđman Tomb

And some memorials.

Memorial plaque to Italian fighters in the National Liberation War

French Military WWI Memorial

July Victims (Srpanjske žrtve) 1845 Memorial

Memorial to Hermann Bolle, Mirogoj Architect

We got to look at a good cross section of angels on tombs, statues, and mausoleums.

Angels

We also got to look at the Muslim section of Mirogoj cemetery.

Muslim Tombs

And the tomb of a beloved teacher who died at age 21.

Lucija Grgić Tomb

We capped off our day with a cheese plate and wine at Witrina Bar.

Witrina Bar Cheese Plate and Wine

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Zagreb Old Town Walk

Right across the street from our hotel was the Museum of Hangovers. Drunk-driving simulator, drunk-floor challenge, real hangover stories – and a welcome rakija shot.

Museum of Hangovers

We saw a roadside shrine honoring Saint Ivan Jan Nepomuk (St. John of Nepomuk), born Jan Wolfin (c. 1345 – Prague , March 20 , 1393), Czech Catholic priest, martyr and saint, patron saint of Bohemia and Prague. His feast day is May 16.

Roadside Shrine Dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk

We saw a statue dedicated to August Šenoa, 19th Century Croatian Novelist.

Statue of August Šenoa, 19th Century Croatian Novelist

And a concrete star and cube commemorating Croatian joining the European Union in “Europe Square”.

Concrete Star and Cube Commemorating Croatia Joining the European Union

The main square of Zagreb is Jelačić Square (Trg bana Jelačića). The square is the venue for various historical, political, cultural and sporting events.

Jelačić Square

Today, the square features a prominent equestrian statue of national hero Josip Jelačić (1801-1859), a 19th-century governor who extended citizens’ rights and did much to unite the Croats within the Habsburg realm.

Josip Jelačić Statue

Josip Jelačić Statue (detail)

The square also has a fountain, Manduševac Fountain – an ancient spring named after Manda, a gorgeous girl who according to legend once gave water from the spring to a thirsty knight back from battle. We made a wish and threw a coin into the fountain.

Nancy making a wish and throwing a coin into Manduševac Fountain

During our visit, the square was the home to the Zagreb Flower Market.

Flower Market

Flower Market (detail)

Facing the Josip Jelačić Statue, the street a little to the left held the produce market.

Produce Market

Produce Market (detail)

At the beginning of that block, on a column on the corner, there was a representation of Venus, part of Zagreb’s Solar System.

Representation of the Planet Venus

Across from that corner, the Popovic building held a ceramic relief named “Peasants” (Seljaci) sculpted by Ivan Meštrović in 1907.

“Peasants” (Seljaci) by Ivan Meštrović

Across the square from “Peasants”, on the Dubronik Hotel, there was another sculpture, this time a bronze statue of the Roman god Mercury (Hermes) created by sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn.

Bronze statue of the Roman god Mercury (Hermes) on the Hotel Dubronik

We walked up the block with the produce market and up the stairs to see a bronze statue of the traditional market vendor, “Kumica (godmother) Barica,” installed at Dolac Market in 2006, a work by sculptor Stjepan Gračan.

Bronze statue of the traditional market vendor, “Kumica (godmother) Barica”

We then visited the indoor meat, honey and cheese section of the Zagreb Dolac market.

Meat, Honey and Cheese Section of the Zagreb Dolac Market

We returned to main square turned right onto Ulica Street. We found two footprints belonging to artist Tomislav Gotovac on the sidewalk (in front of Tosca Blu). The memorial marks the point from which the artist began his legendary, seven-minute performance “Lying Naked on the Asphalt, Kissing the Asphalt (Zagreb, I Love You)” in 1981.

Footprints of the artist Tomislav Gotovac

We went across Ilica Street to the entrance of the Oktagon Shopping Gallery.

Entryway to Oktagon Shopping Gallery

Oktagon Shopping Gallery Passageway

Oktagon Shopping Gallery Glass Dome

This shopping gallery holds the city’s top shops, including Croata, the tie store that loves to explain how Croatian soldiers who fought with the French in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) had a distinctive way of tying their scarves. The French found it stylish, adopted it, and called it à la Croate—or, eventually, cravate—thus creating the modern necktie.

Croata Tie Store

We emerged from the Oktagon Shopping Gallery into the inviting café-lined square called Trg Petra Preradovića. The square has a statue of Petar Preradovića, a Croatian poet, writer, and military general and an orthodox church, the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Crkva Preobraženja Gospodnjeg).

Trg Petra Preradovića

Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Crkva Preobraženja Gospodnjeg)

This church, also known as the Zagreb Orthodox Cathedral, is an Eastern Orthodox church. The church was constructed in 1866 based on the plans of Franjo Klein, on the site of a demolished Catholic Church of St. Margaret. The Orthodox community had purchased this site, along with the adjacent land extending towards Ilica Street, in 1794.

The church’s interior was embellished in 1884, and its exterior was transformed in 1913 to the designs of Hermann Bollé. He also conceived the iconostasis, featuring paintings by Epaminondas Bučevski.

Iconostatis

Icon representing Theotokos Tricherousa (The Three-Handed Virgin Mary Trojeručica)

Frescoes in the Church

Church Ceiling

Bishop’s Throne

Church Balcony

We went one block south from Trg Petra Preradovića to see a Cat’s Mural on the street and a statue dedicated to Nikola Tesla.

Cat’s Mural on the Street

Nikola Tesla Monument

We returned to Trg Petra Preradovića and from there back to Ulica Street (seeing some interesting street art on the way), turning left until we came to a street on the right with the Zagreb Funicular.

Street Art on the Way to Ulica Street

Zagreb Funicular Station

We detoured left to see Art Park, with some street art and the entrance to the Tunnel Grič.

Art Park Street Art

Entrance to Tunnel Grič

Then we returned to the funicular and rode it up to the top of the hill.

Riding the Funicular up to the top of the hill

At the top of the hIll, we had great views of Zagreb.

View of Zagreb from the Top of the Hill

Also at the top of the hill was the start of the Strossmayer Promenade and one of Gradec’s original watchtowers, the Burglars’ Tower (Kula Lotršćak).

Start of Strossmayer Promenade

Burglars’ Tower (Kula Lotršćak)

We returned later (12 noon) to the Burglars’ Tower (Kula Lotršćak) to see a cannon shot off.

Cannon Shot at 12 Noon

Our next stop was the Church of St. Catherine (the front door was closed, and looking inside through a grate in the front door the church was filled with scaffolding probably fixing damage from the last Zagreb earthquake).

Church of St. Catherine

Along the street behind the Church of St. Catherine were two statues, the sculpture and fountain Fisherman and Snake (also known as The Fight or Ribar sa zmijom) and a bronze statue of Juraj Julije Klović (also known as Giulio Clovio), a famous 16th-century miniature painter and illuminator.

Sculpture and fountain Fisherman and Snake

Bronze statue of Juraj Julije Klović

We then returned to the street the Burglars’ Tower (Kula Lotršćak) was on and turned right. At the corner, we noticed that the street sign was written in both Croatian and German.

Croatian and German Street Sign

On the left on this street, we saw another orthodox church, this time the Greek Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Greek Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius

The Greek Catholic Co-cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius is the historicistic co-cathedral church of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Križevci. It belongs to the Vicariate of Diocese of Žumberak-Križevci.

Greek Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius

Greek Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius (detail)

Iconostatis

Icon on Stand before Iconostasis

Rođenje Isusovo (The Birth of Jesus) created in 1912 by the prominent Croatian painter Ivan Tišov

Next to the Greek Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius is the…

Croatian Museum of Naive Art

Naïve or primitive art is a distinct segment of 20th century art. In Croatia, naïve art was first connected with the works of peasants and working men, ordinary people; the most successful of these became professional artists. Painters of the Naïve art genre are more or less self-taught, with no formal art training, but have achieved their own creative style and a high level of art.

Here’s a highlight of the artists and the works we saw in this museum:

Ivan Generalić (December 21, 1914 – November 27, 1992) is the founder and star of Croatian Naive Art. Generalić was born in Hlebine near Koprivnica. In elementary school, painting lessons were his greatest joy and as a child he used to earn money. He mostly drew with pencil on paper bags and some of these sketches were seen by Krsto Hegedušić, at the time (1930) just a student of the art academy, later a professor. Hegedušić was impressed with Generalić’s work and organized Generalić’s first public art exhibition, held in 1931 in the Zagreb Art pavilion. Positive critiques and contacts at the time led to a new era of not only Croatian, but also world art as well.

Seizure by Ivan Generalić (1934)

Deer in the Forest by Ivan Generalić (1956)

Cows in the Forest by Ivan Generalić (1938)

The Flood by Ivan Generalić (1960)

Woodcutters by Ivan Generalić (1959)

Krsto Hegedušić (November 26, 1901 – April 7, 1975) was a Croatian painter, illustrator and theater designer. His most famous paintings depict the harsh life of the Croatian peasantry in the manner of naive art. He was one of the founders of the Earth Group.

Seizure by Krsto Hegedušić (1933)

Ivan Večenaj (May 18, 1920 – February 13, 2013; Koprivnica, Croatia) was a Croatian painter who grew up in a peasant family , the first child of six brothers. He completed four years of primary school with honors, but due to the poor condition of their parents could not continue their education. On Sunday or when it rained, he always took a pen and paper and drew or copied it someone else’s image.

Mare at Pasture by Ivan Večenaj (1961)

Cows Hauling Wood by Ivan Večenaj (1965)

Dragan Gaži (c. July 5, 1930 – June 23, 1983) belonged to the second generation of painters of the Hlebine School. He was born into a peasant family in Hlebine; his father, Franjo Gaži, was a farmer, and his mother, Roza, was née Cuki. He attended elementary school in Hlebine, completing four grades.

The Wind in Winter by Dragan Gaži (1973)

Mijo Kovačić (August 5, 1935 – April 22, 2026) was born in Gornja Šuma, Molve, in the Podravina region of Croatia. He spent his childhood painting and looking after the family cow, which became an important theme in his paintings. In 1953 at the age of eighteen he travelled to nearby Hlebine and met the Croatian painter Ivan Generalić, and a year later gave his first exhibition in Koprivnica.

Swineherd by Mijo Kovačić (1967)

Winter by Mijo Kovačić (1969)

Josip Generalić (February 19, 1936 – December 22, 2004) was the only son of famous Naive artist Ivan Josip Generalić. He started painting early under the direct influence and guidance of his father, producing his first oil paintings on canvas around 1950. He moved to Zagreb in 1960 to study pedagogy. Living in the city inspired him to paint naive-style portraits of global celebrities like the Beatles, John Lennon, and Sophia Loren.

Jendraš by Josip Generalić (1973)

Matija Skurjeni (September 14, 1898 – October 4, 1990) was born in Veternica, Croatia. While he was still a boy, his father, who worked as a carpenter, died in an accident while felling a tree. As one of eight children, Skurjeni was forced to quit school at the age of seven to work as a shepherd in Veternica. He learned to read and write from his older siblings.

Skurjeni is considered one of the most influential independent naïve artists, along with Ivan Rabuzin and Emerik Feješ. However, Skurjeni differs from many other naïve artists in that his work often focuses on the beyond through symbolism, metaphor and the inclusion of many fantastical elements. He concentrates less on physical spaces than many other naïve artists and hosts his paintings in a realm of imagination and dreams in a world he referred to as, “beyond the real.”

Kamenički Metalworkers by Matija Skurjeni (1959)

Crossing Trains by Matija Skurjeni (1957)

Ivan Rabuzin (March 27, 1921 – December 18, 2008) was the sixth of eleven children. Ivan worked as a carpenter for many years, and did not begin painting until 1956, when he was thirty-five years old. He had little formal training as an artist, but his first solo exhibition in 1960 proved successful and he changed careers, becoming a professional painter in 1962.

My Homeland by Ivan Rabuzin (1961)

On the Hills – Primeval Forest by Ivan Rabuzin (1960)

Emerik Feješ (November 3, 1904 – July 9, 1969) was born in Osijek in 1904 in the Croatia-Slavonia (Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, from 1918 part of the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom) to a poor family of mixed Hungarian-Serbian heritage (original surname of his family was Stefanović). At the age of five he moved to Serbia with his parents and spent his life in Novi Sad. In the interwar period he worked as a button-maker, second-hand dealer, comb-maker, shop assistant and lathe operator in various towns of Yugoslavia. During World War II he lived in exile in Hungary, and in 1945 he returned to Novi Sad. Feješ suffered from asthma and sciatica throughout his life, keeping him bed-ridden. In 1949, he discovered painting and handicrafts, and began his first works.

MIlan Cathedral by Emerik Feješ (1956)

Brussels Town Hall by Emerik Feješ (1959)

Vienna St. Stephen Cathedral by Emerik Feješ (1967)

As we continued up the street containing the Croatian Museum of Naive Art, we saw on the left the Zagreb Town Hall building. This town hall had a plaque dedicated to Nikola Tesla and old fashioned gas lights on its front entrance.

Town Hall Building

Plaque Honoring Nikola Tesla

Old Fashioned Gas Lights on Front Entrance of Town Hall

At the end of the street is St. Mark’s Square (Markov Trg), centered on the Church of St. Mark. The original church here was from the 13th century, but only a few fragments remain. The present church’s colorful tile roof, from 1880, depicts two coats of arms. On the left, the red-and-white checkerboard symbolizes north-central Croatia, the three lions’ heads stand for the Dalmatian Coast, and the marten (kuna, as seen on Croatia’s €1 coin) running between the two rivers (Sava and Drava) represents Slavonia—Croatia’s northern, inland panhandle. On the right is the seal of Zagreb, featuring a walled city.

Church of St. Mark

Church of St. Mark Portal (detail)

Church of St. Mark Roof (detail)

As you face the church, the long building on the right is the Sabor, or parliament. Since at least the 13th century, Croatian noblemen have met to make important decisions regarding their territories. This gradually evolved into today’s modern parliament.

Sabor (Parliament)

Across the square from the Sabor (to your left as you face the church) is Ban’s Palace (Banski Dvori), today the offices for the prime minister.

Ban’s Palace (Banski Dvori)

At one corner of the square was an interesting face caved into a corner building. It’s said to be the head of Matija Gubec, leader of the 16th-century peasant uprising who was – so the story goes – executed on the square.

Head of Matija Gubec

Our next stop was a sidewalk café for much needed refreshment.

Beer and Coke Zero Break

Across the street from the sidewalk café is…

Ivan Meštrović Atelier

Ivan Meštrović—Croatia’s most famous artist—lived here from 1922 until 1942 (before he fled to the US after World War II). The house, carefully decorated by Meštrović himself, has been converted into a delightful gallery of the artist’s works, displayed in two parts: residence and studio.

We entered via the courtyard of Meštrović’s house. In the center was the Woman in Agony sculpture

Courtyard – Woman in Agony in the Center

To the right was the Neo-classical Woman Beside the Sea.

Woman Beside the Sea

We then entered the house and purchased our tickets. Our first stop was the high ceilinged Dining Room of the house. Meštrović designed the crucifix on the wall (Christ being supported by an angel), the wood-carved chandeliers, and the furniture, right down to the carvings on the backs of the chairs.

Dining Room

Crucifix (Christ Supported by an Angel)

A sculptural highlight in the Dining Room was the Mother Teaching Child to Pray.

Mother Teaching Child to Pray

There was also a Self-portrait of Meštrović, head cocked quizzically.

Self-Portrait of Ivan Meštrović

We then went upstairs (two floors). There were plaster casts on the landing.

Plaster Casts

The highlights upstairs included Meštrović’s wife Olga Meštrović breastfeeding Tvrtko (1925); portrait of Meštrović’s son Tvrtko; Virgin with Child; and Pietà (for the Church of St. Mark).

Olga Meštrović breastfeeding Tvrtko

Portrait of Tvrtko Meštrović

Virgin with Child

Pietà (for the Church of St. Mark)

There were also several other sculptures on the two upstairs floors.

Other Sculptures Upstairs

We also admired the fine ceiling frescoes in one room upstairs.

Frescoed Ceiling

We then went back downstairs and outside into the garden. The highlights of the garden were John the Evangelist and History of the Croats.

The Garden

John the Evangelist

History of the Croats

Lastly, we visited Meštrović’s studio. The highlight was the unfinished, walnut-carved Mother and Child.

Mother and Child

The studio had several other pieces.

Other Studio Pieces

After viewing the Ivan Meštrović Atelier, we made our way downhill to the corner of Kamenita ulica and Opticka ulica. There we saw the oldest pharmacy in Zagreb.

Oldest Pharmacy in Zagreb

To the left of this pharmacy is the Stone Gate, the only preserved gate from the old wall of the 13th century which connects the Upper City to the Lower City.

Entrance to the Stone Gate

On the right side of the Stone Gate is a statue of Dora Krupićeva, the main character of the novel “Goldsmith’s Treasure” (written by August Šenoa). The Goldsmith’s Treasure, published in 1871, is considered Croatia’s first real historical novel. It is about a 16th-century love story involving a nobleman and a town girl called Dora, the beautiful daughter of a goldsmith. Dora ends up being poisoned by a local barber because she refused his marriage proposal. The sculpture was created by the sculptor Ivo Kerdić.

Statue of Dora Krupićeva

Inside the Stone Gate is a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The focal point is a painting of Mary that miraculously survived a major fire in the house up above in 1731.

Shrine of Mary

The surviving painting of Mary

The candles (purchased in the little shop in the chapel) represent Zagrebians’ prayers.

Blazing Candles in the Chapel

The stone plaques on the wall say “thank you” (hvala ti) for prayers that were answered.

“Thank You” Stone Plaques on the Wall

Mary was made the official patron saint of Zagreb in 1990.

On the other side of the Stone Gate is a statue of St. George slaying a dragon.

St. George Slaying a Dragon

We then went through an arch and discovered the houses of old bordellos, which used to be legal and regulated in Zagreb.

Old Bordello

Walking down the hill, we intersected with the café-lined Tkalčićeva Street.

Tkalčićeva Street Café

We walked a few blocks uphill to see a bronze sculpture, known as “Lady in the Window,” which was created by sculptor Vera Drajh Kralj, to honor the “Ladies of the Night” who plied their trade near here.

“Lady in the Window” Sculpture

As we walked back down Tkalčićeva Street, we noticed some interesting street art on a building on the left.

Street Art on Tkalčićeva Street

Continuing to walk downhill, we saw on the right a statue of Marija Juric Zagorka, a Croatian journalist, writer and women’s rights activist. She was the first female journalist in Croatia and is among the most read Croatian writers.

Statue of Marija Juric Zagorka

We now made our way to the Zagreb Cathedral. On the way, we saw an interesting statue of Petrica Kerempuh by Vanja Radauš (1955). Petrica Kerempuh is a literary character who appears in a number of Croatian and former Yugoslav works, most famously appearing in The Ballads of Petrica Kerempuh by Miroslav Krleža.In Croatian literature, Petrica Kerempuh is typically portrayed as a prophet of the people and a cynical commentator on contemporary events who ridicules the powerful.

Statue of Petrica Kerempuh

We also passed the souvenir shops at the Dolac market and saw some interesting Croatian wooden toys.

Croatian Wooden Toys

The Zagreb Cathedral was open, but the exterior was covered in scaffolding and the interior walls were boarded up. The only viewable area was a portion around the high altar. The cathedral is under reconstruction from a major earthquake in Zagreb in March 2020.

Cathedral High Altar

The area behind the high altar contained Ivan Meštrović’s monument to Alojzije Stepinac. Aloysius Viktor Stepinac was a Croatian prelate of the Catholic Church. Made a cardinal in 1953, Stepinac served as Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 until his death.

Ivan Meštrović’s monument to Alojzije Stepinac

Ivan Meštrović’s monument to Alojzije Stepinac (detail)

In front of the cathedral is the Pillar of Mary. The Neo-Gothic pillar with Blessed Mary and the fountain with four angels, in front of Zagreb Cathedral, was erected between 1879 and 1881. It was built by Herman Bollé according to a design by Friedrich Schmidt. The statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the pillar is the work of the Viennese sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn.

Pillar of Mary

This concluded our Zagreb Old Town Walk.

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