Things to do · Zagreb · Croatia
18 best things to do in Zagreb
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Rilegator, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Zagreb are Ban Jelačić Square, Dolac Market and Zagreb Cathedral. Of the 18 picks below, 12 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Ban Jelačić Square
- Free sights
- 12
- Good on a rainy day
- Museum of Broken Relationships
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban Jelačić Square | Donji Grad (Lower Town) | 20 minutes | Free |
| Dolac Market | Kaptol and Tkalčićeva | 1 hour | Free |
| Zagreb Cathedral | Kaptol and Tkalčićeva | 30 minutes | Free |
| St Mark's Church | Gornji Grad (Upper Town) | 20 minutes | Free |
| Zagreb Funicular and Lotrščak Tower | Gornji Grad (Upper Town) | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Stone Gate | Gornji Grad (Upper Town) | 15 minutes | Free |
| Museum of Broken Relationships | Gornji Grad (Upper Town) | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Strossmayer Promenade | Gornji Grad (Upper Town) | 30 minutes | Free |
| Grič Tunnel | Gornji Grad (Upper Town) | 15 minutes | Free |
| Tkalčićeva Street | Kaptol and Tkalčićeva | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Mirogoj Cemetery | Kaptol and Tkalčićeva | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe) | Donji Grad (Lower Town) | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Technical Museum Nikola Tesla | Trešnjevka | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Museum of Contemporary Art | Novi Zagreb | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Museum of Illusions | Donji Grad (Lower Town) | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Maksimir Park and Zagreb Zoo | Maksimir | Half a day | Free |
| Lake Jarun | Trešnjevka | Half a day | Free |
| Medvednica and Sljeme cable car | Medvednica | Half a day | Low cost |
The 18 best things to do
Landmark · Donji Grad (Lower Town)
1.Ban Jelačić Square
Zagreb's main square, named after the 19th-century governor Josip Jelačić whose equestrian statue stands in the middle, is lined with Secessionist and neoclassical buildings. It is the city's meeting point ('under the clock' on the corner) and the hub of the tram network, and Kaptol, Dolac and the Upper Town are all a few minutes away.
Use it as your starting point: the Dolac market steps lead up from the north-east corner.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Architecture
Market · Kaptol and Tkalčićeva
2.Dolac Market
Zagreb's central market, open since the 1930s, sits on a raised terrace just above the main square, where farmers sell fruit and vegetables under red umbrellas. Below, an indoor hall sells cheese, meat and fish, and women from the surrounding villages sell fresh cheese and cream (sir i vrhnje).
Go in the morning, ideally on a Saturday, and try fresh cheese and cream with a slice of bread from a market bakery.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Religious site · Kaptol and Tkalčićeva
3.Zagreb Cathedral
The neo-Gothic Cathedral of the Assumption, rebuilt by Hermann Bollé after an earthquake in 1880, dominates the Kaptol skyline. It was damaged again in the March 2020 earthquake, and restoration work, including on the twin spires, has been under way since then. The square in front has a gilded Virgin Mary column.
Check locally whether the interior is open during your visit; the exterior and square can be seen at any time.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Iconic
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Religious site · Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
4.St Mark's Church
The Gothic parish church of the Upper Town has a roof of glazed tiles laid out as two coats of arms: the medieval Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia on the left and the city of Zagreb on the right. It faces the Croatian Parliament and the government palace on St Mark's Square.
Photograph the roof from the corner of the square opposite the parliament, where you can see both crests.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Experience · Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
5.Zagreb Funicular and Lotrščak Tower
The funicular, in service since 1890, climbs about 66 metres of track from Tomićeva Street off Ilica to the Upper Town, making it one of the shortest public funiculars in the world. At the top stands the 13th-century Lotrščak Tower, from which the Grič cannon is fired every day at noon.
Be at the top station just before noon to hear the cannon; if the funicular is not running, the stairs beside it take about five minutes.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Iconic
Religious site · Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
6.Stone Gate
The last surviving gate of medieval Gradec is a vaulted passage containing a shrine with a painting of the Virgin Mary, said to have survived the great fire of 1731 unharmed. Locals light candles and pray here, and the walls are covered in thanksgiving plaques.
Pass through quietly and in the evening, when candlelight fills the passage.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- After dark
Museum · Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
7.Museum of Broken Relationships
Founded by two Zagreb artists after their own break-up, the museum displays everyday objects donated by people around the world, each with a short story of a relationship that ended. The exhibits range from funny to devastating, and the concept has since toured internationally.
Allow time to read the stories; it is small but takes longer than you expect.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Rainy day
- Couples
- Art
Viewpoint · Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
8.Strossmayer Promenade
A tree-lined walkway along the southern edge of the Upper Town's old walls, looking over the roofs of the Lower Town. In summer it hosts an open-air bar and music events, and a bronze statue of the poet Antun Gustav Matoš sits on one of its benches.
Come at sunset with a drink from the summer bar, or in December when it becomes one of the most atmospheric Advent locations.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- After dark
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Historic site · Gornji Grad (Upper Town)
1.Grič Tunnel
A 350-metre tunnel dug under the Upper Town as a Second World War air-raid shelter now serves as a pedestrian shortcut between Mesnička Street and Radićeva Street, and it occasionally hosts exhibitions and events. It is cool even on the hottest days.
Use it as a flat shortcut between Ilica and Tkalčićeva when you are tired of the hills.
- Time needed
- 15 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Street · Kaptol and Tkalčićeva
2.Tkalčićeva Street
A pedestrian street of pastel-coloured 19th-century houses that follows the course of the old Medveščak stream, which once divided Kaptol from Gradec. Its café-bars and restaurants fill up from mid-morning coffee to late-night drinks.
Walk its full length and take one of the side lanes up to the Stone Gate.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- After dark
- Photo spot
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Historic site · Kaptol and Tkalčićeva
3.Mirogoj Cemetery
Designed by Hermann Bollé, Mirogoj is a park cemetery with long ivy-covered arcades, cupolas and fine sculpture, where Catholics, Orthodox, Jews, Muslims and others are buried side by side. Notable Croats buried here include the poet Petar Preradović and the first president, Franjo Tuđman.
Take bus 106 from Kaptol or walk 20 minutes uphill; visit on a sunny autumn day or around All Saints' Day, when it fills with candles.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
Park · Donji Grad (Lower Town)
4.Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe)
Planned by Milan Lenuci in the late 19th century, a U-shaped chain of seven squares and parks links Zrinjevac, Strossmayer Square, the Art Pavilion, the Croatian National Theatre and the Botanical Garden. Zrinjevac's music pavilion and plane trees make it the classic Lower Town stroll.
Walk from Zrinjevac past the yellow Art Pavilion to the Botanical Garden, then cut across to the National Theatre.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Architecture
- Kids
Museum · Trešnjevka
5.Technical Museum Nikola Tesla
A large hangar-like museum packed with old trams, aircraft, fire engines and cars, a replica mine and a demonstration room devoted to the inventor Nikola Tesla, who was born in Croatia. It also has a small planetarium and is one of the city's best rainy-day options for families.
Time your visit to catch one of the guided tours of the mine or the Tesla demonstrations.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Novi Zagreb
6.Museum of Contemporary Art
Croatia's largest modern museum building, opened in 2009 in Novi Zagreb, displays Croatian and international art from the 1950s onwards. A tubular steel slide by Carsten Höller runs through the building, and the façade becomes a giant screen at night.
Combine it with a walk around Bundek Lake park nearby; trams cross the Sava in about 15 minutes from the centre.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Architecture
Museum · Donji Grad (Lower Town)
7.Museum of Illusions
The original Museum of Illusions, opened on Ilica in 2015 before the concept spread worldwide, is a small, hands-on collection of optical illusions, tilted rooms and puzzles. It is popular with families and on rainy days.
Visit early or on a weekday, as the rooms get crowded at weekends and the illusions work best with space for photos.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Park · Maksimir
8.Maksimir Park and Zagreb Zoo
Opened in 1794, Maksimir is a large English-style landscape park of oak woods, meadows, five lakes and pavilions. The Zagreb Zoo inside the park has big cats, sea lions and a children's area, and paths are good for walking and jogging.
Take trams 11 or 12 from Ban Jelačić Square, which stop by the main park entrance.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Nature · Trešnjevka
9.Lake Jarun
A recreational lake in the south-west of the city with a rowing course, gravel beaches, cycling and jogging paths around the shore and bars that turn into clubs in summer. It hosts the INmusic festival and is where locals go to swim on hot days.
Rent a bike and ride the loop around the lake; the full circuit is about 6 km.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
Nature · Medvednica
10.Medvednica and Sljeme cable car
The forested mountain on the city's northern edge rises to Sljeme at about 1,030 metres, with hiking trails, mountain huts serving bean stew and the restored medieval fortress of Medvedgrad. A modern cable car, opened in 2022, climbs from Gornji Stenjevec to the summit.
Ride the cable car up and hike down past Medvedgrad for views across Zagreb.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Views
- Active
- Nature
- Kids
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Museum of Broken Relationships, Technical Museum Nikola Tesla, Museum of Contemporary Art and Museum of Illusions |
| History | Zagreb Cathedral, Stone Gate, Zagreb Funicular and Lotrščak Tower and Grič Tunnel |
| Views | Strossmayer Promenade and Medvednica and Sljeme cable car |
| Outdoors and nature | Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe), Maksimir Park and Zagreb Zoo, Lake Jarun and Medvednica and Sljeme cable car |
| Food and markets | Dolac Market and Tkalčićeva Street |
| After dark | Stone Gate, Strossmayer Promenade and Tkalčićeva Street |
| With children | Zagreb Funicular and Lotrščak Tower, Green Horseshoe (Lenuci Horseshoe), Technical Museum Nikola Tesla and Museum of Contemporary Art |
| On a rainy day | Museum of Broken Relationships, Grič Tunnel, Technical Museum Nikola Tesla and Museum of Contemporary Art |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Zagreb?
Ban Jelačić Square. Zagreb's main square, named after the 19th-century governor Josip Jelačić whose equestrian statue stands in the middle, is lined with Secessionist and neoclassical buildings.
+What can you do for free in Zagreb?
Ban Jelačić Square, Dolac Market, Zagreb Cathedral, St Mark's Church and Stone Gate. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Zagreb when it rains?
Head indoors to Museum of Broken Relationships, Grič Tunnel, Technical Museum Nikola Tesla and Museum of Contemporary Art.
+What is there to do in Zagreb at night?
Stone Gate, Strossmayer Promenade and Tkalčićeva Street are best after dark.