One piece of travel advice given to foreigners in Zagreb is that if they are travelling by car and do not arrive at their destination within ten minutes - no matter where it is in the city, then they have most certainly got lost. The Croatian capital is not famous for its size, but rather for being small and charming and very atmospheric.
The visitor can only distinguish the many cafés and bars which line Tkalcic Street in the Upper Town (Gorni Castle) and spill onto its pavements in the summer by the colour of the tablecloths and cushions on the chairs. Even in winter, when people generally move inside, some of the cafés put a heater on the pavement so you can still enjoy the taste of coffee without braving the smoky interior. After a peaceful beer or a sip of fine Croatian wine, you won't have to walk far to reach the Kaptol, or Chapel Hill, which was given its name by the Hungarian king Ladislas I. At the end the 11th century a church was consecrated to St Stephen here and the city became a bishopric. The Kaptol was the original centre of the city, where churchmen lived, and the town only expanded much later when the nobility and industrials built a quarter for themselves.
Today this area, known as Gric and focused around St. Mark'S Square, is still especially charming. The gothic towers of the cathedral on the Kaptol rise above its low rooftops and add an air of great tranquillity to the quarter. But only a few metres away from this oasis of peace lies the bustling Mediterranean buzz of the Dolac, the best of Zagreb's markets. The covered part, known by locals as the market's belly, contains a huge range of vegetables and fruit, not to mention fish. One thing you shouldn't miss in the upper town is Opaticka Street with its Zabac Café where you will find matchless cakes, not be resisted at any cost. If you want something more substantial, try the seafood: mussels, prawns, crabs and fish arrive every morning, fresh from the Adriatic, bringing a tang of the salt sea with them. Carnivores will enjoy the spit-roasted lamb (janjetina) and suckling pig (odojak), which are typical local specialities.
When passing through the Stone Gate, the Kamenita vrata, keep your voice low in order not to disturb the prayers being offered to the miraculous Black Madonna lodged there. The Stone Gate was originally built as the city gate in 1242, at the same time as King Bela IV declared Zagreb a royal free town.
Political life is ever present in St Mark's Square where, in the former Croat Palatine's palace, the Prime Minister's office is housed, while on the other side of the square stands the bi-cameral parliament. The recently restored roof of the 13th century church of St Mark (from which the square takes its name) is now decorated with the coats of arms of the Croatian territories in coloured tiles, including those of Slavonia and Dalmatia. In Cirill-Metod, a little street which opens out onto the square, you will find the only Serb church in the city. If you have time, try and visit the Naïve Art Museum where you will see some wonderful glass paintings. You can also buy naïve art on Jelacic Square, but watch out as prices are extremely high.
As you leave Jelacic Square - unless, that is, you choose to use the Zagreb funicular, the Uspinjaca - you will again be dying for a coffee. There are two cafés to choose from around here: the Gradska Kavana and the Mala Kavana. They are always full, and it seem s as if they were purpose designed for the weary traveller - just like the city itself, whose intimacy strikes even those who have only come for a few days.
Forró Evelyn