HR
Zagreb
Croatia’s relaxed capital, with a historic Upper Town, café culture, quirky museums and a famous Advent market
Croatia’s relaxed capital, with a historic Upper Town, café culture, quirky museums and a famous Advent market
The symbol of the Upper Town, with a colourful tiled roof showing the coats of arms of Zagreb and Croatia, on a square with the parliament and government buildings.
Photo: Juraj Patekar, CC BY 2.0
The neo-Gothic cathedral, whose twin spires dominate the skyline, is being restored after damage in the 2020 earthquake.
Photo: Koreanovsky, CC BY-SA 4.0
The city’s main square and meeting point, steps from the Dolac open-air market with its red umbrellas, and from the funicular, one of the world’s shortest, up to the Upper Town.
Photo: lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0
Try štrukli (baked cheese pastry), purica s mlincima (turkey with pasta flatbread), čevapi and cakes in the city’s many patisseries.
Tkalčićeva Street and the streets around Dolac are full of restaurants and bars.
Zagreb Airport (ZAG) is about 17km from the centre; shuttle buses take about 30 minutes. Trams cover the city centre, and buses and trains link Zagreb with the coast and neighbouring countries.
Croatia is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Zagreb is cheaper than the coast. Croatia has used the euro since 2023. Prices on the coast rise sharply in July and August.
Upper and Lower Town.
Start at Ban Jelačić Square and Dolac market, see the cathedral, then climb to St Mark’s Church and visit the Museum of Broken Relationships.
Walk the green “Lenuci Horseshoe” of parks and museums, then relax in a café on Tkalčićeva.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Croatia is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Saturday morning coffee (špica) is a local ritual; join in.
Book accommodation early for December, when Advent markets fill the city.
The funicular saves the climb to the Upper Town.
Winters are cold and grey; summers can be hot.
Quick answers for planning time in Zagreb.
Yes, Croatia joined the Schengen area and adopted the euro on 1 January 2023.
Yes, for its Upper Town, museums, cafés and Advent market, and it is cheaper than the coast.
A museum of objects and stories donated by people about the end of their relationships.
About two hours by road.
By shuttle bus in about 30 minutes, or by taxi.
Google Maps works well; download offline maps for islands and national parks.
Free
Croatian is the language; English is widely spoken in tourist areas.
Free
Bookable boat trips, walking tours and national park excursions.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Croatia travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.