Zagreb Croatia
Ban Jelacic Square
By Zoran Stupar/ Croexpress.eu
(Translated into English – Ina Vukic)
Before you arrive in a city you’re visiting for the first time – whether it is London, Lisbon, Zagreb or Krapina – the first thing you do is to inform yourself about what to see in that city. Every city has its own attractions of which it is proud and which are interesting to a large number of people.
After you visit the attractions that interest you, you look for the places you want to see out of your personal preferences. Some football fans may go to the Arsenal or Chelsea stadium, lovers of sweets will visit the Lisbon Belem and consume some of the legendary pastel de nata, beer lovers will go to some of the many innovative Zagreb pubs that carry craft beer.
Craft beer pub in Zagreb
No matter how many cities you visit in your life, if you are a curious person (and if your visit there is of your own choosing), there is one thing that is common to all – it will not and it cannot be boring. Some will thrill you more, some less. In some your hands (and feet) will be full of 10-day work, in some 3 days. But not a single one will be boring for you.
The problem arises when a person does not enjoy discovering a new city, but someone (probably) forces him/her to. And then he/she writes an article about it; in one of the most read European media outlets to boot, the German Der Spiegel. That is what the Berlin journalist Anne Haeming, who described the capital city of Croatia, Zagreb, as a candidate for the title of the most boring city, did.
Dolac markets Zagreb Croatia
The commentators to her article, who were rather flabbergasted by her one-sided description of the city, offered the best replies to it, as it seemed she wrote the article in a state of depression in which everything appears gray (except the red sunbrellas at the Dolac city markets). Many commentators describe Zagreb as a lively and beautiful city, which has during past years blossomed in the tourism sense. Even if they are wrong, that Zagreb is not really anything special in tourism sense, it is impossible for a person not find a corner for himself/herself.
Does Ms Haeming like to drink a beer or coffee? Zagreb offers a vast choice of creative pubs and cafés that has grown so much in the past years that the culture of drinking coffee and beer in good company has become a social habit (at times attacked because of it) elevated to a higher level. If she was not in good company, there is no problem in befriending the happy visitors to Zagreb’s pubs, especially during the weekend evenings when one or more extra may get consumed. Tkalciceva Street may seem “overused” for people living in Zagreb but for tourists it is attractive and interesting.
Tkalciceva Street, Zagreb Croatia
Does Ms Haeming like outdoors? She went on an excursion to Medvednica all the way to Villa Rebar, the former villa of Ante Pavelic (more or less in an uninteresting ruinous state), and not to mention that she visited the very Sljeme, from which sprawls a beautiful view towards Zagorje, and where one can eat some fantastic bean soup. The marvelous Medvedgrad is in the vicinity, raised above the city, frequent motive for Zagreb’s photographers. A walk along Medvednica is a true enjoyment, whether you are a mountaineer or just an ordinary walker. If she really wanted to look at ruinous buildings on Medvednica a much better choice would have been the nearby Brestovac.
Nature Park Medvednica
Zagreb Croatia
View of Zagorje from Sljeme
Zagreb Croatia
The Berlin woman visited Hrelic, the huge Zagreb flea market, where she only saw things that made her feel shame because to someone these things appeared interesting to sell. If it’s not at least a bit funny to you when you see someone selling only a left shoe or when in the scorching summer month someone tries to sell you a pudding whose use by date expired a year ago, then definitely the problem is with you. If at Hrelic you don’t see a heap of picturesque faces, if you don’t hear a person singing “Sanader is building a new house and I am dying of hunger”, then you don’t see or hear well. If in that heap of things you don’t find at least one that you like, then you are in the wrong place – perhaps a visit to a designer clothes shop would be a better choice.
Hrelic flea market
Zagreb Croatia
If you visit Bundek and the only thing you see is an artificial low water level lake showing layers of gravel at the edges, and you don’t see heaps of people barbequing and having a wonderful time, how they cycle and roller skate, how they soak in the last rays of the sun before a long winter while sipping coffee, you don’t hear the screams of playful children, then it’s difficult to say that you are a talented travel writer. Because enjoying some city also implies a degree of interaction with its population even if that may be only observing people.
Bundek park
Zagreb Croatia
What else have we not mentioned? Well, quite a lot – Maksimir, Sunday change of the honorary guard of the Cravat Regiment at St Mark’s Square, which gives you goose pimples from excitement, excellent food…
Cravat Regiment
Zagreb Croatia
Cravat Regiment
Zagreb Croatia
St Mark’s Square
Zagreb Croatia
Maksimir Park Zagreb Croatia
Haeming criticised Zagreb quite a lot. Every one of us has their own perspective and it’s clear that not everyone will like Zagreb nor will they consider it as the most desirable destination for tourist sightseeing. But if in such a big city you cannot find something you like, something beautiful, something entertaining, and if after your departure from it you are so frustrated that you call it the most boring city, then the city itself is not boring – you are the one that’s boring.
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Brilliant,thankyou.
I enjoyed my three visits to Zagreb, even in October gray and chilly rain.
Just returned from Zagreb: it’s a vibrant, lovely city. Old meets new.
Lovely <3
This looks far from boring to me Ina.. 🙂 well said xx
Me too, Sue – I am so very biased here but then I sit on the edge and consider objectively and sooo much to experience there especially culture and traditions which is what people look for as buildings or monuments become a side interest
We live in an age when we expect to be entertained.
… but I agree that Zagreb is not a dazzling city.
……. but Toronto is far more boring than Zagreb.
Ah, Zed, but look around many people are dazzling… I am not dazzled by buildings or monuments but people and culture and plenty of that to dazzle in Zagreb if one looks…
Maybe I’m biased but, I love Zagreb for many reasons. Being born and raised near New York City, there aren’t many cities like that but, Zagreb to me is very unique in that its a big city with a small town feel to it and it seems that in a city of roughly 750,000 people its almost as if everyone knows each other there.
As for this German writer, this is coming from the most boring and humorless people on earth. Have you purchased the German book of Humor? The darn thing doesn’t exist and if you want boring, the German cities aren’t exactly the most exciting places on earth. But, to each is own.
And events there are so close to all that you feel right in the middle of wealth of cultural and political happening, intense in a good way, I think Stevie
Well said! It’s not all about aesthetics. Zagreb is lovely enough but it’s real beauty for me is that it is not too touristy and everything is geared up for local’s enjoyment rather than tourist traps. As a visitor you are able to gatecrash the party without being ripped off. I suggest the journo sticks to Prague, Venice, Rome & Barcelona, all fab cities but losing the authenticity that a Zagreb, Sarajevo, Porto or Tirana has in spades. Wilbur.
So right Wilbur, and I think that is the right attitude : one needs to be comfortable one self in the home before they can make visitors comfortable 🙂 Zagreb has the right people attitude
To quote Samuel Johnson: If you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life!
I say the same for Zagreb even if it is smaller but people make Zagreb so interesting and mobile and interactive 😀
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<3
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I rely on three things when I visit somewhere for the first time – Research, The Tourist Information Office and Instinct! I don’t think that I have ever found anywhere boring.
Exactly Andrew, me neither 🙂
Thank for this delightful tour of Zagreb! 🙂
So welcome Carol 🙂
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It looks fantastic and very fascinating; never boring! Thank you for your examples of beauty and excitement in the markets, buildings and people of Zagreb. 💞 💐
Love the city I must say – full of culture, history, great traditions, great people from all over the world…a gem <3
Looks and sounds like a wonderful place to me.
This is brilliant, good job.
Isn’t it, just – debussyhr 🙂
Its a beautiful blog post.
Would like to share my experience in Zagreb with you and I hope you like it too!
http://moonlitekingdom.com/zagreb-travel-guide-top-things-zagreb-moonlitekingdom/
I disagree with this article, and think it’s really immature to call the tourist “boring”, simply because they didn’t like Zagreb. Why not just respect her opinion, and accept the fact that everyone will like different things?
For example, I happen to love Bangkok. I think it’s a vibrant, wonderful city. However, I’ve met many people from all over the world who hated it, and will never go back. They have their opinion, and I have mine. Let’s try to respect one another’s opinions and leave out the personal insults.
I have to say that I’m disappointed in this article. The tourist is not “boring” simply because she didn’t like Zagreb. She simply didn’t like Zagreb.
Every city in the world has people who love it, and people who hate it. I plan on visiting Croatia over the Summer, but I recognize that not everyone wants to go there, nor will everyone who visits Croatia like their stay there. Instead of resulting to personal insults, let’s learn to respect one another’s opinions.