When to visit Zagreb?

Two to three nights are ideal. One day for the Upper Town (cathedral, Dolac market, St Mark's Square, Palace of the Bans, Stone Gate, funicular, Museum of Broken Relationships). One day for the Lower Town (Ban Jelačić Square, Lenuci's Green Horseshoe, National Theatre, Mimara Museum, King Tomislav Square). A third day for Mount Medvednica (cable car, Medvedgrad castle, hiking). For the Christmas market in December, allow at least 2 full nights. Zagreb is also an excellent starting point for Plitvice (2 hours, day trip possible).

__Advent in Zagreb__ generally starts the last Saturday of November (official lighting on Trg bana Jelačića with the giant tree raised) and lasts until __6 January__ (Epiphany). Peak animation is between 8 December and 31 December. The markets concentrate in 5 zones: Ban Jelačić Square, Zrinjevac park (the most romantic with lights in the chestnut trees), King Tomislav Square, Strossmartre (Upper Town), Lenuci Esplanade. Allow 2-3 full days to cover everything. Book your hotel __3-4 months ahead__ for December weekends — demand is strong since the European Best Destinations 2016-2018 wins.

__Franjo Tuđman Airport__ (ZAG) is 17 km southeast of the centre. __From London__: British Airways (Heathrow), Croatia Airlines (Heathrow), Ryanair (Stansted, seasonal), 2h30 flight, £100-200 return. __From Paris__: Air France (CDG, daily year-round), Croatia Airlines (CDG, daily), 2h-2h10 flight, €100-200 return on average. From the __airport to the centre__: Pleso Prijevoz bus (every 30 minutes to the coach station, 30 minutes, €7), public bus n°290 (45 minutes, €2), taxi (15-20 minutes, €25-35), Uber/Bolt (€18-28). By __train__ from Paris: 18-22 hours via Munich or Zurich with connection(s). Possible but long.

Zagreb has more than 50 museums in a compact historic centre. The __must-sees__: __Museum of Broken Relationships__ (Upper Town) — a globally unique concept created in 2010, a collection of objects from separated couples with personal stories, Kenneth Hudson Prize 2011, emotional and funny. __Mimara Museum__ — Mimara private collection donated to the city (Renaissance, Flemish, Spanish, Italian painters). __Strossmayer Gallery__ — old masters (Bellini, El Greco, Carpaccio, Veronese). __Croatian Museum of Naïve Art__ — Hlebine school, unique folk art. __Archaeological Museum__ — Vučedol dove (3000 BC), Illyrian and Roman antiquities. __Museum of Contemporary Art__ (Donji Grad, south) — modern and contemporary collection. Allow one museum per half-day.

Zagreb's cuisine is __Pannonian and Austro-Hungarian__, very different from Mediterranean Dalmatian fare. Absolute must-tries: __štrukli__ (light pastry with fresh cheese and cream, savoury or sweet, regional speciality), __zagrebački odrezak__ (Zagreb-style cordon bleu, breaded and stuffed with ham and cheese), __sarma__ (winter cabbage stuffed with meat), __punjene paprike__ (stuffed peppers), __čevapčići__ (Balkan grilled sausages), __kulen__ (Slavonian paprika salami), fresh cheeses (sir s vrhnjem). __Viennese cafés__ and __slastičarne__ (pastry shops) are a social institution — kremšnita (custard mille-feuille), orahnjača (walnut roll cake), savijača (strudel). Local beers: Ožujsko, Karlovačko.

Zagreb is the ideal starting point for a full Croatian itinerary. __Classic 10-day itinerary__: Zagreb (2 nights) → Plitvice (1 night) → Zadar (2 nights) → Split (2 nights) → Dubrovnik (2 nights + flight home). __Quick 7-day itinerary__: Zagreb (1 night) → Plitvice (1 night) → Split (2 nights) → Hvar (2 nights) → Dubrovnik (1 night). __Istria 5-day itinerary__: Zagreb (2 nights) → Pula (1 night) → Rovinj (2 nights + Pula flight home). __Central Europe 14-day loop__: Vienna → Bratislava → Budapest → Ljubljana → __Zagreb__ → Plitvice → Split → flight home. Zagreb is also reachable by train from Vienna (6 hours), Munich (8 hours) and Budapest (5 hours).