Peek into the Museum of Broken Relationships, tour the city on a run, or honor the memory of the legendary Croatian basketball player Dražen Petrović, killed in a car accident. Here are five things to see and do in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, now open for travel.
- Dražen Petrović Museum
Croats are avid sports fans, so it goes without saying they would commemorate the legendary Croatian basketball player, among the greatest European basketball players of all times and one of the first Europeans to make it in the NBA. Petrović was killed in 1993 in a car accident in Germany, and the Zagreb museum dedicated to his memory displays photos, press clippings and short films, as well as many of the medals and trophies he has won throughout his career. - Museum of Broken Relationships
An extraordinary museum showcasing unrequited love affairs and failed relationships. It is “a physical and virtual public space created with the sole purpose of treasuring and sharing your heartbreak stories and symbolic possessions. It is a museum about you, about us, about the ways we love and lose,” as written on the website, a diverse collection of stories and items, contributed to the museum by men and women from all over the world, as testaments to broken relationships. - Mirogoj Cemetery
The unusual architecture, with its many towers and arches, sets it apart, but the true uniqueness of the cemetery lies in the fact that it’s non-denominational, with Christians, Muslims and Jews buried here side by side. On the tombstones of the Jewish graves you can see the Star of David and inscriptions in Hebrew, and nearby stands a monument to the Croatian Jews who perished in the Holocaust. - A culinary show
ETNOsphere is a theater with a unique show combining the best of traditional Croatian music, song and dance, accompanied by tasty local cuisine. Ideal for a fun and delicious evening. - Run, tourists, run
Run Zagreb has found a unique but quite popular way to explore the city and check out its main attractions on a running tour. The guides are professional runners, but they adjust the length and pace of the tour to suit the tourists joining the tour. That being said, travelers in poor physical shape are not advised to join such a tour.
A bonus Zagreb tip
First, you will probably want to complete your tour of all the must-see places in the city, once you’ve checked off Zagreb’s most popular tourist attraction, Jelačić Square, named after a local hero from the 19th century, and the place where tens of thousands of Croats gathered to celebrate the extraordinary achievement of their football team in the 2018 World Cup.
But you don’t have to get carried away and go looking for each notable building mentioned in many travel guides, for there are lots and lots of interesting buildings in the city. To get a feel of Zagreb, it is enough to visit Sv. Marije Square, with the looming towers of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary and St Stephen’s Church, as well as Sv. Marka Square, with the famous tiled church, and Markov Square, surrounded by government buildings, like the Presidential Palace and Parliament. Climb to the top of Lotrščak tower for a panoramic view of the city, and don’t miss two more of the city’s most beautiful sights: The National Theater and the Botanical Gardens.
