9 Awesome Places To Visit In Zagreb

Zagreb may be overshadowed by Dubrovnik as the most popular city in Croatia for tourists, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it. There are tons of awesome places to visit in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. We stayed here for a week and found it full of history, beautiful architecture, and relaxing city squares. You don’t need to pack your days full of activities, but you can easily see everything on this list in one day if you were in a rush.

Table Of Contents

1. Cathedral of Zagreb
2. “Gornji Grad” Upper Town
3. St. Mark’s Church
4. Stone Gate
5. Ban Josip Jelačić Square
6. Mesnica NENO (Dolac Market)
7. Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square
8. Art Pavilion in Zagreb
9. Zagreb Funicular

Cathedral Of Zagreb

The Cathedral of Zagreb is considered to be one the most sacred places in Croatia. The cathedral was built in the Gothic style in 1217 and it is dedicated to The Assumption of Mary and two kings: King Ladislaus and King Stephan I. The cathedral was destroyed a few times by the Mongols and then later the Ottoman Empire and then most recently an earthquake.

The Cathedral of Zagreb was restored during the 1990s but due to another earthquake on March 22^nd, 2020 one of its two spires fell down. Hopefully it will be restored soon enough, since the spires are significant to the people of Zagreb.  The spires are visible from the most parts of the city.

The cathedral is magnificent from afar and inside. The building is huge and it is actually the tallest building in Croatia. You can visit the Cathedral of Zagreb and enjoy the beauty of the interior, but out of respect don’t wear anything shorter the knee level or tank tops.

Key Information:

Price:  free of charge;

Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 AM to 5 PM; Sunday: 1 PM to 5PM

Location: Kaptol 31 Zagreb 10000;

Gornji Grad (Upper Town)

Gornji Grad is a district in Zagreb that is translated as “Upper Town”. This district is located in the middle of the old town and has lots of historical sights and tourist’s attractions (a pedestrian café street “Tkalčićeva” is one of them).

Key Information:

Price:  free of charge;

Hours: 24\7;

Location:Upper Town;

St. Mark’s Church

St. Mark’s Church is a medieval church that was built in the 13^th century. This is one of the top attractions in Zagreb. The place is usually crowded due to popularity, but it is not a problem and you can easily take pictures. St. Mark’s church is not as grand as the Cathedral of Zagreb but still should be visited while in Zagreb.

Pay attention to the southern entrance. Above the door there are beautiful original Gothic sculptures. Another part of this church that you cannot miss even if you want is the roof. The roof tiles are placed in a way that shows a white castle on a red background, which is the coat of arms of Zagreb.

Key Information:

Price:  free of charge;

Hours: everyday:7:30 AM to 6 PM;

Location: Trg Sv. Marka 5, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia;

Stone Gate

The Stone Gate is a historical place that is worth your visit. It was built between 1242 and 1266. This gate leads to the Upper Town and it is one of the fife gates which were built in the 13^th century. Unfortunately, just the stone gate survives.

Nowadays it is a place of prayers and is popular for candle lighting. The Stone Gate is a Virgin Mary shrine due to a legend that the painting of the Virgin Mary survived a fire. Since then the gate became a place dedicated to her. There is an amazing atmosphere flowing in the air as well as a long history of this place all around you.

Key Information:

Price:  free of charge;

Hours: 24\7;

Location: Kamenita ul., 10000, Zagreb, Croatia;

Ban Josip Jelačić Square

Ban Josip Jelačić Square is a central square of Zagreb. The square is named Josip Jelacic and often is called Josip plac. It is located south of Dolac Market in the center of Zagreb Downtown.

The square is quite long but not that wide which makes it look more like a wide street or alleyway. Quite often public events are held here. During the time we were in Zagreb, Ban Josip Jelačić square was the center of a marathon and was extremely crowded.

There is a fountain and a statue of Ban Jelačić in the center, and through the whole square runs a tramway with a stop in the middle. The square is surrounded by quite Austrian style buildings with charming shops and cafes on the first floor.

Key Information:

Price:  free of charge;

Hours: 24\7;

Location: Ban Josip Jelačić Square;

Mesnica NENO (Dolac Market)

Dolac Market is the most famous and visited farmer’s market in Zagreb. It is located between the two oldest parts of the city: Gradec and Kaptol and is a few hundred meters from the main square. This farmer’s market is still a main trading spot for Zagreb citizens since the 1930s.

Dolac Market is a combination of an open market and a sheltered one below. The open market offers a large variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Here you can buy beautiful flowers, home-made food, and other goods from the local farms. The market below has meat and fresh fish.

Dolac market is a great spot for those (like us) who stay in the AirBnBs and want to try to make dinner from the local fresh products.

If you’ve never tried AirBnB before, use my link and get $50 off your first booking!

Key Information:

Price: free of charge (to visit);

Hours: Monday-Friday: 6:30 AM to 2 PM, Saturday: 6:30 AM to 3 PM, Sunday 6:30 AM to 1 PM;

Location: Dolac 9, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia;

Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square

Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square is a square and park that is a part of Green horseshoe (a combination of seven squares that form a horseshoe shape). The square is located in Donji Grad, between Ban Josip Jelačić Square and the Railway station.

You absolutely must have a stroll along Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square. There are a few important buildings that you might be interested in: the music pavilion is located in the middle of the park, the Zagreb archaeological museum on the west, the Croatian academy of science and art on the south and more.

Key Information:

Price:  free of charge;

Hours: 24\7;

Location: Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square;

Art Pavilion in Zagreb

The Art Pavilion is located south of Nikola Subic Zrinski square and has been located here since 1898. The Art Pavilion hosts a large collection of art (he exhibitions are changing quite often).

To be frank we weren’t fans of the modern art exhibition, but the general experience was pleasant. Pay attention to the building itself, it is absolutely stunning. The Art Pavilion is considered the oldest Art Gallery in Croatia.

Key Information:

Price:  30 HRK to 80 HRK depending on the exhibition;

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 11 AM to 8 PM; Monday is closed;

Location: Trg kralja Tomislava 22, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia;

Zagreb Funicular

The Zagreb Funicular is one of the shortest funicular rides in the world, just 66 meters. And I know it is not as exciting as “one of the longest”, however it is a nice activity to do while in Zagreb, plus the view from the top of funicular railway is very fine indeed.

There is of course a walking path to the top, however it is a nice touristic thing to do for those who like funicular rides (like me) and the price is just 5 kuna each way. You can only pay with cash so do bring some change with you.

Key Information:

Price:  5 HRK each way;

Hours: everyday: 6:30 AM to 10 PM (departure every 10 minutes);

Location: Uspinjača, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia;

9 Awesome Places To Visit In Zagreb