As you may have probably noticed, I was absent for a short time which I have spent on a journey from Sarajevo to Zagreb. I am simply blown away with how lovely and kind people are in Zagreb. Everyone is very friendly and willing to help out. And the city is absolutely gorgeous. Since I was on a business trip (all work and no play), I had only a couple of hours at my disposal to make the most of. I have luckily met a friendly taxi driver which offered to drive me through Zagreb and make that ride a similar one to a tourist tour. We stopped at many important and interesting sites. I even got a short history briefing about each one. Among many historical, political, touristic, architectural sites I visited I can recommend the St.Mark's Square, St.Catherine's Church, Zagreb's City Museum, buildings of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, their Parliament, Gradec Stone Gate, the Lotrščak Tower, the Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol. The biggest square is the Ban Jelačić Square. Ilica street is one of the longest streets in Zagreb and it's known to be the shopping street. Petar Preradović Square is also known as the Flower Square. The Lower Town / Downtown is known as the Green Horseshoe or Lenuzzi Horseshoe which is an architectural complex in a shape of, you guessed it, a horseshoe. One of Zagreb's oldest parks is the Zrinjevac and it's really beautiful. There are two hotels that stand out; Palace and Esplanada. I have driven around most of Zagreb's academies (Science and Arts Academy, Music Academy is being renovated, Academy of Dramatic Arts etc.). The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb is a majestic building and in front of it there is the Well of Life. I have only passed by the Zoo and the Botanical garden. Maksimir Park is Zagreb's oldest public park and I enjoyed my walk through it. Zagreb's Central Station is the biggest railway station in Croatia and it's located at the center of the city. One of their most interesting and famous hotels is the Hotel Esplanade that I have mentioned before and it's located right next to the Central Station because the travellers of the famous Orient Express have resided there at some time. I have stayed at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel and I fully recommend it. The staff is incredibly kind, if you ask them for information or anything at all, they will surely help. My room on the non-smoking floor was beautiful and I loved the view I had from there. I reckon that I have spend my few hours free from work the best way that I could. I have driven around the entire city and I have met many different and wonderful people. Zagreb Airport is very well organised. I even found Croatian special gingerbread cookies (paprenjak) at the airport and I also picked up a lavender salve. All in all, I would love to visit Zagreb again and my only disappointment is that I haven't had enough time to do everything during daytime. I snapped most pics at night hence the low quality but better something than nothing. I do have wonderful memories and experiences that I brought home so this was a well worth trip.
Kao sto ste vjerovatno primjetili, nije me bilo par dana koje sam provela na putovanju od Sarajeva do Zagreba. Odusevljena sam ljubaznoscu Zagrepcana. Svi su prijateljski raspolozeni i spremni za pomoci. A grad je uistinu prekrasan. Posto sam ipak bila na poslovnom putovanju, nisam imala vise od par slobodnih sati na raspolaganju i odlucila sam da ih sto bolje i kvalitetnije provedem. Na srecu, srela sam veoma susretljivog taksistu koji se ponudio da me provede kroz cijeli Zagreb u fazonu turistickog obilaska. Zaustavljali smo se na svakom bitnom mjestu, cak sam dobila i ukratko informacije o svakom pojedinacno. Medju mnogim historijskim, politickim, turistickim i arhitektonskim mjestima ovo su moje preporuke; Trg sv.Marka, crkva sv. Katarine, Muzej grada Zagreba, zgrade hrvatske vlade i skupstine, Kamena vrata, kula Lotrščak, Zagrebacka katedrala na Kaptolu. Najveci trg je Trg Bana Jelačića. Ilica je najduza ulica u Zagrebu i poznata je kao ulica za kupovinu. Cvjetni Trg je ustvari Trg Petra Preradovica. Donji grad je poznat i kao Zelena potkovica ili Lenuzzijeva potkovica, koja je u obliku (kao i sto pretpostavljate) konjske potkovice. Jedan od najstarijih parkova u Zagrebu je Zrinjevac koji je zaista prekrasan. Dva se hotela isticu u gradu i to su Palace i Esplanada. Vozila sam se i oblazila vecinu akademija (Akademija nauke i umjetnosti, Muzicka akademija koja se trenutno renovira, Akademija dramske umjetnosti itd.). Hrvatsko narodno pozoriste je impozantna gradjevina ispred koje se nalazi Zdenac zivota. Samo sam prosla pored zooloskog i botanickog vrta. Park Maksimir je najstariji javni park u Zagrebu i setnja kroz njega je bila jako lijepa i ugodna. Glavni kolodvor je najveca zeljeznicka stanica u Hrvatskoj i nalazi se u centru grada. Kao sto sam vec spomenula, jedan od najinteresantnijih i najpoznatijih hotela je Esplanade koji se nalazi odmah pored Gradskog kolodvora jer su ondje nekad odsjedali putnici poznatog voza Orient Express. Ja sam odsjela u Sheratonovom hotelu Four Points, poznatiji kao Panorama, i toplo ga preporucujem. Uposlenici su izuzetno susretljivi i na raspolaganju za svaki upit. Moja soba na spratu za nepusace je izvrsna i imala sam odlican pogled na grad. Cini mi se da sam provela tih par slobodnih sati na najbolji moguci nacin. Obisla sam cijeli Zagreb i upoznala mnogo divnih ljudi. Aerodrom Zagreb je odlicno organizovan. Cak sam i pronasla tradicionalne kolace/kekse paprenjake na aerodromu a uzela sam i domaci melem od lavande. Sve u svemu, definitivno bih zeljela da posjetim ovaj grad ponovo i jedino za cim zalim jeste sto nisam mogla po danu da poslikam sve sto sam vidjela. Vecinu slika sam napravila po noci i zbog toga im kvalitet nije najbolji ali opet, bolje ista nego nista. Sa sobom sam ponijela lijepa iskustva i ovo je bio divan put na koji je vrijedilo krenuti.
Central Station / Glavni kolodvor
Palace Hotel / Hotel Palace
Ban Jelačić Square / Trg Bana Jelacica
One of the stores at Ilica street, oh how ironic this one turned out / Jedan od ducana u Ilici, bas je neplanski slika ispala ironicna
St.Catherine's Church / Crkva sv. Katarine
St.Catherine's Square / Trg sv.Katarine
Lotrščak Tower / Kula Lotrščak
Zagreb Funicular / Zagrebacka uspinjaca
St.Mark's Church / Crkva sv.Marka
City Assembly / zgrada gradske skupstine
Government / zgrada vlade
Parliament / zgrada parlamenta
Gradec Stone Gate and Chapel / Kamenita vrata i kapelica
Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol / Zagrebacka katedrala na Kaptolu
National Theatre in Zagreb and in front the Well of Life / Narodno pozoriste i Zdenac zivota ispred
Museum of Arts and Crafts / Muzej za umjetnost i obrt
Zagreb Airport Park / park Zagrebackog aerodroma
Traditional Croatian gingerbread cookie (paprenjak), lavender salve and sugar bags from Four Points Sheraton Hotel / Paprenjaci, domaci melem od lavande i kesice secera iz hotela Panorama Sheraton
