There are loads of places where you get a cup of black gold in and around Zagreb, but some of the best coffee in Zagreb can be found at the Cogito Coffee Shop, they have several shops dotted around the city and pride themselves in sourcing their coffee with care, emphasizing its seasonality and origin. It’s true. Their coffee is made with passion and served with love.
Check out their HQ ‘In the yard’. It has a very nice outdoor seating area and is located just off the main street near the Botanical gardens.
Their other branch Deželića is much smaller and has an on street patio which is also nice, but not as relaxing.
Cogito Coffee Deželića Zagreb
Both coffee shops serve their own specialties and have great staff to help you choose from their extensive coffee varieties.
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Zagreb is a beautiful city that we both really enjoyed! There’s loads of things to do and see and some great places to eat. This Zagreb travel guide is based on our experiences during our 5 days spent in Zagreb. We will not add the most touristy spots in this guide, as these are easy to find in any guidebook. All places are added on our Croatia travel map.
Beautiful views over Zagreb
Things to See and Do in Zagreb
There is a ton to see and do in Zagreb, and we did not have time for all we wanted to do unfortunately. But these are some of our highlights listed:
Walk around Old Town
Yes, it is touristy, and we try to not do too many touristy things when travelling. But, the old town of any city is nice to stroll through to get glimpses of history. Just don’t eat here, as the prices are much higher than other parts of the city.
Walk around old town and explore all beautiful architecture it has to offerZagreb is full of cute streets to explore
The Memorial Centre of the Rocket Attacks on Zagreb 1991/1995
This was probably the most interesting thing to do in Zagreb for us. It was quite emotional, but very interesting. The staff was super helpful and really want to explain what happened and why. We didn’t know much about the war or the bombings of Zagreb, so we learned a lot. But again, it was super emotional and many very strong and graphic photos and videos.
It was a little bit tricky to find as it was just in a normal doorway without any big signs. When you find the right door, go up one stair and ring the doorbell on the door with the sign and the staff will let you in.
Entrance: free
Door to The Memorial Centre of the Rocket Attacks on Zagreb 1991/1995
Mirogoj Cemetery
This cemetery is very beautiful. The beautiful arcade is the highlight of Mirogoj, with it’s beautiful architecture and the resting place for many famous Croats. It’s definitely worth going up to just walk around the arcade and the rest of the cemetery. Take a bus from the cathedral or walk up the hill.
Entrance: free
The beautiful Arcade at Mirogoj CemeteryCeiling of the arcade at Mirogoj CemeteryChurch in Mirogoj Cemetery
Tunnel Gric
This former bomb shelter during WWII and in the 90s is today a pedestrian tunnel under the city centre. It is a super cool place to walk through and almost completely empty when we were there. There are a five entrances, some a little tricky to find, but we used google and got to the right place.
Entrance: free
Inside Tunnel Grič
Park Maksimir
If you need to get out of the city centre for a bit and see some nature, head to the biggest part in Zagreb, Maksimir. It’s only a short tram ride from the centre. This is the perfect place to stroll around for an afternoon. It’s also where the city’s Zoo is located.
Entrance: free
Museum of Broken Relationships
It’s a whole museum about brake ups, some funny, some sad. Overall I think it was worth spending some time there but Sam didn’t enjoy it as much, so it depends on what you’re interested in.
Entrance: 40 kuna (ca. €5, October 2018).
Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb
Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens was a nice place to walk around. None of us are really into flora and fauna, but it was still a nice walk in the sun. It was also very empty when we were there, and not many tourists at all.
Entrance: free
Botanical Garden in ZagrebWooden house in the Botanical Garden
Explore all graffiti
Zagreb is full of beautiful, cool graffiti. Just walk around and explore and you will see loads, like a huge open air Art museum.
Graffiti in the Art park, and one of the entrances to the Grič tunnelStreet art at the Art Park in Zagreb
Drink coffee
As anywhere we go, we try to find the best coffee spots. There are loads of places to sit and relax with a hot cup of coffee and watch the world go by. See Sam’s guide to the best coffee in Zagreb.
Where to Eat in Zagreb
There are so many restaurants in Zagreb, as there is in any big city. Below are some places we found and really enjoyed. See our Zagreb travel map for exact locations.
Bistro Špajza
A small neighbourhood bistro owned by a super sweet older couple. They serve home made really good food. They have a daily menu, so it varies a bit depending on season etc. When we were there you got a soup and/or salad and could choose between three mains, risotto, pasta bolognese and beef cheeks with mashed potatoes.
Price: we paid €15 in total for 2 salads, 2 mains, water and 2 glasses of wine (October 2018).
Magazinska klet
This place is a typical BBQ restaurants, like the food you would find in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We had the mixed meat plate which was great – all fresh from the BBQ. It has a very homely feel to it and the staff was very friendly and helpful.
Price: we paid €30 in total for a huge plate of mixed meat, fries, mushrooms, a salad, bread, beans, 2 beers (big) and one baklava (October 2018). Mind you, it was enough food for 3-4 people.
Big meal at Magazinska Klet
Pithos
A very nice little lunch restaurant (only open until 17.00). You can choose from a daily menu with 3-4 dishes. It was all h0me made nice food.
Price: the most expensive dish was €5 (October 2018).
Lašćinska Klet – Restoran – Ferenčina
This restaurant is a bit out of the city centre, next to Mirogoj Cemetery. It’s a very local place in a residential area, which we just stumbled upon after visiting Mirogoj. The food is very well made and home cooked, super delicious. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you combine it with Mirogoj.
Price: we paid €27 for two mains, a salad, a glass of wine and a beer (October 2018). It’s not the cheapest place to eat, but still worth a visit due to the quality.
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Pula is the biggest city in Istria, Croatia, and the eighth biggest city in the country. It’s located at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula. Pula is known for its large number of old Roman structures, the most acclaimed of which is the Pula Arena, a standout among other preserved Roman amphitheaters. The city has a long tradition of wine making, angling, shipbuilding, and tourism. It used to be Istria’s authoritative focus since antiquated Roman times, until the point when Pazin turned into its regulatory focus in 1991.
The city center is quite small with paved winding walkways, dozens of restaurants catering to the mostly day-time tourists which means in the evening it’s pretty quiet.
The Roman Amphitheater
The amphitheater is small enough to walk around in a half hour. You get a good view inside without having to pay the entrance fee. Infact Pula’s ampitheatre is more intact than it’s cousin in Rome, boasting a near complete ring of walls. It is also in regular use, staging the Film Festival, the opening night of electronic music bash Outlook, Dimensions and other big-name concerts.
The Amphitheater in Pula
Pula Triumphal Arch
The Arch of the Sergii remains the main gateway into what is now Pula’s historic center, virtually intact after more than 2,000 years. Today’s pedestrians walk below its portal to access ulica Sergijevaca. You can still see details relating to the events of 31BC, the names of the Sergii clan inscribed on the columns, and a chariot on the frieze.
Fort Monvidal
There is the old Fort on the hill, again no need to walk in and pay any entrance fee if you’re not really into forts and history. You can walk around the whole fort on the outside and get the same views of the historic center and the cranes of the nearby shipyard for free.
View from Fort Monvidal
Pula Market
As well as the outside free market there is also the undercover market. It is housed in a historic building with a distinctive architectural style. Constructed out of wrought iron. Traders fill two floors with fish, meat and other local sundry produce, while local fresh fruit, vegetables, honeys, wines and oils can be found in abundance.
Most tourists will happily see all there is to offer in a day.
By the harbour in Pula
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