Zagreb, the capital of Croatia

Although the main tourist highlight of Croatia remains the coast, we must not forget the inland, with the southern-western part we find the mountain Medvednica and underneath it the capital with almost 1 million of population - Zagreb. It’s just an hour’s drive from both major Slovenian cities and through the lazy River Sava flows through the city. All the major connections between central Europe and the Adriatic coast go past Zagreb.

Many years ago, when a Croatian ban was traveling through a dry land, he met an enemy at the site of today’s city. During the fight the warlord stroke the land with his fist and noticed water was coming out. He immediately told his soldiers to start digging (zagrebi) and that’s how the name came to be. Well, it’s just one of the stories. There’s a more romantic one… Another story says that the ban was traveling the land with his beloved Manda. They stopped at a small pond and she started drinking. He said to her: »Zagrabi, Mando, duša moja! (grab the water, Manda, my beloved)«. And thus both the name Zagreb and the name of the lake Manduševac came to be. Today the fountain at the square of ban Josip Jelačić is what is left of the lake. But the legends and folk tales don’t say the same thing as the written account does. The city’s beginning date back to 1094, when on the left bank of the Medveščak creek, the Hungarian king Ladislav founded the territory and gave it to the bishop of Zagreb. At the same time a town of Gradac started developing on the hill, were we find the Gornji grad today. Both settlements were devastated during the attack of Tartars, who were, however, pushed back the very same year – in 1242. The local people learned that they need to have a defensive wall with towers, which was then erected around what is today the centre called Ilica. Over the course of years both settlements joined and started using the name Zagreb.

For the people of the city the square of Josip Jelačić, which is closed off to traffic, is a main gathering point. The former ruler – ban Josip Jelačić is a national hero, as he stood up to Hungarians in the 19th century. That is why he got his statue. Near it is the fountain Manduševac, that should grant you a whish if you throw in a coin. The life in the city is, just like with many large cities, fast and nervous, but this is at least partially covered up by many green areas. Together the eight green areas of parks make the so called Letuzzi’s horseshoe. Between all the parks there are many famous buildings, with each of them having its own story. Some already tell the story with their exterior, but with many you need to go inside to find out the story. The city is also proud of its botanical garden that invites for a visit as it hosts a very varied collection of flowers from all over the world. The visitors can also get a nice and calm breather in the hectic metropolis. Many squares with known or less known buildings are done nicely and have many bars that are too attractive for visitors. And for all that prefer lively streets to quiet parks, I can suggest the longest walking street in Zagreb – Ilica. In the morning it’s a business centre and in the afternoon it becomes a relaxed place of fun and shopping.

The people of Zagreb are escaping everyday stress by visiting parks, among which the most beloved one is Maksimir. Due to the park architecture other visitors also love to visit. It’s easiest to reach the Maksimir by the city tram, with a direct line running from the centre. The park is next to the ZOO, which you might also want to visit. Not far from the centre is also the lake of Jarun. It’s mostly a recreational area as there’s a cycling and jogging path around the lake. In the summer you can also swim in it. The city also has a great lookout point, as it stretches up the slopes of Medvednica, with the highest peak of Sljeme. From Sljeme you get to see many narrow streets and buildings with mighty church steeples pointing out. But it’s not only a lookout point, it’s also a skiing slope that got famous when it started hosting world cup events for both men and women. It’s elevated up to 1033m and we can get there by many mountain trails, with a bicycle or a car, or even a cable cart. But if you chose the walking paths you might get to see the cave Veternica and the medieval castle of Medvednjak on the way.

 

The local people are really proud of their city and its surroundings and say that the only thing more beautiful than Zagreb itself, are the women of Zagreb. The city really has a lot of culture and gastronomy to offer, with a rich and vivid recreation and night life. It’s a great place for a weekend city break.