CROATIA - Zagreb

I just came back from my summer holidays to Slovenia, Croatia and Greece. It’s a great trip and I’m excited to share my trip here. Zagreb was my first stop in this trip. It is also the capital city of the Republic of Croatia. The city is a lovely Austro-Hungarian style city which is divided into an upper and lower town, each with its own distinctive character.



A female basketball team from Turkey who also boarded the same plane from Istanbul where I had a transit before flying to Zagreb.



Arrived around noon at Zagreb Airport, also known as Pleso Airport since it is located in the suburb of Pleso.





Welcome to Croatia. Waiting for our guide, George at the arrival hall. He picked us up from the airport and drove us to Zagreb city for a half-day city tour.



Heading towards Zagreb city.





We parked our car here, in a shopping centre – Centar Kaptol and proceeded to walk to the old town or upper town.



What is Popeye’s wife, Olive, doing here?



More restaurants lining up the Tkalciceva Street.





And lots of souvenir shops too. Definitely a tourist hotspot.





I love Zagreb.



A giant painted egg.





Charming little side lane that is transformed into seats of restaurant with Zagreb Cathedral in the background.





Walking uphill towards “Upper Town” or Gornji Grad in Croatian.



The upper town is the oldest part of the city which is set on two hills. It really is a joy wandering through the cobbled streets that leads from one splendid building to another.



Stopping by a lovely Croatian tie shop, Kravata.



Want to buy a souvenir from Croatia? Well, get a necktie as the tie is considered to be invented by the Croatian.



Taking a ‘wefie’ in front of a mirror in the shop.



Sewing machine in the shop that shows the company’s heritage to make handmade tie.



Silk ties cost 300 KN (EUR 40). They have cheaper range of tie as well. But my beau isn’t really a ‘tie person’, so we didn’t buy any. Still, it’ll be worth considering as a gift or if you wear tie regularly.



A decorative column.





This is the Stone Gate, the only surviving original town gates from the 13th century. Passing through the Stone Gate, you can see the painting of Our Lady of the Stone Gate through a metal door, which miraculously survived a major fire in 1731.





It is also a place of pilgrimage and people lights candles and prays here.





Old City Hall.





Finally I reached the iconic St. Mark’s Church at St. Mark’s Square. St. Mark’s Church with its beautiful tiled roof is probably the most famous sight in Zagreb.



A couple posing a kiss shot for the camera.



Dating from the 13th Century, the church is famous for the red, white and blue roof tiles laid to represent the coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia.



Its south portal with original Gothic sculptures is unique. On top are the statues of Joseph, Mary with the infant Jesus, and below them, St. Mark and the Lion and the Twelve Apostles.





The inside view of St Mark’s Church.







Located just beside St Mark’s Church is the Banski dvori.





It used to be the official residence of the Croatian Bans.



In 1990, this building became the official residence of the Croatian government.



Well, this is as far as we could get to have a look inside the Banski dvori before being stopped by the police guarding the building.



Tourist hiding under the shade in front of St. Mark’s Square. It was really hot that day.



The Greek Catholic Church of St Cyril and St Methodius..



There are numerous museums in Zagreb, such as the Croatian Museum of Naive Art.



However, the museum not to be missed is the Museum of Broken Relationship.



Here’s a quirky quote: We have beer as cold as your ex’s heart.



Museum of Broken Relationship is a quirky museum. People donated their mementos of past relationship from across the world with an accompanying story. Each object epitomises a love that has ended; a broken relationship.



This map shows the museum’s exhibitions worldwide since it conceptualized in Croatia in 2006, which includes London in 2011.



The background of how the museum came about.



The story behind this pharmaceutical bowl: A business relationship turned into a love affair. Both went bust.



This pair of red shoes donated from Paris tells another story of love affair. The guy bought her these shoes from a sex shop in Pigalle.





Message on the wall: To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal, to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. Quoted from ‘In Blackwater woods American Primitive’ by Mary Oliver.



Story behind this ref wedding gown: “After big words and little action, he spent more and more time talking and less and less time acting. I paid for it all fair and square: both my wedding gown and his bank loan.”



This hockey pluck tells the story of a long distance relationship.



Fancy buying a jumpsuit that says: You’re so hot… Not!?



Haha, I need one of these bad memories eraser.



These pencils say: In case of anger, break here.



My favourite chocolate message: Hope your ass gets bigger.



There’s even a cafe inside the museum.





Museum of Broken Relationship is definitely a place to visit while in Zagreb.



St Catherine Church, a 17th century church.





There’s a big photo frame down the road that makes a nice photo of St. Mark’s Church.



I arrived at Lotrscak Tower that was built in the 13th century to protect the southern city gate.





My son paid for the entrance tickets, hehe.





Everyday noon since 1 January 1877, this canon is fired from the tower. According to a legend, a canon shot from Lotrscak Tower and landed in the Turk’s camp across the Sava River, right on the platter of chicken that was being carried to Pasha for his lunch. It was so demoralising that the Turks decided against attacking Zagreb city. Since then, the canon has been fired to commemorate that day. The less fancy explanation is that the canon was to give sign for exact noon for bell-ringers of the city’s churches.



Climbing up to the tower for a 360-degree view of the city.





Zagreb Cathedral at east.



St. Mark’s Church at north.







Looking down from the tower, a furnicular railway is just below the tower, which connects the Lower and Upper Town.



People scribbles on the wall, even on the dusty glass window on top of the tower.



Heading back down.



The funicular train is the oldest public transport system in Zagreb.



Went into the station to have a look. The fare is just HRK 4 for single ride. But it was funny that the price list states excess luggage carried on an extra seat will be charged HRK 4 as well. And I’m not sure what urgent rides means. Can anyone explain it to me?



No, I decided not to ride the train. Just a pose beside the train.



The track is only 66 metres in length which makes it the shortest funicular railway in the world. So it’s just a short ride between Lower and Upper Town. If you’re too tired or lazy to walk, then take the funicular train.



Strossmatre promenade is just next to the Lotrscak Tower. There are a few handicraft stands along this way.





We stopped here for refreshment.





A cold beer is all my beau needed for the hot afternoon.





I reached Ban Jelacic Square, the main square in the city. All the major attractions are within walking distance from this square.



Panoramic view of Ban Jelacic Square.



A large Ban Jelacic on a horse statue can be seen in the middle of the square.



Checking out some souvenirs at a stall at the square.



So, who is this Ban Jelacic? He was being hailed as a Croatian hero who defeated the Hungarians during an uprising in 1848. His statue was originally erected in 1866 by Austrian authorities, pointing north towards Hungary. However the Hungarians see him as a traitor and his statue caused unease amongst them. The statue was removed in 1947 after Yugoslavia was reformed. Prior to the break up of Yugoslavia, the statue was placed back in the square in 1990. But the statue now face the other way.



The tall building with glass facade and an observation deck in the photo above was called Neboder (literally meaning “Skyscraper”). It was the first business skyscraper in the country and it used to be the tallest building in Yugoslavia at the time of its completion. The observation deck was closed to public in 2007 and reopened in 2013.



I headed up a street from Ban Jelacic Square to see Zagreb Cathedral.



Zagreb Cathedral with one of the spires still undergoing refurbishment. First built in 1217, this cathedral has been rebuilt and added to over the centuries.





A fountain with a tall sculpture in the middle can be found in the center of Kaptol, just in front of Zagreb Cathedral.



Although the earthquake in 1880 destroyed most of the structures including the dome and the bell tower, the present cathedral still retain some parts that dated from the 13th century. The reconstruction maintained the original medieval design and its two ornately decorated spires.



The elaborate sculptures above the entrance door.



A sign indicating prohibited behaviour to enter the church. No inappropriate dressing, no smoking, no pets and no food.



The interior of Zagreb Cathedral is perhaps more beautiful than its exterior.






The North Wall carries the Ten Commandments written in a twelfth century script.





The stained glass of the church.





The tomb of Cardinal Stepinac.



A relief of Cardinal Stepinac is done by Croatia’s most famous sculptor, Ivan Mestrovic.





One of the cathedral’s many fine works of art inside.










A small chapel that we passed by as we headed to the Dolac Market.



The Dolac Market is the main farmer’s market. Some craft items on sale.



But by the time I reached Dolac Market, most of its fresh fruit and vegetables stalls were already closed. Better to get there early morning which my beau did in the next morning.



Next I headed to Zagreb TV Tower at the summit of mountain Medvednica to escape the city’s heat.



The TV tower measures 92 metres. During the Croatian War of Independence, it was bombed by Yugoslav Air Force. The attack rendered the tower unusable for three months.



The map of mountain Medvednica.



A restaurant and bar nearby the TV tower.



People ski here during the winter.



There is also the Medvedgrad Castle, a 13th century located at the south slopes of the mountain.



The view from the restaurant and bar. Unfortunately, we were looking to have a late lunch and the restaurant didn’t serve much food during that hour.



So we had our lunch in another restaurant instead named Zlatni Medvjed.



The menu in Croatian, mainly serving Croatian traditional dishes.



The restaurant owner and chef grilling some meat outdoor. He really is a friendly guy.



We ordered a homemade sausage dish.



This is Kotlovina, a traditional meat dish in Croatian cuisine. The meat here is pork. After having a hearty late lunch, we headed back to the city to check in into our hotel. Zlatni Medvjed restaurant’s food is delicious and is I highly recommend eating here.





The hotel that we stayed was at the Zagreb Palace Hotel.



Our city tour didn’t end after we checked in to the hotel. After a brief rest, we decided to explore the city by ourselves.



A nearby park.



A tram running just in front of our hotel.



Just across the street from our hotel is the Zagreb’s Art Pavilion. The Art Pavilion was built for international exhibition in Budapest in 1896. After the exhibition had ended, the building’s skeleton was transported to Zagreb and reconstructed on its current site. It is now used for changing exhibitions and contains important works by Croatian artist, Ivan Mestrovic.



The current exhibition when I visited was Rodin’s work from 6 May 2015 to 20 September 2015.



Rodin’s most famous work is none other than ‘The Thinker’. 




Sneaked a peek inside. No photographs are allowed inside the exhibition hall. Well, I gave it a miss.



Behind the Art Pavilion was the King Tomislav Square which has a beautiful garden.





The statue of King Tomislav who was the founder of Croatian state.



The Art Pavilion marking the northern end of the square.



Zagreb main train station is the largest railway station in Zagreb, which is situated just in front of King Tomislav Square.



Places of attraction is clearly indicated at the signage around the city.



The Hotel Esplanade is close to the main train station. Many celebrity guests have stayed at this hotel.



I then walked towards the city centre.





One of the squares in the city.



This area is filled with shops and restaurants.



Great time for shopping since it’s summer sale time.







Ban Jelacic Square in the evening.





We walked back to Tkalciceva Street, hoping to have our dinner here.



But every restaurant was jam-packed with people.



The streets are also packed with people. Unlike in the afternoon where it was almost empty.



Bought some souvenirs here.



Museum of Torture, that’s interesting. My beau posing as a captive here.



H&M up to 70% sale! Of course, I bought some clothes here, haha.



In the end we settled at the VIP Restaurant for our late dinner.







Had a pork chop and risotto. Nothing to shout about. But the location was great for people watching .



My beau woke up early in the next morning and walked around the hotel.



Croatian National Theatre in Dornji Grad, which is built in 1895 by Viennese architects.






It was well worth to visit Dolac Market in the morning when you can pick the freshest products.



Flowers are also available.



That’s all on Zagreb



Goodbye Croatia. Actually I am just crossing over to Slovenia and will be back to the coastal cities of Croatia in the next few days.



Crossing the border to Slovenia. Decided to visit this small European country,