Zagreb
Restaurants and bars, museums and galleries, clubs, music, shopping and more...
In pictures: Zagreb street style
The Croatian capital is a stylish place, and there's heaps of sartorial inspiration to be found on the city streets. Time Out's photographer has snapped the most fashionable street styles from this weekend - get some inspiration (or spot yourself) in this fabulous photo gallery.
A history of Zagreb in ten buildings
Visitors to Zagreb tend to make a beeline for the cathedral and St Mark's church. And while they're certainly worth admiring, the architecture fiend should know that the Croatian capital's finest buildings exceed the ecclesiastical variety. There's hardly a movement since Art Nouveau that hasn't left a trace here, and startling examples of the avant-garde are lurking at every corner. Here's a history of Zagreb in ten remarkable buildings. RECOMMENDED: essential Zagreb attractions.
Perfect autumnal days out in Zagreb
Autumn is a special time in Zagreb, the season holding its own particular events and charms. On the outskirts of the city, seasonal vegetables are grown in abundance with a range of food festivals to accompany. Zagreb's autumn days are often warm and sunny, offering the perfect weather to go walking and sightseeing in the city; it's never too hot to traipse around all day like it often can be in summer and it's not too cold for you to want to stay indoors. Autumnal evenings in Zagreb are a different matter and the warmth of the day can recede as fast as the sun disappears, with temperatures turning decidedly chilly as the night progresses. You'll often need a completely different wardrobe for daytimes and night times in the city at this time of year, but in Croatia's fashion capital, a chance to change outfits of a day is never a bad thing. Here are our suggestions for fun things to do on a day out in Zagreb in autumn. RECOMMENDED: Reasons to visit Zagreb in autumn.
The best gableci in Zagreb
Simply put, gableci were cheap lunches for workers who started the day early with a coffee and a cigarette and were craving something warm, familiar and filling by 11am latest. ‘Elevenses’ of Winnie-the-Pooh lore doesn’t begin to capture this concept – condensed milk and honey would get you laughed out of Zagreb – while ‘brunch’ is a Western invention perfected by upscale hotels. As working practices changed, so did eating habits. More and more salaried locals started their working days later and only had time for a quick sandwich eaten on the hoof, usually from noon. But the gableci tradition stuck – you could still see blackboards outside honest eateries with the day’s specials chalked up and a price tag of, say, 35kn for two courses. Bean stew (grah), pasta squares and cabbage (krautflekerli), goulash and meat in breadcrumbs stuffed with ham and cheese (zagrebački odrezak) would be common dishes. Today the concept remains but has been stretched to include contemporary, even international, dining destinations simply offering cheap lunches. These may be included in November’s annual Gableci Week established by a leading Croatian daily newspaper to keep the tradition alive – although, in truth, it has never gone away.
My Zagreb story: Damir Cuculić
My name is Damir Cuculić. I was born in Zagreb. In the '80s I was a DJ, I have been in love with music since I was ten years old. Disco music was my first big love and after that hip hop. I first encountered electronic dance music at the end of the '80s. I had a connection in London and he told me about what was happening there, the first rave parties. At this time there was no Youtube, no Facebook, nothing. The only way you could find out was by travelling there or, like me, in a phone call from a friend. The first rave-style party I did was in 1992 in KSET. It was small. The first big one I did was here, in Grič Tunnel. This was the time of war in Croatia. Yugoslavia was falling apart. A dangerous time. Why did we decide this was a good time to start having raves? I don't know. Today, I cannot explain it. We were young and crazy. Rave at the Grič tunnel in the 90's /© Under City Rave Two of my friends were artists and they built installations. The idea was to have a multimedia event, an art exhibition combined with a rave party. Back then, I didn't know anything about Grič Tunnel, only that it existed. Only later I found out its interesting history. It was built as a bomb shelter in the times of war and it goes all the way to the other side of the city centre. When we held the party, everyone complained. The police, the neighbours, everyone. Nobody had any experience of setting up something like this, or how to deal with it. We thought there would be 500-700 people
The best of Zagreb
The 100 best Zagreb restaurants
This ultimate guide to Zagreb restaurants covers it all: from splash-out fine dining to street food, bistros and east-west fusion. Our critics are constantly on the look-out for brilliant new restaurants (which we visit anonymously, of course) to bring you this list of our favourite tables in town. A few words on the selection criteria: our choice doesn't reflect only the expensive, upmarket restaurants that Zagreb has to offer. We're looking for originality over exclusivity; value for money over fancy frippery. Our pick is a mix of daring, cool, cosy and downright tasty eateries to satisfy every spectrum of diner. Dobar tek! RECOMMENDED: our guide to restaurants in Croatia.
Essential Zagreb attractions
Zagreb attractions number plenty of stately icons among their ranks, owing to the city's status as a former Habsburg hub and capital of a new nation. Towering cathedrals, a venerable zoo and a stately cemetery all provide plenty of things to do in Zagreb. Our experts pick out the best.
Zagreb's best restaurants and cafés
The best cake shops in Zagreb
When it comes to sweet treats, Zagreb really takes the cake. Croatians love to indulge their sweet tooth and as a result, you'll find plenty of excellent cake shops and patisseries spread across the capital. From old school bakeries serving traditional treats to smart new patisseries selling exotic creations, we've tracked down the best cake shops in Zagreb. RECOMMENDED: The best cafés and coffee shops in Zagreb.
Zagreb inspiration
Zagreb's best art house and independent cinemas
Offering diverse and well thought-out movies, independent cinemas can be the place to catch up on some of the best films made around the world or the place to introduce a friend or date to one of your most cherished old classics. Luckily, Zagreb has a crop of art house cinemas showing the best of world and independent movies - with many screened in English. Here's where to find them. RECOMMENDED: The best film festivals in Croatia.
