Zagreb in One Day: A Walking and Campervan Tour of the Croatian Capital

The capital of Croatia, Zagreb, is a city that keeps all the charm of old Europe while at the same time boasting numerous museums and contemporary art galleries.

The whole historic centre can be explored on foot, while we recommend moving by campervan/van or using public transport to reach two unusual but very interesting destinations: Maksimir Park and Mirogoj Cemetery.

The city is split between the Lower Town and the Upper Town, reachable on foot or via Europe’s shortest funicular.

Throughout the city centre you’ll find numerous venues where you can rest and try the local dishes, although the menus didn’t strike us as particularly cheap.

We visited the capital on a Sunday, a day when we made use of the free car park 20 minutes from the centre. Unfortunately, or luckily, it was marathon day, so we enjoyed a lovely, convivial atmosphere, though it didn’t let us fully admire the main square. On top of that, the cathedral’s façade and St Mark’s Square were covered in scaffolding for restoration work. We extended our stay to Monday to also reach the Cemetery, located north of the city. If you want to discover the other stops of our van tour in Croatia, you’ll find it all in this article.

Zagreb in one day itinerary

1. Ban Josip Jelačić Square

The capital’s most famous main square is in the Lower Town and is entirely pedestrian; it’s overlooked by numerous buildings and venues, as well as the statue of a famous military leader.

2. Dolac Market

Located right behind the main square, this historic market once buzzed with fruit and vegetable stalls where the “kumice”, elderly women who travelled into the city, sold the produce of their farms, alongside spices, flowers and stalls to try local specialities. It’s still held every day today (Mon-Fri 6am-2pm, Sat until 3pm, Sun until noon), but it’s decidedly less picturesque.

3. Zagreb Cathedral

The city’s most important place of worship is located 260 m from Dolac Market and is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It can hold more than 5,000 people inside, and its two spires, 108 m tall, are visible from every point in the city. A shame we found it closed for restoration. In the square outside, though, we got to admire the monument to the Blessed Virgin Mary, topped with a golden statue.

4. The funicular and Lotrščak Tower

The Uspinjača, the world’s shortest funicular (running daily from 6.30am to 10pm, costing 5.00 HRK/€0.65 per ride), is a protected Cultural Heritage site, just 66 m long and taking only 64 seconds to reach the Upper Town, otherwise reachable in a 10-minute walk. Here you can admire Lotrščak Tower, the city’s most important defensive point, which you can climb for a fee to admire Zagreb from above.

5. St Mark’s Square and St Mark’s Church

Located a 3-minute walk from Lotrščak Tower, these will immerse you in the heart of Zagreb’s medieval quarter. Besides being home to the Parliament, the square lets you visit (if you’re luckier than us and don’t find it fenced off) St Mark’s Church, on whose roof you can admire the coats of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia.

6. Maksimir Park

This is a genuine green lung of the capital, also home to the Zoo. Admission is free (except for the zoo), and you’re spoiled for choice walking among small lakes and centuries-old trees: this park was once a forest, later redeveloped by the city’s Bishop in the 18th century.

7. Mirogoj Cemetery

This is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe, completely immersed in greenery, with numerous chapels and genuine monuments inside. It’s located 3 km from St Mark’s Square.

8. Museums

At the start of this article we mentioned the presence of numerous museums, such as the Mimara Museum, one of the country’s most famous, the Museum of Naive Art, the Archaeological Museum, and the Museum of Broken Relationships. We didn’t visit them, but they could be interesting destinations to add if you have an extra day available to visit the Croatian capital.

Vlog

If you want to relive the raw emotions of visiting Zagreb and take a walk through the park together with Olimpia and Sakè, our dog and cat, here’s the dedicated video below. Enjoy watching, and enjoy the walk!