Zagreb

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I arrived in Zagreb in the afternoon, and took a walk through the city on my way to the hostel. My friend, Robert, had told me that I would see many similarities between Zagreb and Vienna. Both cities were developed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and their architecture was similar. I first encountered the main train station, which was at the south end of a long square. Across the street from the train station was a statue of a man on horseback. Manicured lawns with geometrically arranged flowers filled the space between the statue and the next building. Old row houses lined the sides of the lawn. As I continued toward the hostel I passed a park and botanical garden. After walking for a couple hours through town, I finally arrived at the hostel. When I checked in I was the only one there in the entire hostel, but I was looking forward to having company. I told the hostel lady that I had come to Zagreb mainly to see Plitvice, the national park. She booked me a ticket for a bus ride there the very next morning. She also warned me that a group of 35, including children, were about to arrive. This group turned out to be mostly children, mostly running around screaming and taking up the whole hostel. Though my room was still empty, this was not what I had in mind as I was looking forward to company.

The next morning I woke early to catch the bus to Plitvice. The bus went to various hostels and hotels to pick people up for the trip. I was with a total group of about 10 before we started heading toward the national park. About two hours later we arrived in Plitvice. The bus driver gave us about 5.5 hours to explore, which turned out to be more than enough time for me. I got my entrance ticket and stopped at the sign to select a path. Five paths of varying lengths were displayed on the map, each having an approximate length in time. Some included ferry and train rides, but the fare was included in the ticket price. I chose a path that was labeled 4-6 hours. From the map I walked ahead to an overlook. The scenery from the first overlook was unreal. I could see 2 of the 5 lakes beneath me, with many small waterfalls spilling from one into the other. The water was an emerald green throughout both lakes. Straight ahead of me was the longest waterfall in the park. Lush, green forest filled in the space around the lakes, with mountains in the distance on all sides. I followed the path down the side of the mountain. Signs were placed at every intersection of paths clearly labeling which direction to go depending on the path. Since I had chosen path C, all I had to do was follow the arrows labeled C. Once I had reached a level even with the lake, I could see the crystal clarity of the water. Many fish were swimming around, and fallen branches could be seen in the lakes. The path went across the lake, elevated just above the water. When I reached the first crossing, I saw the C path went to the left, but I wanted to see the big waterfall a little closer first, and so I went right. Up close, I could see that the big waterfall was probably 7-8 stories high. I could feel the mist from the waterfall as far as 50 ft away. To the left was a path that led up to a “scenic view”, but I figured I should be on my way to make time.

I walked along the path through the next two lakes, the path winding around and in between them. The views continued to amaze me. I saw cliff sides, caves, fish, ducks, flowers, and of course, many more waterfalls. Everywhere I looked was an array of waterfalls through shades of forest green cascading into emerald. Only about 1.5 hours had passed when I came to the halfway point, marked by the ferry ride across the largest lake. The ferry transported about 100 people across the lake from one end to the other. During the ride I was completely surrounded by lake, then forest, then mountains. I got off the ferry and continued on the path through the last 3 lakes. The scenery was once again, completely unreal. Waterfalls and emerald water just everywhere. Words are simply a crude medium for describing the intensity of the scenery. After realizing I was going to finish ahead of time, I took a side path farther up the mountainside to get a better view of the uppermost lake. After venturing to the what seemed like the highest point, I turned around and completed the C path. The C path ends with a train ride back to the starting point. However, since I had arrived 2 hours early, I decided to get off at the middle stop and walk the rest of the way back, taking any side journey I could find.

I had just gotten on the bus when I heard a crack of thunder, and then rain. I remember thinking, “well, at least I already saw the whole thing”. I guess it was my lucky day though, because the rain had slowed down considerably by the time I arrived at the middle stop. I hopped off and continued on the path around the largest lake. The path was mostly tree-covered, which was nice. I could see steam rising off of the tree-covered mountain side across the lake. I came to the point where I saw a cave, and took the path that went inside. The cave turned out to be more of a rock wall with a huge gap in it. A staircase when all the way up through the gap and led to a path along the top ledge. I continued walking along the top ledge which gave way to even more views of the grandiose park. With still an hour left as I arrived back at the entrance, I decided to cross back over to the big waterfall, and have a look from the scenic viewpoint. This required a hike all the way down the mountainside, crossing the lake, and hiking all the way back up the other side. However, it was well worth it. Finally, I crossed back over to the entrance and caught the bus back to Zagreb.

The next day I set out to explore the city of Zagreb. The hostel lady said, “I usually tell my guests not to pay for the tram. There is no enforcement, and I, myself, never buy tickets, and I live here.” So I took her advice, and as I was riding the tram I don’t think I saw anyone put a ticket in the little machines at every door. This was also true in Budapest. However, these trams were a lot nicer than the old beaters in Budapest. I got off at the city center, where another statue of a man on horseback sat in the middle of the square. Large Viennese-style buildings were everywhere. I went to a church first, where I could climb the bell tower to see the whole city. A giant cathedral with two steeples could be seen just over on the other side of the city center. A mix of young and old buildings stood side-by-side throughout the city. I went to the Cathedral next, and had a look inside. The inside brought me back to a familiar style I had not seen since Vienna. The ceiling towered overhead and the walls were lined with stained glass windows with various altars below. A huge organ stood in the back above the entrance. From the Cathedral I went south to explore more of what I had seen when I first arrived. The square with the train station was filled with statues. Fountains lined with flower arrangements were embedded in the lawns. Signs pointed to many museums, but since this was Sunday, they were all closed. I saw yet another statue of a man on horseback in near Roosevelt Square. However, this was an action shot of the man on horseback appearing to be slaying a dragon. His sword drawn high above as the horse pinned the dragon underneath. The fantasy statue was an aesthetically pleasing drift from the normal statues.

After exploring the main city, I took a tram to Lake Jaron, a man-made lake in the southwest part of Zagreb. The tram dropped me off a few blocks north of the lake. The first part I came to appeared to be a track for waverunners, jetskis, or perhaps small boats. Lanes were divided by a matrix of buoys. A grand stand sat on the side of the track at the near end, while the far end had starting points. As I walked to the far end I could see through small gaps in the “track” to the far side of the lake. People were laying out on the beach and swimming in the lake. As I got closer to the far end, the lake opened up to the left side. A lagoon was completely surrounded by beach here. The water in the lagoon, as well as the rest of the lake, looked pretty clear, and had a tint of the same emerald color that seemed to be everywhere in the waters of former Yugoslavia. The beach was lined with restaurants and snack shops. A few places looked like they turned into large night clubs at night. Canoes could be rented on one side. A man was renting interesting devices on the near side. These appeared to be giant, clear, plastic balls filled with air, and one person. The person inside crawled around the surface of the water like a gerbil. I saw a person getting out of one of these contraptions as well. A flap was unzipped and the ball flattened as it deflated. I thought to myself, that must mean the ball is airtight… like putting a plastic bag over your head… I wonder how long you can be in those before you pass out. So I rented one to test it… just kidding. Over the hill in the distance I could see the Zagreb Arena. This was an oval composed of white, convex pillars. Satisfied that I had seen enough, I returned to the hostel.

Zagreb is a nice city which seems to have all the conveniences and history of many cities in Europe. It is probably the most “Western” looking of all of the cities in former Yugoslavia that I have seen. I didn’t see any Orthodox churches or mosques while I was there. I’m sure there are some outside of the center of the city, but they clearly aren’t as prominent as they are in other parts of the Balkans. Lake Jaron reminded me a lot of Ada in Belgrade, but perhaps a smaller version. Plitvice, however, is absolutely amazing. I probably took over 100 pictures in the 5 hours I was there. I feel stupid even attempting to put its beauty in words. I saw pictures before I went, but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, then I still wouldn’t believe it. Combined with the Dalmatian Coast, I have found Croatia very impressive. To anyone wary of traveling to this country, you are missing out.

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Photos

Plitvice
View from the first overlook

Plitvice
This picture is now the background on my computer

Zagreb
View from church bell tower

Lake Jaron
Track with Grand Stand in the distance

Lake Jaron
Gerbil balls

Lake Jaron
Main lagoon