Overview
Zagreb was the first stop of our May 2026 Central Europe road trip, and we stayed for one night. It is compact enough to cover quickly, but the food and wine scene was much stronger than I expected.
One full day is enough for the main sights if you are not planning a museum-heavy visit. With museums, two or three days would be easy to fill. Zagreb does not look exactly like Dubrovnik, but there is a shared Croatian feel that makes it obvious they belong to the same country.
Getting There and Around
Zagreb Airport is small, and the toilets were filthy during our visit. Only two officers were working at passport control. We were among the first people off the aircraft and did not wait, but anyone leaving from the back of a full flight could face a much longer queue.
The drive from the airport to the city center took around 30 minutes. The main roads were easy, while traffic and parking became more complicated once we reached the center.
We had booked an Audi Q3 or similar from Avis and received a Ford Kuga. The car interior was dirty and the baby seat was worse. Based on that experience, I would avoid Avis at Zagreb Airport.
When we drove from Zagreb to Ljubljana, our passports were checked even though Croatia and Slovenia are both in the Schengen Area. The officers looked at them without scanning them, and the whole stop took about five minutes. This was part of Slovenia's temporary internal border control with Croatia, which was still active during our May 2026 trip and ended in June 2026.
The City and Its People
Tap water is drinkable. It did not taste particularly good, but at least there was no need to depend on bottled water.
People seemed more reserved and less outwardly cheerful than we were used to, although we never had any difficulty communicating in English. During the daytime, I noticed many older people out alone and fewer children than I expected. Smoking was also very common.
The music and the general mood in the bars had a lively Balkan feel. Zagreb was also one of the first European cities we had visited in a long time where I did not notice the smell of cannabis on the streets.
What to See
Tkalčićeva Street was one of the most enjoyable parts of the city, with historic buildings and plenty of places to stop. If I returned, I would choose a hotel nearby. Bogovićeva is another central street with many bars, but I would still prefer Tkalčićeva.
Zagreb Cathedral was under restoration during our visit. It is huge from the outside, and the architecture reminded me of Milan's Duomo. Much of the interior was hidden behind timber supports and protective structures. The wax-like figure we saw was not a priest whose body had been sealed inside wax, as we first assumed. It is part of the tomb of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, with the head based on his post-mortem mask.
St. Mark's Church was closed, but the square should not be skipped just because the church is inaccessible. Its colorful roof makes it one of the city's clearest photo stops.
Stone Gate is more important for its religious and historical meaning than for its appearance. Lotrščak Tower offers a view over the city.
Grič Tunnel has several entrances. It was used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War and now occasionally hosts exhibitions. There was nothing happening during our visit, but it can still be useful as a route through the center if you enter from one side and leave from another.
The Croatian National Theatre and King Tomislav Square are both worth adding to a walking route for their architecture and surrounding parks.
Dolac Market is a straightforward produce market. If you come from Türkiye and are already used to lively local markets, there is nothing exceptional about it.
Zagreb also seems unusually enthusiastic about deliberately odd museums. There is a Cravat Museum, the Museum of Broken Relationships, and a Museum of Hangovers. The city has turned this whole category into a tourist attraction of its own.
Food and Drink
I liked zapečeni štrukli, a baked local dish that felt like a lighter, cheese-filled relative of börek. It is served warm, has a generous filling, and works well for breakfast.
Many places operate as a cafe, bar, and restaurant throughout the day, which felt familiar to us coming from Türkiye. The range of food is broad, with ćevapi, duck, fish, meat, and seafood all easy to find. Restaurant quality was generally good.
Croatians clearly take wine seriously. Even ordinary restaurants often had 15 to 20 wines available by the glass, with plenty of Croatian grapes and local producers. You do not necessarily need to search for a dedicated wine bar to explore the country's wines. If you see Plavac Mali, try it.
Verdict
Zagreb's strongest side for me was not its sightseeing list, but its restaurants and wine culture. The main city sights can be covered in a day, while anyone interested in food and Croatian wine could stay busy for longer.