Well, well – it is time to savor not only strukli, but some Slovak culture. It’s always exciting times when I get the opportunity to visit Central and Eastern Europe. It’s like my home away from home. And to add to the fun, the marathon man himself tags along!
Kolbe and I flew into Zagreb off the back of a few days in London, still riding the high of his marathon finish. The flight in was smooth, but getting money for the bus into the city was not. No one at the airport was able to exchange Euros for lower bills, which left me scrounging for loose coins like some kind of budget traveler speedrun. Eventually I managed to piece together enough for the fare, and about thirty to forty minutes later we rolled into the city in the rain. Starving, we quickly dropped our bags at the Airbnb, and went straight out the door on the hunt for some food.
Old Town was the obvious first move and the main attraction. It is lively, walkable, full of architecture worth slowing down for, and just a fun place to wander with no agenda. We basically stopped at the first restaurant on the edge of Old Town, which was a little nook and cranny spot. The first meal set a strong tone, with that classic hearty Eastern European style – a staple at home. If this was the baseline for the rest of the trip, we were in good shape.
To cap the first night, we made our way to a beer garden a little outside of the city center, which was relaxed and exactly what the evening called for. We fell into conversation with a few people there who pointed us toward some spots worth checking out around the city. One thing that became apparent pretty fast was how much the smoking culture ramps up the further east geographically you go. Cigarettes everywhere (which I had forgotten about), especially among the younger crowd, and a noticeable shift from what you would see back home.
Get a transit pass!
Zagreb has an above ground tram that makes it super easy to get around. The city is already walkable, but this extends your reach. A 24hr pass was just a euro or two.
The next day started with a walking tour, and our guide Kristina was locked in. She took us through Old Town for about an hour, covering the main points of interest including statues, historic streets, and a few of the churches still showing damage from the 2020 earthquake. The tour finished at the main tower in the city center, where they fire a cannon at noon every single day. Even anticipating the cannon, it still catches you completely off guard and was damn loud. After the tour wrapped, we grabbed a beer with our guide and picked her brain a bit more about what was worth seeing before parting ways.
The štrukli mission picked up in the second half of the trip and we took it seriously, seriously. Savory and sweet, no discrimination, with flavors ranging from truffle and mushroom to cherry and blueberry. We were getting after it at every opportunity and had zero remorse or thought of repercussion about any of it.
We also took a cable car up to the mountain just north of the city, which offered solid views and a bar and restaurant at the top built around what appeared to be a radio tower. On the backside of the mountain it looked like a small ski resort, so it is probably a different scene in winter. On the way back down we stopped at the Museum of Broken Relationships, which I was a little skeptical given how often it tops every Zagreb recommendation list. It held up and had some quirks to it. Honestly, the displays and reads were fun.
The remaining stretch was spent covering as much of Old Town on foot as possible, including the main strip on the north side where most of the restaurants and bars are. Nightlife ended up being quieter than expected, though being there over Labor Day weekend likely played into it since a lot of people head to the coast and the city can thin out as a result. It was not a bad time per se, just more low-key than anticipated. One final stop before leaving was the underground tunnel and bunker system beneath Old Town, which is not the most dramatic POI, but gives you a cool perspective knowing the city is sitting above it.
Three days was the right amount of time for Zagreb. We were struklied out. I saw what I needed to see and ended feeling good about it, even though I left the Museum of Video Games for another time. From the Airbnb we made our way down to the train station on the southern end of the city, hopped on board, and made the short trip (2ish hours) over to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Pretty cool to go from capital to capital of two countries in such a short time. I’ve heard good things about Slovenia, so let’s see what it’s all about.
-ML
The Pure Dose – Designed with Elementor
The Pure Dose – Designed with Elementor