In a word, gray. From the time we touched down Monday morning till our prop plane to Split took off the next afternoon, that's what the weather was. Foggy too. And, for a time Tuesday morning, snowy, which put a damper on our visit to the main market. The market is a short walk from our hotel. So, it seems, is just about everything in Zagreb: the main cathedral with the two enormous spires; the pretty shopping street where we stopped for delicious miniature donut-like desserts covered in warm Nutella and sugar, and, later, cherry and honey schnapps; and the lovely park, surrounded by grand old buildings, that spreads north from the train station. For that reason, and for the nice room, large bed and ample breakfast buffet (featuring lasagna and other dishes we Americans normally don't associate with that time of day), I recommend the Hotel Dubrovnik for your next stay in Zagreb.
The city is altogether agreeable. In its center there are far more pedestrians and trams than cars, giving it a relaxed feel. Walking on the aforementioned pretty, donuts-and-schnapps street, we felt like we were in a village, not a city, what with the lack of cars and sounds, save for people walking and talking. At least until we arrived at the big new shopping mall -- all glass and dark metal, and full of high-end shops. Cars are allowed on this stretch of street, and the parking spaces were full of BMWs and Land Rovers. But one glance back across the street at the crumbling old houses leaning against one another, and we were returned to the little Balkan village.
The most striking thing about Zagreb was all the familiar music we heard. American music is common everywhere we've been in Europe. But here it was as if someone was spinning songs just for us. At dinner we sat down to the Boss's "Streets of Philadelphia." While selecting dessert in the bakery, we heard a French song we like. At breakfast, as we sipped our coffee and smelled the lasagna, it was a favorite from the Bridget Jones soundtrack. And on the bus to the airport, it was "Murder on the Dancefloor," a treasured memory from Ashley's days as a single gal in DC. (We would see the video for this song twice on the trip.) I don't know if Zagreb does this for all visitors, but we certainly appreciated it.
P.S. For your next stay in Zagreb, I also recommend checking out the Museum of Broken Relationships. We didn't visit it, because I only discovered it in the Croatian Airlines in-flight magazine on our way to Split (no pun intended), but it looks really cool.
-- MBB
The main square.
The pretty, donut-and-schnapps street.
The cathedral.
The main market.
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