Welcome to the capital of Croatia, with a history in the Austro-Hungarian empire. The name dates further back than that however – The name Zagreb was first mentioned when the Hungarian King Ladislaus made the mediaeval city a ecclesiastical district of a bishop. Throughout time the city has evolved into an important hub for international trade, an important point of transit between Central and Eastern Europe. All this is visible for the visitor, with signs from old Zagreb intermingled with modern day financial and technology institutions and companies.

Starting Out

The Zagreb International Airport is located at a mere 14 kilometres from the city, and it takes a mere 25 minutes with bus. It will take you to the main bus terminal in the city, from where you can continue with a tram or bus into the city centre – That is, if you don’t feel like taking a brisk 20 minute walk.

The city centre is abounding with interesting shops, cafes and architectural beauty. To prepare yourself for the experience, you could have a meal in Leonardo, a restaurant with the towering Cathedral nearby.

At this little cozy inn you may find typical Croatian meals and pizzas well-known to the everlasting tourist. Bankomats, or ATM machines, if you so will, are available throughout the city centre. They come equipped with some simple presets for withdrawal of money,

with 300 and 500 kunas being the most appropriate ones for everyday strawling and shopping. It is therefore a small feat to fetch some local currency, which might come well to use when strawling through stores.

The Old Neighbourhood

The old town is right outside the door to the restaurant and with a slight glance to the right (and upward, mind you, for the alley is slopin heavily), you will see the towering height of the Cathedral rising above you.

The Zagreb Cathedral is built where a 12^th century church stood originally. In 1880 the original foundation collapsed in an earthquake, and the new cathedral is completely built in a neogothic fashion. The cathedral is currently being restored, and one of its spires (both rise 105 metres up in the sky) is surrounded by a make-shift scaffold, resembling a rectangular blanket.

Shopping Spree

Sure enough, you see signs of modern age capitalism wherever you let your eyes rest. At the time of this writer’s visit, there was a huge discount on apparel, and I found a couple of bleeched shoes from Italy, for 190 kunas, about 19 Euros at the time of purchase. Another curiosity, shoe stores are plentiful around the centre, especially by the town square. Perhaps the Zagreb inhabitants have a special love for footwear?

Gornji Grad, or the Upper Town, is one of the most preserved urban centres throughout Croatia. This part of the city is dominated by the old Gothic Church of St. Mark’s, which was built during the end of the 14^th and the beginning of the 15^th century.

English is apparently well known in the city and when asking for directions, swift hand movements with short well phrased instructions in English, helped this writer to get around without any mishaps or dull walks into dead end alleys. The public transportation system is also very attractive, with trams covering all parts of the city, and buses frequenting places where the former cannot reach. In the city centre and the Upper Town, one has to get around on foot.

A coffee at Flores

During midday it was time for a small stop at a fashionable cafe, Flores, in the centre. There the visitor was casually guided by blue light shining from the side handles, to the high tables with bar stools or comely little couches. The blend of light colours and bright lights

After a cup of hot tea, to gather some strength for the evening cold outside, we headed across the city square to catch the tram that would take us to the bus station. While walking, we passed a glance upon the hooves of the horse that Ban Josip Jelacic is mounted on, mere metres behind the rustle and bustle of trams. The statue rises some ten to fifteen metres up so the hooves are probably what you notice at a short distance. This statue is a monument of the army general who abolished the feudalism’s economic hold on peasants throughout Croatia. He did this by calling for elections for Parliament in 1848, which led Croatia into the modern age.

Italian Shoes and New Impressions For Digest

While heading for the bus station, a mere five-minute ride away, the little plastic bag with a new pair of shoes weighed down on my right arm, and I let the images of this European city sink into my mind. Surely it will rise high and fast into the star chart of cities to visit and revisit in Europe. The architecture, the polite but friendly people and the fresh air of development assisted each other in creating a lasting positive view of Zagreb. With a slight glance into the bag with my newly purchased shoes, I smile to myself and admit that yes, having bought this fashionable pair of shoes in Zagreb really fits the mental image that is forming within myself of Zagreb – One stylish outfit with traces of hundreds of years of culture.

P-C Markovski

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