Zagreb Arrival

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I was greeted at the airport in Zagreb by my friend Andrea. Andrea usually spends a couple of weeks in Croatia in June every year. We stopped by her apartment in Zagreb to drop off my luggage and headed into downtown Zagreb.



Trg Bana Josipa Jelacica



The first stop was Ban Jelačić Square, the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The square has a statue of Ban Josip Jelacic, a Croatian lieutenant field marshal known for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848 and for his abolitions of serfdom in Croatia.



The square is also a place that Drea’s family visited a lot where her parent would sit down and people-watch. Her brother also got drunk one time and swam in the fountain in the square with his friends.



Uspinjača (Funicular), Lotrščak Tower and the Upper City



We then took the funicular from the lower city to the upper city. The Zagreb Funicular is the shortest funicular in the world and the oldest and the first means of public transportation in Zagreb.

Lotrščak Tower Views



At the top of the funicular is Lotrščak Tower. I got some amazing pictures at the top of Lotrščak Tower which gave me a 360-degree view of the entire city including St. Mark’s Church.



St. Mark’s Church



St. Mark’s Church is the parish church of old Zagreb. The roof of St. Mark’s Church is unique. The roof tiles are laid so that they represent the coat of arms of Zagreb (white castle on red background), and the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. Unfortunately, I was not able to go inside St. Mark’s Church as it was under construction.

Museum of Broken Relationships



We also passed by the Museum of Broken Relationships. I decided not to go inside as I thought the admission price was too steep to grant a visit.

Kamenita Vrata (The Stone Gate)

We then walked through the Kamenita Vrata (The Stone Gate). The Stone Gate was once used as part of Zagreb’s defence system. Within the gate is a shrine dedicated to the mother of God. According to legend, a great fire destroyed every part of the wooden gate except

Lotrščak Tower Views

for the painting of the Virgin and Child. Therefore, the shrine is considered a holy place where you can light a candle and pray for protection from the Virgin Mary.



We sat at a coffee shop by the stone gate and people-watched for a while and after dinner and some gelato, it was time to head back to Drea’s apartment. Tomorrow, we start our coastal adventure. The first stop is Plitvice Lakes National Park. Until then!

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