Destinations Europe

Spring weekend trip to Zagreb

May 17, 2017
Zagreb weekend trip

The sun gained back strength, the gardens were in full bloom and the trees turned into lush green: During the long Easter weekend I had the chance to soak in the long awaited spring in all its beauty! Together with my just-as-Insta-addicted friend Marion from marestella.me I went to Croatia’s capital Zagreb. But none of us were in the mood of long drives, so we took the comfortable way by bus from Vienna – one of the many routes that are served by Flixbus. The ride was direct, there was WiFi – so all you got to do is sit back and relax! Well, almost… Since the border controls in the EU got stricter, passengers must get off at the borders and have their passports checked – depending on your luck that can go fairly quick or not (on the way back to Vienna we had to wait two!! hours between the Croatian/Slovenian border…). Anyways, let me show you a little bit of Zagreb: It’s actually a cute, well-maintained city with a medieval atmosphere. The observation deck of Zabreb 360° was the right spot to get an overview of the city!

It’s highly recommended to explore the alleys of the old town by foot and you’ll automatically pass by an old funicular and some of Zagreb’s many beautiful churches like the Cathedral of Zagreb or St. Mark’s Church with its distinct roof pattern.

Also there is a huge farmers market – the Dolac – however we didn’t get to see it because it was closed during Easter (too bad!), but at least we found some giant Easter eggs!

When we asked for the local delicacy we were immediately told to try Štrukli. It’s best described as a very rich cottage cheese pastry dish, that’s either cooked or baked and available in different sweet and savory flavours. A variation of this traditional Zagreb dish is served at La Štruk in the old town (Skalinska ul. 5) but be aware that you want to walk off the cheesiness after… I’m actually glad that we shared one!

Zagreb seems to have a sweet tooth (just right for me!), so there’s plenty of bakeries and cake shops to satisfy your coffee and sweet cravings. We found a nice assortment at Amelie cake shop (Vlaška ul. 6).

Or if you’re more into street food, Fritule (Croatian donuts) is widely available.

Surprisingly – of all places in Zagreb – we fell in love with a cemetery! Our host gave us a ride to the Mirogoj Cemetery a little outside of the centre and we found a jewel of architecture! The arches are some of the prettiest I’ve seen and also the graves are stunning in decorations and details. Interesting to know: It’s one of the few cemeteries in the world where the graves aren’t separated by religion: It’s nothing unusual that a Catholic is buried next to an Orthodox, a Muslim might have its last rest next to a Jew. Kinda nice, isn’t it?

Last but not least I don’t want to hide the absolutely amazing Bed & Breakfast we stayed at. Embassy Row BnB is THE home away from home, except that this house is waaay nicer than my own home! Nadia and Drazen must belong to the loveliest hosts on this planet and they made our stay a unique experience. From the delicious breakfast made from scratch (like the jams and breads, everything organic) to the beautiful interior and garden – everything had this extra portion of love and care… Click here to book.


Disclaimer: We got a complimentary stay at Embassy Row BnB but my opinion is unbiased and 100% my own. This article contains affiliate links. I may receive a little commission through bookings on this site. This doesn’t cost you a thing but at the same time you’ll support me to run this site.


From Zagreb we continued our journey to the amazing Plitvice Lakes National Park. So what were your Easter/spring plans?

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35 Comments

  • Reply The Wayfarer May 17, 2017 at 9:18 pm

    I loved Zagreb so much! I would love to go back. That cemetery you visited looks absolutely charming. It’s nice that it’s non-denominational.

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      Yeah right? Such a nice concept!

  • Reply Paleica May 18, 2017 at 7:05 am

    schade dass ich das erst jetzt gelesen hab – auf unserer heimreise von unserem kroatien roadtrip machen wir ja auch einen mini-stopp in zagreb und die unterkunft sieht wirklich großartig aus 🙂 der friedhof ist wirklich wunderschön <3

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Oh schön! Bin schon gespannt was du alles entdeckst 😉

  • Reply jewels May 18, 2017 at 8:18 am

    Croatia, Croatia… How I want to come for a visit! It looks so beautiful, thank you for bringing it to me!

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:33 pm

      Keep planning! It’s so rewarding!

  • Reply Pinayskattebasse May 18, 2017 at 8:40 am

    I have not been to Croatia, actually never thought of doing so- yet. At least your post gave me a picture of the beautiful Zagreb. 🙂 Hopefully no 2-hour control waiting for me in the future. 😂 Would love to taste that cheesy dish, though it would put Jan off! 😆

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:35 pm

      Haha you better be really hungry – this is serious cheese stuff 😛

  • Reply SueT唐 梦 琇 May 18, 2017 at 10:36 am

    What magnificent places you visit in only a short distance. From Australia everywhere is so far apart from New Zealand. I had heard Croatia is beautiful now I know that through your post. Thanks Julia. I love the buildings and the rooftops. And the local delicacy sounds great. Great for us vegetarians (well me anyway). And finally such great photos as usual.

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:37 pm

      Thanks Sue, you’re right, but admire your adventures at the other side of the world just as much 😉

  • Reply Vicky T. May 18, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    I’ve never been there but I love the old medieval feel from the photos! Such a beautiful place

    Vicky
    https://vickysscrapbook.com/

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      I’m happy you liked it Vicky! Thank you 🙂

  • Reply Hanna May 19, 2017 at 4:01 am

    Now I feel embarrased, didn’t know Zagreb could be that CUTE and faschinating town. The cemetary, no wonder you fell in love with it!!!
    All buried next to each other, like we should be able to live on the planet, NO matter which religion.

    The B&B… I would love my house to look like that!
    You asked about our Easter, hahaha. We could not get a rental car from Switzerland so we stayed home in Sweden…

    • Reply sileas May 26, 2017 at 4:43 pm

      No worries Hanna, I think a lot of people don’t have Zagreb on the radar! And you’re absolutely right with the cemetery…

      I’m sorry that your Switzerland plans didn’t work out. Hopefully you can do it another time!

  • Reply Blueberry Stories May 19, 2017 at 9:29 am

    I’ve never been to Zagreb, but now I see it’s a fascinating town (and the food sounds delicious…). The B&B is lovely – I’d book a room right now! 😀

    • Reply sileas May 27, 2017 at 9:12 am

      Thank you, I’m sure you’d love it 🙂

  • Reply THE WɅNDΞRLISTE💫 (@thewanderliste) May 19, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    What a stellar travel post! I would love to travel to Zagreg, each Croatian donuts and stroll through the farmer’s market. The pictures are amazing too! 🙂 xo~ Lena
    http://www.thewanderliste.com

    • Reply sileas May 27, 2017 at 9:12 am

      Awww thanks so much Lena!

  • Reply Nat Worldwild May 20, 2017 at 3:35 pm

    Wie immer hast du mir wieder Lust auf ein Fleckchen Erde gemacht, was ich bislang noch nicht so sehr im Fokus hatte! 🙂 Toller Post, tolle Bilder!

    • Reply sileas May 27, 2017 at 9:13 am

      Oh vielen lieben Dank 🙂

  • Reply Tiffany. Yang May 23, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Croatia!! I love it so much, I travelled their once, and have been wanting to go back so bad! 🙂 Your photos are lovely!

    Tiffany x
    https://www.mstiffanyyang.com

    • Reply sileas May 27, 2017 at 9:15 am

      Yes, it’s such a beautiful country! Thanks Tiffany!

  • Reply the travelogue (by Anna & Vanessa) May 24, 2017 at 11:05 am

    Sehr toller Bericht und wirklich schöne Fotos!! 🙂 Und definitiv ein guter Tipp, wo wir auch unbedingt mal hinfahren sollten.. Zagreb war bis jetzt noch nicht so auf unserem Reiseschirm.
    Lieben Gruß,
    Anna & Vanessa

    • Reply sileas May 27, 2017 at 9:16 am

      Ja ich denke Zagreb wird zu oft übersehen – zu Unrecht! Vielen Dank ihr beiden 🙂

  • Reply Paleica June 2, 2017 at 7:52 am

    ich hab keine ahnung wieso, aber dein “dear vienna” beitrag lädt in 3 verschiedenen browsern bei mir nur das titelbild und keinen text 🙁 🙁 🙁 bin ich die einzige, die das problem hat?

    • Reply sileas June 5, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      Oh nein 🙁 Seltsam, egal wo ich’s getestet habe, es hat eigentlich funktioniert… Danke jedenfalls für die Benachrichtigung, ich hoffe das war nur ein temporärer Fehler!

      • Reply Paleica June 22, 2017 at 6:36 am

        ha, jetzt kann ich ihn endlich öffnen 🙂

        • Reply sileas June 22, 2017 at 3:27 pm

          Juhu!

  • Reply Chiara Pannozzo (@wine_and_olives) June 2, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    What a stunning place! Definitely somewhere to add to my travel list. Thanks for sharing, lovely!

    • Reply sileas June 5, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      Thanks Chiara for reading 🙂

  • Reply Mitzie Mee June 12, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    I’ve never been to Zagreb, and to be honest, I’ve never considered going either. Though your pictures really makes Zagreb look great! Really interesting with the cemetery.

    • Reply sileas June 19, 2017 at 1:44 pm

      It’s definitely a cute place with quite some potential 😉

  • Reply ourdestinationsblog June 13, 2017 at 5:22 am

    Zagreb looks really interesting! I don’t know if I would have ever considered going there, but now this thought has changed. Also good to know that they have a sweet tooth there 😀

    • Reply sileas June 19, 2017 at 1:48 pm

      I’m glad when I can show my readers something new and unexpected 😉

  • Reply Welcome to the Plitvice Lakes - Croatia's surreal beauty - sweet/escapes June 30, 2017 at 11:09 pm

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