Vibrant and offbeat mystic charm
I With architectural gems, a flourishing street art scene, eyecatching museums and a lively restaurant, Zagreb is a wonderful melting pot of old and new Words: Andrea Pisac
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monarch.co.uk
n an ever more hectic world, Zagreb continues to project magical calming powers. Despite its buzzy urban flair, Croatia’s capital stubbornly sticks to its exquisite laid-backness. The AustroHungarian built Down Town and medieval Upper Town are made for leisurely strolls, with architectural gems lurking at every corner. Lush parks and semi-wild green stretches snake around the city's heart, giving way to sun-kissed café terraces that demand to be visited. Whether it’s cold or hot, locals here love life alfresco – the best proof of this is in the recent explosion of street festivals. Zagreb’s wintry fairytale setting earned it the title of Best European Christmas Market for two years in a row but there are plenty of peppy summer activities too: parks become open-air cinemas while food
stalls line picturesque squares. A new verve erupts in micro locations, like the Martićeva Zone, the so-called creative neighbourhood which has reinvented itself as an art and design hub. Even the sleepier Upper Town comes alive, throwing music concerts inside the courtyards of Baroque villas. Perhaps the biggest surprise for visitors is the lively Zagreb restaurant scene, from new generation street-food and fusion to Mediterranean and traditional, authentic Croatian. Art lovers don’t go hungry either. The city has the highest number of museums per square metre and a unique kerbside appeal thanks to the gorgeous sculptures – especially those by Croatia’s leading artist Ivan Meštrović – and arresting street murals by local and international artists – including OKO, Lonac, Lunar and Etien scattered around its public spaces.