Two bathrooms
Cozy Loft Apartment in Zagreb Center
- Donji Grad, Zagreb
- 6 guests
- 3 bedrooms
- 117 m²
Zagreb travel guide: where to stay and what to know
Zagreb is a capital you can walk: the old Upper Town on its hill, the grand squares and parks of the Lower Town below, and cafés on every corner in between. This is our local guide to its neighbourhoods, sights and practicalities, with the stays we look after here.
- 22 stays in the city
- 17 km from the airport
- Walkable centre
Zagreb at a glance
Two medieval hill towns, a grand 19th-century grid below them, and nearly all of it within a 15-minute walk.
Croatia's capital grew from two medieval settlements on neighbouring hills: Gradec, today's Upper Town, and Kaptol, the bishop's town around the cathedral. They were joined into one city in 1850, and the Lower Town was laid out below them as a grid of Austro-Hungarian blocks, theatres and museums, framed by the green squares of the Lenuci Horseshoe.
Most guests come for two to four days, and nearly everything they want to see is within a 15-minute walk of Ban Jelačić Square, where the old and the new town meet. Trams cover the rest, and Medvednica, the mountain right behind the city, makes an easy half day in the forest.
- Best for
- City breaks, museums, food and Advent
- How long
- 2 to 4 days
- Our stays
- 22 stays in 4 neighbourhoods
- Airport
- 17 km, about 30 minutes by car
- Getting around
- On foot and by tram
- Currency
- Euro (€), cards widely accepted
Where to stay in Zagreb
Our stays are in four parts of the city. Choose by how close you want to be to the main square, and how lively you like your evenings.
Around Ban Jelačić Square
The very centre, steps from everything
The heart of the city: the main square with its equestrian statue, Dolac market on the terrace just above, and the pedestrian streets that lead up to the Upper Town and the cathedral. You can have breakfast at the market, be in a museum by ten and pop back for a rest between sights. Expect the buzz of a capital in the evenings, especially at weekends and during Advent.
- Good for
- First visits, short breaks and Advent
- To the main square
- 0 to 5 min on foot
Our stays here7
Upper Town and Tkalčićeva
Cobbled lanes, cafés and church towers
Tkalčićeva Street runs along the foot of the Upper Town. Until the end of the 19th century it was a stream between Gradec and Kaptol; today it is a long line of cafés and terraces. Mesnička Street climbs from Ilica towards St Mark's Church and the Strossmayer Promenade. This is the most atmospheric part of the city, with uphill cobbles and terraces that stay busy late into summer nights.
- Good for
- Couples, photographers and slow mornings
- To the main square
- 5 to 12 min on foot
Our stays here5
Western Lower Town and Ilica
Calmer streets, a short walk from the square
West and south-west of the main square, the Lower Town is calmer and more residential: tree-lined streets around Kačićeva and Gundulićeva, the theatres and museums of the Lenuci Horseshoe, and Britanski trg, a neighbourhood square with a small daily market and an antiques fair on Sunday mornings. Ilica, Zagreb's longest street, has trams along its length that take you back to the centre in a few minutes.
- Good for
- Families, longer stays and repeat visits
- To the main square
- 10 to 18 min on foot
Our stays here7
Beyond the centre
Residential streets with easier parking
A few of our stays are in the residential neighbourhoods around the centre: further west along Ilica, in Trešnjevka to the south-west, and east of the centre on the way to Maksimir Park. You trade a few minutes on the tram for quieter nights, local bakeries and cafés, and parking that is far easier to find than in the old centre.
- Good for
- Guests with a car and longer stays
- To the main square
- A short tram ride
Our stays here3
What to see, and how far it is
Walking times are from Ban Jelačić Square, which most of our stays are close to.
On foot from the main square
- Start
Ban Jelačić Square
The main square, where the Upper and Lower Town meet. Most of our stays are a short walk away.
- 1min walk
Zagreb 360° observation deck
Views over the whole city from the 16th floor of the skyscraper on the main square, best at sunset.
- 2min walk
Dolac Market
The city's main market, under red umbrellas on a terrace above the square: fruit, cheese and flowers every morning.
- 4min walk
Flower Square (Cvjetni trg)
Café terraces around Preradović Square, where Zagreb meets for špica, the Saturday-morning coffee ritual.
- 4min walk
The funicular (Uspinjača)
One of the world's shortest funiculars: 66 metres of track from Tomićeva Street up to Lotrščak Tower, running since 1890. The ride takes about a minute.
- 5min walk
Zagreb Cathedral
The neo-Gothic cathedral on Kaptol, with the twin spires you see across the city.
- 5min walk
Tkalčićeva Street
Cafés and bars along a street that was a stream until the 1890s.
- 6min walk
The Stone Gate
The last surviving gate of medieval Gradec, with a small shrine where candles burn day and night.
- 6min walk
Grič Tunnel
A 350-metre tunnel dug under the Upper Town during the Second World War, now a free walkway between Mesnička and Radićeva streets.
- 6min walk
Lotrščak Tower and the Strossmayer Promenade
A 13th-century tower whose cannon fires every day at noon, beside a promenade with views over the Lower Town.
- 6min walk
Zrinjevac and the Lenuci Horseshoe
A U-shaped chain of parks and squares lined with museums, from Zrinjevac's music pavilion to the main railway station.
- 8min walk
St Mark's Church
The Upper Town church with the famous tiled roof showing the historic coats of arms of Croatia and Zagreb.
- 8min walk
Croatian Museum of Naive Art
Paintings by self-taught artists, many from the village of Hlebine, in a small Upper Town palace by St Mark's Square: bright country scenes, often painted on the back of glass.
- 8min walk
Museum of Broken Relationships
A small Upper Town museum of everyday objects left behind when relationships ended, donated by people from around the world.
- 8min walk
National Museum of Modern Art
Two centuries of Croatian painting and sculpture in the Vranyczany Palace on Strossmayer Square, one of the green squares of the Lenuci Horseshoe.
- 12min walk
Croatian National Theatre
The neo-baroque national theatre from 1895, home to opera, ballet and drama, on the west side of the Lenuci Horseshoe.
- 14min walk
Mimara Museum
The collection Ante Topić Mimara gave to the city: old masters, glass, ceramics and antiquities in a neo-Renaissance palace on Roosevelt Square.
- 15min walk
Botanical Garden
A quiet 19th-century garden at the southern edge of the Lower Town, close to the main railway station.
A tram or bus ride away
Mirogoj Cemetery
Often called one of Europe's most beautiful cemeteries, with long ivy-covered arcades.
Bus 106 from KaptolMaksimir Park
A large 18th-century landscaped park with lakes, oak woods and the city zoo.
Tram 11 or 12, about 15 minLake Jarun
The city's lake for swimming, cycling and summer evenings by the water.
About 20 min by tramMuseum of Contemporary Art
Croatian and international art since the 1950s in a modern building across the Sava, in Novi Zagreb.
Tram 6 to Sopot, about 25 minMedvednica and Sljeme
The mountain behind the city, with forest trails and a 5 km cable car to the top.
Tram 8 or 14, then 15 to the cable carMedvedgrad fortress
A restored 13th-century fortress on the slopes of Medvednica, with views back over the city.
Bus 102 to Šestine, then a 45 min trail
Day trips from Zagreb
Zagreb sits where the plain meets the hills, so lakes, castles and baroque towns make an easy day out. Distances are by road from the centre; the line under each place says the easiest way there.
- Start
Zagreb
Intercity buses leave from the main bus station and trains from the main railway station, both a short tram ride from Ban Jelačić Square.
- 25km by road
Samobor
A small town of pastel houses along a stream below green hills, known for kremšnita, its tall custard cream slice, and walks up to the old castle ruins.
Bus from the main bus station, about 45 min - 55km by road
Karlovac
Founded in 1579 as a six-pointed star fortress where four rivers meet, with river swimming in summer and Aquatika, a freshwater aquarium.
Train from the main station, about 1 hr - 80km by road
Varaždin
Croatia's capital until 1776: baroque palaces, a white castle inside its old earthworks and a cemetery laid out like a park. In late August, the Špancirfest street festival fills the centre.
Bus, about 1 hr 30 min; 1 hr by car - 85km by road
Trakošćan Castle
A white castle on a wooded hill above its own lake in the Zagorje hills, with the furnished rooms of the Drašković family and a path all the way round the water.
Best by car, about 1 hr 15 min - 105km by road
Rastoke, Slunj
A village of old wooden watermills where the Slunjčica tumbles in small waterfalls into the Korana; an easy stop on the road to Plitvice.
By car, on the way to Plitvice - 135km by road
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Sixteen terraced lakes joined by waterfalls and wooden walkways, on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In summer, buy your ticket online for a set entry time.
Bus from the main bus station, about 2 hr 30 min - 140km by road
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Slovenia's small, green capital: cafés along the Ljubljanica, Plečnik's Triple Bridge and a castle on the hill above the old town.
Bus or train, about 2 hr 30 min
Things to do in Zagreb
Beyond the sights: what to do outdoors, on a rainy afternoon, after dark and on a Saturday morning, the way locals spend them.
Outdoors
Hike up Sljeme
Marked trails climb through beech forest from the edge of the city to the 1,033-metre summit of Medvednica. Take the cable car down if your legs say so.
Cycle along the Sava
A flat path runs along the river embankment for kilometres, between Lake Jarun and Bundek. The city's Nextbike stations rent bikes by the hour.
Bundek Park
A lake and lawns in Novi Zagreb, just across the river, with a playground, barbecue spots and plenty of shade on hot days.
Art Park
A green slope below the Upper Town, beside the funicular, where street artists have painted the walls, with a café and events in summer.
The Sun and its nine planets
Grounded Sun, a bronze sphere on Bogovićeva Street, is the start of a scale model of the solar system. Its planets are hidden in walls and squares across the city.
When it rains
Technical Museum Nikola Tesla
Steam engines, aircraft, a planetarium and a replica mine, with demonstrations of Tesla's inventions. A good choice with children.
Archaeological Museum
On Zrinjevac, home of the Zagreb Mummy, whose linen wrappings carry the longest surviving text in Etruscan.
Museum of Arts and Crafts
Furniture, glass, clocks and fashion from the Gothic to today, opposite the Croatian National Theatre.
Museum of Illusions
Rooms that play tricks on your eyes, made for photos, on Ilica a few tram stops from the main square.
Museum of Chocolate
The story of cocoa from the Maya to Croatian chocolate makers, with tastings along the way.
Evenings
Watch the lamplighters
The Upper Town is still lit by gas lamps, and at dusk a lamplighter walks the lanes lighting them by hand, one by one.
Summer on the Štros
From late spring to early autumn, the Strossmayer Promenade fills with concerts, film nights and food stalls, with the Lower Town's roofs below.
A concert at Lisinski
The city's main concert hall and home of the Zagreb Philharmonic, with a season of classical, jazz and world music.
Craft beer
Zagreb has a lively craft beer scene, from the Garden Brewery taproom in a former warehouse east of the centre to small bars in the Lower Town.
Like a local
Saturday špica
On Saturday mornings, Zagreb dresses up and meets for coffee on the terraces around Flower Square and Tkalčićeva, to see and be seen.
Changing of the guard
On weekends in the warmer months, the Cravat Regiment, in red 17th-century uniforms, changes the guard in the Upper Town and parades through the centre.
Sunday antiques on Britanski trg
Every Sunday morning the little square becomes an antiques fair: postcards, coins, records and Yugoslav-era curiosities.
Hrelić flea market
Zagreb's huge open-air flea market by the Sava, with everything from car parts to vintage furniture. Go early.
Licitar hearts
Bright red hearts of decorated honey dough, a northern Croatian craft on the UNESCO list and the classic Zagreb souvenir. They are for hanging up, not for eating.
Where the cravat came from
The necktie is named after the scarves Croatian soldiers wore in 17th-century France. Shops in the centre sell silk ones, and 18 October is Cravat Day.
What to eat and drink in Zagreb
Zagreb cooks like the north of Croatia: hearty, creamy and generous, with an Austrian and Hungarian accent. These are the dishes and drinks to look for on menus and at the market.
Savoury
ŠtrukliCheese pastry
Thin dough wrapped round fresh cottage cheese, boiled, or baked with cream until golden. Zagorje štrukli are an EU-protected speciality.
Purica s mlincimaTurkey with mlinci
Roast turkey with mlinci, thin baked flatbreads softened in the roasting juices; a Sunday and holiday classic.
Zagrebački odrezakZagreb schnitzel
A veal cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and fried: the city's own take on the schnitzel.
Sir i vrhnjeFresh cheese and cream
Soft cow's cheese with sour cream, sold by farm women at Dolac market. Eat it with bread and a pinch of paprika.
BurekFilo pie
Flaky pastry filled with cheese or meat, from any bakery: the city's favourite breakfast on the go, often with a yoghurt.
Sweet
KremšnitaCustard cream slice
A tall square of custard and cream between layers of puff pastry. Samobor's is the most famous, but Zagreb's cafés make it too.
OrehnjačaWalnut roll
Sweet yeast dough rolled round ground walnuts (or poppy seeds, as makovnjača), a Christmas and Easter staple.
PaprenjaciPepper biscuits
Honey and walnut biscuits spiced with black pepper and pressed with patterns in wooden moulds.
Pečeni kesteniRoasted chestnuts
Sold hot in paper cones from street stands, from the first cold days of autumn through Advent.
To drink
GemištWhite wine spritzer
Dry white wine with sparkling water, the Zagreb way to drink wine on a terrace: half and half, or ask for it stronger.
RakijaFruit brandy
Plum (šljivovica), herb (travarica) or honey (medica): a small glass is how a host says welcome.
BermetSamobor aperitif
A bittersweet red wine flavoured with herbs and fruit, made in Samobor to old family recipes and served chilled before a meal.
Kuhano vinoMulled wine
Red or white wine warmed with spices and orange, the drink of the Advent markets.
Dobar tek!Croatian for “enjoy your meal”
Getting to Zagreb
By air
17 km · 25–40 minZagreb AirportBan Jelačić SquareZagreb Airport is about 17 km south-east of the centre. The airport shuttle bus runs to the main bus station in about 35 to 40 minutes; a taxi or a ride-hailing app (Uber and Bolt both operate here) takes you to the door in about 25 to 30 minutes.
By train
15 min walkMain railway stationBan Jelačić SquareThe main railway station is on King Tomislav Square, at the southern end of the Lower Town. Ban Jelačić Square is about 15 minutes away on foot, through the parks of the Lenuci Horseshoe.
By bus
Tram 6Main bus stationBan Jelačić SquareIntercity and international coaches arrive at the main bus station, about 2 km south-east of the centre. Tram 6 takes you to Ban Jelačić Square.
By car
Road distance to Zagreb
- Ljubljana140 km
- Budapest350 km
- Split410 km
Motorways link Zagreb with Ljubljana, Budapest and the coast. The historic centre is largely pedestrian, so plan where you will park before you arrive.
Getting around and parking
On foot
Most sights are within 15 minutes of the main square. The Upper Town is uphill and cobbled, so comfortable shoes help.
Trams
ZET trams cross the city day and night. Buy a ticket at a kiosk or in the official app before you board (tickets from the driver cost more) and validate it as you get on.
Funicular
One of the world's shortest funiculars, on just 66 metres of track, runs from Tomićeva Street up to the Upper Town beside Lotrščak Tower.
Parking
Street parking in the centre is split into zones with time limits, paid from Monday to Saturday and usually free on Sundays and public holidays. Pay by text message or app as shown on the signs, or use one of the public garages near the centre.
Zagreb Card
Valid for 24 or 72 hours, it covers public transport and gives discounts at museums and restaurants.
Coming by car?
These stays have parking on site or free public parking nearby, so you can leave the car and walk.
Zagreb through the year
Zagreb is a year-round city. Every season has its own reason to come, and our blog has the dates and details for the big ones.
Spring
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- MarFestival of Lights
- MarEaster
Parks turn green, café terraces fill up and the Festival of Lights brightens the centre in March. The best weeks for long walks before the summer heat.
Summer
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- JulTerrace evenings
Hot days and long evenings. Locals head for Lake Jarun and the Upper Town promenade, and the city is calmer and easier to explore than the busy coast.
Autumn
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- OctNew cultural season
Mild, golden weeks for Maksimir Park and the forests of Medvednica, as theatres and concert halls open their new season.
Winter
- Dec
- Jan
- Feb
- DecAdvent
- FebValentine's Day
From late November to early January, Advent turns the centre into one of Europe's best-known Christmas markets, ending with the New Year's Eve concert on the main square.
Our stays in Zagreb
Apartments, studios and rooms we look after ourselves, most of them a short walk from the main square. Book direct for the best price.
100 m from the centre
Mandina Luxury Studios
- Donji Grad, Zagreb
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 30 m²
100 m from Cvjetni Square
B&B Cool Centre Zagreb
- Donji Grad, Zagreb
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 30 m²
Near the museums
Z-One City Center Luxury Apartments
- Donji Grad, Zagreb
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 25 m²
Full kitchen and washing machine
NikoG Design Residence
- Zagreb
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 30 m²
Private terrace
Apartment Nora
- Zagreb
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 40 m²
Historic Upper Town
Upper Town Apartments
- Gornji Grad, Medveščak, Zagreb
- 6 guests
- 3 bedrooms
- 85 m²
500 m from the Cathedral
Upper Town Rooms
- Gornji Grad, Medveščak, Zagreb
- 4 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 21 m²
Questions about staying in Zagreb
Anything else? Our team is in Zagreb and happy to help.
For a first visit, stay around Ban Jelačić Square or in the Upper Town near Tkalčićeva: you can walk to almost every sight. The western Lower Town is quieter and still 10 to 18 minutes from the main square on foot.
The airport shuttle bus goes to the main bus station in about 35 to 40 minutes, and tram 6 continues to the centre. A taxi or ride-hailing app takes about 25 to 30 minutes to your door. Ask us and we'll tell you the easiest way to your stay.
Not for the city itself. The centre is compact and partly pedestrian, and trams reach the rest. A car is useful for day trips, for example to the Plitvice Lakes, about two hours' drive away.
Street parking in the centre is paid by zone and has time limits, so public garages are easier for longer stays. Some of our stays have parking on site or free public parking nearby; check the amenities on each property page.
Two days cover the Upper Town, the Lower Town and a couple of museums. With three or four you can add Maksimir Park, Mirogoj and a half day on Medvednica.
The Plitvice Lakes are the classic, about two and a half hours by bus. Closer in, Samobor is under an hour away, and Varaždin, Trakošćan Castle and Karlovac each make an easy day. Ljubljana in Slovenia is about two and a half hours by bus or train.
Spring and early autumn are the most comfortable for walking. December is the busiest month because of Advent, so book early if you plan to come then.
Not sure where to stay in Zagreb?
Tell us your dates and who's coming, and our team in Zagreb will suggest the stays that fit.
Hi! We're two couples, 4 to 7 December, looking for two bedrooms near the Advent markets.
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