Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In Zagreb, you'll find historic neighborhoods, a thriving café culture, an appealing vari-
ety of restaurants, my favorite urban people-watching in Croatia, and virtually no tour-
ists. The city is also Croatia's best destination for museum-going, with wonderful collec-
tions highlighting distinctively Croatian artists (the Naive Art movement and sculptor Ivan
Meštrovi
ć
), a quirky exhibit telling the tales of fractured relationships, and a smattering of
other fine options (modern art, city history, arts and crafts, and much more). Get your fill
here before heading to smaller cities and towns, where worthwhile museums are in short
supply.
Zagreb began as two walled medieval towns, Gradec and Kaptol, separated by a river.
As Croatia fell under the control of various foreign powers—Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, and
Belgrade—the two hill towns that would become Zagreb gradually took on more religious
and civic importance. Kaptol became a bishopric in 1094, and it's still home to Croatia's
mostimportantchurch.Inthe16thcentury,theBan(Croatia'sgovernor)andtheSabor(par-
liament) called Gradec home. The two towns officially merged in 1850, and soon after, the
railroadconnectingBudapestwiththeAdriaticportcityofRijekawasbuiltthroughthecity.
Zagreb prospered. After centuries of being the de facto religious, cultural, and political cen-
ter of Croatia, Zagreb officially became a European capital when the country declared its
independence in 1991. Today, while tourism is on the rise, Zagreb may be the only destin-
ation in this topic that still feels undiscovered. The city richly rewards those who choose to
visit.
