Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 199

and the Arcotel Allegra Hotel. King Cross at Jankomir southwest of Zagreb is the
closest thing to an American mall.
Note: King Cross doesn't open until 2pm on Mondays. It opens at 9am Tuesday to
Saturday and stays open until 9pm Sunday.
ZAGREB AFTER DARK
Nightlife in Zagreb is varied but not obvious. Besides the usual complement of bars
and cafes, there are casinos, jazz clubs, discos, cinemas, and comedy clubs to occupy
even die-hard night owls. Lately, Jarun Lake, 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 miles) southwest of the cen-
ter, has become hot year-round with “branches” of almost all of Zagreb's popular bars
setting up waterside shops there.
Casino City is a comfortable gambling house beneath the Regent Esplanade with
roulette tables, card tables, slot machines, and a VIP area for serious gamblers. Free
entrance for Esplanade guests. Open daily 8pm to 4am. Mihanovi5eva 1. & 01/450-10-00.
Club Casino Vega is a high-powered establishment in the Sheraton where games
include blackjack, roulette, slot machines, and poker. Open daily 8pm to 7am.
Draskovi5eva 43. & 01/461-18-6. Fax [phone]. [e-mail].
Bar/restaurant Boban is owned by one of Croatia's top soccer players and it's always
packed to the max with a noise level to match. There is also outside seating where
promenading in resplendent finery is a sport for both sexes. Hours are daily 7am to
midnight. Ljudevita Gaja 9. & 01/481-15-49. www.boban.hr.
Jackie Brown in Kaptol Centar is aimed at a sophisticated crowd that enjoys the finer
things in life—cool jazz, vintage Armagnac, and classic cars. Open daily 8am to 1am.
Nova Ves 17 (Kaptol Center). & 01/486-0241.
The decor at Khala is reminiscent of a Far Eastern harem and the effect screams
“extremely chic and wealthy.” Brown wicker chairs and couches fitted with white linen
cushions are always filled with beautiful people sipping exotic drinks while murmur-
ing into cellphones and keeping an eye on their Porsches parked at the curb. Open
daily 10am to 2am. Nova Ves 11 (Kaptol Center). & 01/486-02-41.
The music and furniture at S kola (next door to the Millennium ice-cream and pastry
shop in the center of town), is white-hot, perfect for a first date. Exotic drinks are the
specialty; snacks are available, too. Open 9am to 1am Monday to Saturday. Closed
Sunday. Bogoviceva 7, 3rd floor. & 01/482-81-96. www.skolaloungebar.com.
9 Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park, 137km (85 miles) south of Zagreb, is Croatia's most
touted natural wonder: Its majestic waterfalls, lakes, and forests have earned it a place
on the UNESCO register of World Heritage Sites and made it Croatia's biggest tourist
attraction outside the Adriatic coast and islands. The park's most compelling features
are the waterfalls that interconnect 16 clear turquoise lakes, which are set in dense
forests of beech, fir, and spruce. Anywhere you go in this nearly 4,800-hectare
(12,000-acre) reserve, the water is crystal clear and teeming with fish thanks to
deposits of travertine (powdery white limestone rock) under the water. It is the con-
stant distribution of travertine that is responsible for buildups of underwater mounds
and thus the waterfalls. The park is also rich with caves, springs, flowering meadows,