Zagreb City Guide

Upper Town, Dolac & Lower Town

From Trg bana Jelačića up a flight of steps to the Dolac market, on to the scaffolded cathedral and through the café lane Tkalčićeva. Through the Stone Gate into the upper town for the colourful roof of St. Mark's Church, the noon cannon on Lotrščak Tower and the Museum of Broken Relationships. Finally down on the world's shortest funicular and through the lower town into Zrinjevac park.

1. Trg bana Jelačića – The big square with the equestrian statue of Ban Jelačić is the city's zero point: every tram line crosses here and all of Zagreb arranges to meet here. Facades from two centuries ring the square, from neoclassicism to post-war modernism. In the north-east corner the Manduševac spring bubbles away - legend says the city took its name from it. Stand still for a moment and watch the bustle, then head up the steps to the market.
2. Dolac Market – One flight of steps above the main square lies Dolac, the belly of Zagreb: a sea of red parasols with fruit, vegetables and flowers straight from the farms around the city. In the covered hall below you'll find meat, cheese and fish, plus stalls selling fresh štrukli, the region's filled dough dish. Go in the morning: from early afternoon the stalls come down and all that's left is an empty concrete deck. For photos, stand at the upper edge and look out over the parasols.
3. Cathedral – The neo-Gothic cathedral with its twin spires is Zagreb's landmark and was long Croatia's tallest building. Honestly, right now you mostly see a building site: the 2020 earthquake snapped off one spire, and since then it has been under scaffolding with only parts of the interior open. The short detour is still worth it, if only for the sheer scale and the surviving Renaissance defensive walls around it. Expect a look from outside rather than a full visit.
4. Tkalčićeva – Tkalčićeva is the city's café lane: car-free, gently uphill and in summer one continuous terrace. Where people now drink coffee, the Medveščak stream ran until the 19th century, separating the upper town from the church district of Kaptol - the two settlements were forever at each other's throats. The low, colourful houses date from after the stream was covered, many with wooden verandas. Sit down for a coffee; in Zagreb that always takes longer than planned.
5. Stone Gate – Kamenita vrata is the last survivor of the upper town's five city gates. In a fire in 1731, so the story goes, only a painting of the Virgin came through unscathed - ever since, the archway has doubled as a chapel: candles burn all day and stone thank-you plaques line the walls. It's a thoroughfare and a place of prayer at once; someone wheels a bike through while a woman kneels alongside. Keep your voice down accordingly.
6. St. Mark's Church – The colourful tiled roof of St. Mark's is Zagreb's postcard shot: on the left the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia, on the right that of the city of Zagreb, laid in glazed tiles in 1880. The church itself is far older; the richly carved Gothic south portal dates from the 14th century. You can realistically only get inside during services, and the roof is the point anyway. Parliament and the seat of government stand around the square, which is why there are always police about.
7. Lotrščak Tower – The Romanesque tower guarded the upper town's south gate in the 13th century; today you climb a tight spiral staircase for the best all-round view in the city: rooftops, the cathedral spires and, on a clear day, the Medvednica mountain. On the stroke of noon the Grič cannon is fired from the top, as it has been every day since 1877, loud enough to send the pigeons flying down in the lower town. Be up there just before twelve and you get both at once. The tower is closed on Mondays. Right next to the tower stops the Zagrebačka uspinjača, at 66 metres the shortest public funicular in the world (since 1890) - take it downhill at the end to save yourself the stairs.
8. Strossmartre (Strossmayer Promenade) – Strossmayerovo šetalište runs as a tree-lined promenade along the old city wall below the upper town, looking out over the rooftops of the lower town. In summer it turns into the Strossmartre festival: live music, art stalls and bars under the chestnut trees, well into the night. A bronze figure of the poet Matoš sits on one bench, a favourite photo stop. From here it's just a few steps to the funicular's upper station.
9. Museum of Broken Relationships – The Muzej prekinutih veza collects objects from failed relationships, donated by people around the world: a toaster, an axe, a wedding dress, each with a short anonymous story beside it. What sounds like a gag is surprisingly serious and lands harder than you'd like. The idea started in Zagreb in 2006 as a travelling exhibition and has since won a European museum award. The place is small, an hour will do it, and there's no air conditioning - in high summer it gets sticky inside.
10. Zrinjevac – Zrinjevac is the first of eight parks in the so-called Green Horseshoe, with which the lower town was laid out in the 19th century on a Viennese model. Under old plane trees stand a cast-iron bandstand, a small meteorological pillar from 1884 and a row of busts of Croatian worthies. In summer brass bands play on Sundays; in Advent the park is the heart of the Christmas market that has won Zagreb several awards. A calm way to end the day, and the tram back stops right alongside.