Croatia
Zagreb travel guide
Zagreb is a city in Croatia, home to about 767,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- ZAG11 km · Zagreb Franjo Tuđman International Airport
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Zagreb
- Language
- Croatian
About
About Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the north of the country, along the Sava River, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain.
Zagreb is a vibrant city of around 770,000 people (2021, metropolitan area: 1,100,000). In 2017 it was visited by over a million tourists, mainly from Austria, Germany and Italy. Zagreb is also well known for its Advent festival, which occurs from December to early January, boasting vibrant nightlife and additional cultural and gastronomic activities.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Zagreb
See
Caution: Several of Zagreb's historical buildings sustained damage due to a moderate earthquake that struck the city in March 2020 and are temporarily closed until repairs are finished. The city of Zagreb is mainly divided into two parts Gornji grad (Upper Town) and Donji grad (Lower Town). They are the cultural, religious, and commercial hubs of Zagreb. These are where most of the restaurants, bars and tourist sights are located.
- Zagreb Cathedral
- St. Mark's Square
- St. Catherine's Church
- Old Town Gate
- Ribnjak Park
- Museum of Broken Relationships
- Museum of Hangovers
- Klovićevi Dvori Gallery
- Zagreb City Museum
- Lotrščak Tower
- Grič Tunnel
- Sabor Palace
Do
- Strossmayerovo šetalište
- Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall
- Snow Queen Trophy
- CineStar Zagreb
- CineStar Novi Zagreb
- CineStar Arena IMAX
- Kaptol Boutique Cinema
- CineStar Zagreb Zapad Z Centar
- Cineplexx Centar Kaptol
- Cineplexx City Centre One East
- Kino Tuškanac
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Zagreb
Zagreb has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; September is the wettest, with about 131 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Zagreb: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zagreb Franjo Tuđman International Airport (ZAG), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport (MBX, 78 km) and Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU, 126 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Zagreb has a well-developed and efficient public transport system that consists of trams, buses and trains. You can find routes and schedules from Easyway journey planner or Google maps, or you can download the official ZET app. The tram network operates 24 hours a day - from around 04:30 to just after 00:00 there are 15 "day-time lines" (tram lines 1–9, 11–15 and 17). From 00:00 to 04:00 there are 4 "night" lines (tram lines 31-34) which cover most of the day-time lines on a reduced (around 30-40 minute) frequency. Occasionally, buses replace trams on night lines.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
ZAG · Zagreb Franjo Tuđman International Airport
MBX · Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport
LJU · Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Zagreb
Eat
Tobacco smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and some bars and cafes. The smaller bars and cafes could opt (and some did) to allow smoking. There are many take out, pizza-cut, sandwich bars and fast foods around the city. Most are located in the city centre (main square - Ban Jelačić and surrounding blocks). There are also food chains such as the "McDonald's", "Mlinar", "Pan Pek", and the preferred "Dubravica". (updated May 2022). You can also find many kebabs and pancake-to-go places.
Drink
Many bars are found around Flower square (Cvjetni trg aka Preradovićev trg), the main square (Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića), Preradovićeva, Tkalčićeva, Radićeva, Bogovićeva, and Gajeva streets.
Stay safe
As with much of Croatia, Zagreb is very safe on the whole. But just as anywhere else in Europe, dark/poorly lit alleys, parks (during the night), and some poorer neighborhoods should be avoided, and common sense should be followed. The chance of getting in trouble in Zagreb is fairly low, especially in the centre where most of the hotels and restaurants are located, and for foreigners, who are in general respected and welcome. Visitors soon realize that Zagreb is safer than the majority of European capitals such as London, Paris, Vienna, Rome, and Budapest.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Zagreb: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Zagreb?
Zagreb has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; September is the wettest, with about 131 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Zagreb?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Zagreb Franjo Tuđman International Airport (ZAG), about 11 km from the city centre in a straight line; Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport (MBX, 78 km) and Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU, 126 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Zagreb?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near Zagreb
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.