We had less than a day in Zagreb, but we tried to get a feel for the city nonetheless. Our drive from the airport to a downtown parking garage was relatively straightforward, followed by dropping off our bags at the hotel.
With some time before our dinner reservation, we took a walk around the old town. It was a cool spring evening and the night before the May Day holiday, so cafes with outdoor seating were busy. Along several of the side streets we found interesting street art and old buildings.
Next, we made our way to Gostionica Purger for dinner. They have a large menu, so it took us some time to decide. We started with glasses of the house white and red, plus split an appetizer of cheese from the island of Pag (semi hard cheese, like an aged Swiss). For our mains, they were out of the white wine goulash, so I went with veal ‘Samovar’ style (which definitely had garlic!), while Leandra ordered the bean stew with smoked meat (which was quite the portion size!).
After dinner we headed to Pivnica Mali Medo for beers, a Belgian dark for me and a Russian imperial stout for Leandra. A Champions League match was in progress on an outdoor screen, and the people watching was great!
On our way back to the hotel we noticed that store windows weren’t shuttered at night, which meant we could see more store displays than in Spain. Many restaurants also left chairs outside, without locks in some cases, which seems to indicate Zagreb is pretty safe!
The next morning we walked a loop through the parks and gardens of the lower town, starting in Park Zrinjevac, then Park Josipa Jurja Strossmayera.
From the train station area we walked the perimeter University of Zagreb botanical gardens which had lots of irises in bloom. While we didn’t go inside, the entry fee of 2€ seemed reasonable.
Then back toward our hotel, stopping at the Croatian National Theatre, Evangelička Crkvena, and for some street art.
After depositing our luggage in the car we walked around Zagreb’s upper town, which is definitely uphill! Just past the Lotrščak Tower are some nice views of town and a short funicular.
A few blocks north we saw the beautiful roof of Crkva sv. Marko (Church of St. Mark).
At this point it was starting to drizzle, so we walked back to the car and started our drive to Plitvice Lakes.