Zagreb + Zadar and everything in between, Croatia

Zagreb:

Zagreb, is the capital of Croatia, with mountains on the north side and the Save river on the south. The city dates back to the 13th century, however is currently undergoing some repairs following the earthquakes in March and December 2020, and from 30 years ago, during the Homeland war of 1991-95.

Dolac market - open from morning till 3 PM each day, in the centre of Zagreb. Local farmers sell a selection of fruits and vegetables along with meats and cheeses around the corner from the Cathedral. I picked up some super sweet strawberries and they were so tasty!

Cathedral of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - one of the tallest buildings in Croatia and currently under renovation after the March and December 2020 earthquakes. This Gothic style cathedral was finished in 1217 and even has chandeliers from Las Vegas inside, but unfortunately I wasn't able to see them.

Ban Josip Jelačić Square - the main square in Zagreb with a statue of Count Josip Jelačić, who gained independence for Croatia, and separated the kingdom from Hungary. Around the corner from the square is a store selling ties. Fun fact, Croatians invented ties and called them "kravata".

Stone Gate - located in the Upper town and now a place of prayer for many, this gate is one of the only remains of the city walls from the 13th century.

St. Mark Square - in the centre of the square sits the St. Mark church, with a colourful tile roof, containing the coat of arms for Croatia, regions Slavonia and Dalmatian and the city of Zagreb. Surrounding the church are government buildings, including the Croatian parliament and Old City hall.

Uspinjača (Funicular) - connecting the lower and upper parts of the city. This funicular is one of the shortest in the world, only 66 metres long.

Croatian specialties - Strukli - baked salty or sweet cheese with pasta like dough, sounds very weird to describe but it’s very delicious! I tried a sweet skrukli with blueberries, which reminded me of a blueberry cheesecake. Some of the other savoury options included roasted pepper, pumpkin seed, truffle and more. Rakia - a strong 40% spirit made from fruits, similar to brandy. Burek Z Maso - minced meat with onion in phyllo like dough. You’ll catch many locals walking down the street and devouring one of these greasy treats. There are other bureks as well, like cheese, spinach, chicken and some sweet options with apples.

Museum of Broken Relationships - a museum showcasing items from people's relationships. There were various items ranging from a bike to shoes, a ticket to Olympic Games and the number 2. Each item had a story behind it, not all were romantic. Some were between parents and their children and others between friends.

Botanical Garden - with a variety of plants, flowers and trees, this garden was first opened in 1891.

National Theatre - the oldest theatre institution in Croatia, is a bright yellow building and is surrounded by plenty of colourful flowers.

City Tunnels - still in use and standing to this day, there are tunnels throughout the city which were mainly used during WW2. Now an easy way to get from one side of the city to the other, if you want to avoid pedestrians and cars. The tunnels were used as bomb shelters to protect civilians.

Pod Zidom - serving elevated Croatian dishes, this restaurant changes up their menu based off the fresh ingredients they buy at the Dolac market.

*Pumpkin pesto butter + dried meat and pork fat pate

*Adriatic amberjack with granny smith apples + radishes, coriander and chili

*Wild asparagus risotto

*Chocolate cake with mandarin ad chocolate cream

Artisan Market - while leaving Zagreb I walked through an outdoor market where local artists were selling their crafts. Speceraj bakery was also out selling their baked goodies. I tried their almond croissant, it was phenomenal. I also spotted many jewelers selling their products, Peps Clay caught my eye and I bought a new pair of earrings.

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Day Trip to Plitvice Lakes + Rastoke Village:

Rastoke - a village on the way from Zagreb to Plitvice Lakes with many water mills, with the water flowing into the Korana River. The historic village even has water mills running under houses which were used for grain.

Driving from Zagreb to Plitvice and through Rastoke we saw many bullet holes in buildings from the Homeland war of 1991-1995. The tour guide explained that buildings are just starting to be renovated and reconstructed now, 30 years post war.

Plitvice Lakes National Park - WOW! I'm at a loss for words when trying to think of how to explain this national park and the photos don't do the nature justice. The park is covered in many waterfalls and can be reached from Zagreb or Zadar by bus or car. Open year round, the best time to visit is during the "off season" and especially early spring, as the waterfalls will be bigger, there are less tourists and the entrance fee to the park is much more affordable.

Fun history fact about Croatia - there are only 4 million people living in Croatia and about 1 million live in the capital, Zagreb while the rest are spread out in the east and along the coast. Additionally, as Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, German was the primary language spoken in the country. To this day, Croatians learn German in school along with English and there is a large amount of German spoken in the streets.

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Zadar:

Zadar is located along the northwestern coast of Croatia, in the region of Dalmatia. The old town is very charming and has a long, over thousands of years history with various rulers, starting with the Romans and including the Venetians, Austro-Hungarians and finally Croatians. If staying in Zadar, I highly recommend the Downtown Boutique Hostel, situated in the old town. It was very welcoming, clean, centrally located and has a WhatsApp group chat, which is how I met some great travelers who joined me while I explored the town and surrounding area.

Sea Organ - a free music concert along the waterfront playing 24/7. The city created an installation in 2005 which plays when the waves come under the stairs and air blows through the tubes, coming out through the holes. The organ is also the perfect spot to see the sunset. According to Alfred Hitchcock, it’s the nicest sunset in the world. Once the sun goes down, another installation comes alive. The sun salutation, created in 2008 lights up in various colours. During the day the solar panels charge up and then at night the large “sun” and smaller planets glow in various colours.

Green market - selling various plants, fruits and vegetables, this market is open every day. I spotted a variety of plants, as locals are currently looking for plants to set up their gardens.

Cathedral of St. Anastasia - the main cathedral in Zadar built in the 12th and 13th centuries.

St Laurence Church - this "church" intrigued me, since it is located behind a current coffee shop. No longer working as a church, it still contains the original columns that were used to build it and other remains from the 11th century.

Coast classics - the Dalmatian region is known for Maraska liqueur. Made from maraschino cherries, it is fruit brandy, usually taken as a shot or sipped. It is the same as Rakia liqueur, which I had in Zagreb. Black risotto is a staple getting its rich dark colour from squid ink and served with squid. I enjoyed some at Restoran Bruschetta, along with prawn bruschetta.

Roman Forum - in the centre of the old town sit the remains of structures from the Roman empire in the 3rd century.

Town of Nin - a few kilometres away from Zadar is another town. Usually very busy during the summer, it was pretty quiet during the off-season in early May. We walked around and explored the rocky beaches, enjoyed some ice cream and had lunch at a great restaurant, Konoba Sentimenti.

Sailing Trip to Iz island - together with a few friends from the hostel, we booked a sailing trip around the Adriatic Sea. We lucked out with the weather and were even able to jump into the sea, although it was very cold. Our captain took us to the island of Iz and we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant which only opened for us, since it is still the off-season. The chef prepared some freshly caught white fish over a wood-burning stove, along with some grilled vegetables and potatoes. Looking out across the sea to the mountains was one of the most peaceful + happiest moments I've experienced.

#StandwithUkraine - I spotted a few Ukrainian flags, but they were usually further and couldn’t be seen in pictures, so instead I photographed things that were blue and yellow. In Zagreb I also attended a charity football match where Dynamo Kyiv played Dinamo Zagreb, raising money for Ukrainians who have suffered from aggression. While on the sailing trip from Zadar, I found a Ukrainian flag with the sign “Slava Ukrajini”, posted on a billboard with other main island signs. It was small, but I knew the support for Ukraine was also prominent on an island.

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P.S. While in Zagreb and Zadar I joined Free Spirit Tours and took their free walking tours around the city. The guides were very informative, funny and professional. They also offer paid tours to the national parks and so I went with them to Plitvice Lakes and was not disappointed with the quality of the tour. I'd recommend Free Spirit Tours for anyone travelling through Croatia's main towns.

Thankful for the fabulous travelers whom I met while in Zadar - Andreina, Klaas, Liam, Lisa, Daniel, Rebecca, Joel, Ryan, Myrthe, Philippine and Raphael. Hopefully we'll see each other soon!

Hvala Zagreb, Zadar and Plitvice. Off to exploring more of Croatia's coast and islands.