tales of wander

The title is taken from a sign I saw in a “caffe bar” in Sibenik and it seemed appropriate for this trip, given that our days start with coffee and almost always end with a glass of wine. Zagreb has proven to be a great spot for these indulgences with its ample supply of cafes and wine shops, both of which are really affordable.

Speaking of ‘affordable,’ Croatia converted their local currency to the Euro in January 2023. Given that the country hasn’t been immune to global inflation (Croatia has one of the highest inflation rates in the EU at 8.3 – 10%), the currency switch was unwelcome by many Croatians due to a fear that it would result in price hikes (which, incidentally, did occur when many vendors used the changeover as an opportunity to “round up” the price of their goods). I’ve read reviews from a lot of travelers who complain about how “expensive” Croatia is and I’m not sure what perspective they’re coming from when they say that. From my own perspective—as a person who typically travels in less developed countries AND who comes from a country with high inflation myself—I would say the following: 1) relative to less developed countries, then yes, things are definitely more expensive 2) relative to parts of western Europe, it seems less expensive to me, so Croatia is a great way to explore Europe for less money 3) relative to my own home country, it is less expensive if you’re in Zagreb, but things get more expensive in the touristy coastal cities (I hear Dubrovnik is the most expensive, which we haven’t been to yet). So far on this trip, most things are less than what I would pay in my own country, which has been a very welcome change. 

But I digress…back to Zagreb. Between coffee and wine, life has taken us all over this wonderful city, exploring everything it has to offer. One thing for which Zagreb is known is its museums—they have over 40 of them, in fact—featuring everything from the mundane to the totally unexpected. Here, even if you’re not a museum sort of person (or just not in a museum sort of mood), there’s still a museum for you. Sure, you can find contemporary art and history museums, but you can also find museums that pay homage to broken relationships, illusions, torture, and even hangovers. We decided to check out a handful of museums to get a balanced perspective between classic, contemporary, and kitsch, and we even went to the Museum of Chocolate, which offers a full sensory experience as it takes you through the history and evolution of chocolate (including a tasting box…brilliant!).

After several days of museums and other city explorations, we were ready to take in some nature. We spent an afternoon hiking in and around Maksimir Park, which is a beautiful inner city park founded in 1787 that has several lakes and a fantastic zoo. On All Saint’s Day (Nov 1, a big holiday in Croatia when many things are closed), we hiked to the top of Medvednica mountain, which is the (small) mountain overlooking Zagreb. Although there’s a castle on the mountain to which many hikes lead, we opted to hike a trail that took us to Sjleme peak, which is the highest point on the mountain and home to a small ski resort. I absolutely loved seeing how many locals were out hiking and biking on the trails. Given the infrastructure I’ve seen for all kinds of outdoor sports, I’m guessing that Croatians enjoy getting outside, which is something I can relate to.

In addition to hiking, we also took advantage of some easy day trips to these nearby towns:  

Samobar

Samobar is a lovely little town approximately 25km from Zagreb and is a popular day trip for those who want to get away from the city. Here, we went for a hike to the Samobar castle ruins, which is a castle that was built in 1260 and has since fallen into decay, but is still substantial enough to be seen in the town’s skyline. The hike to the castle isn’t long, so we continued beyond it to explore some of the other sites nestled in the forest, such as St George’s and St Anne’s chapel. After the hike, we were challenged to find something to eat—it seemed that everything in the main square was either a caffe bar (coffee and liquor only) or desserts and pastries. (Sometimes I wonder if Croatians live on just coffee, liquor, and pastries), but eventually found lunch and returned to the square to sample Samobar’s famous “kremsnita,” or custard cream cake. Delicious!

Varazdin

Varazdin is yet another utterly charming, remarkably spotless town approximately 90km from Zagreb. Though the town itself has been in existence since the 12th century, a fire destroyed much of it in the 17th century, at which point many of its important structures were rebuilt in the Baroque style for which it’s known today. We loved exploring the old town “keep,” which is protected on one side by Varazdin Castle, a 16th century structure surrounded by a steep grass-covered moat designed to protect it from charging Turkish invasions. The town itself is full of cobblestoned roads, beautiful architecture, cafes, restaurants, and shops—it was a truly lovely day away from the big city.

Overall, Zagreb has been a fantastic city to visit and one that I can honestly say I’d return to. It’s clean, livable, affordable, and has so much to offer both inside and outside its city limits. But sadly, all good things must come to an end (for yet more good things to come). Next stop: Ljubljana, Slovenia.