Zagreb Cable Car Top Station

Spotlight on: Zagreb Cable Car and Sljeme 360 Viewpoint

Following on from my focus on Dubrovnik’s Old Town Walls, in the second of the spotlight on series, I’m going to take a look at a couple of far more modern sights. Both found high up on Mount Medvenica above the city, they are the excellent Zagreb Cable Car and the brand-new Sljeme 360 Viewpoint in the TV tower at the peak of this mountain.

Zagreb Cable Car Top Station
The top station of Zagreb Cable Car

About Zagreb Cable Car and Sljeme 360

Zagreb’s Cable Car was opened in February 2022 whilst the Sljeme 360 experience was opening very recently indeed – in October 2023.

Zagreb originally had a cable car that opened in 1963 to transport skiers up the mountain, with a travelling distance of around 4,000 metres. This old cable car stopped operating in 2007 after it was found to require extensive repair and a decision was (eventually) made to build a new version.

The new cable car covers a distance of 5,017 metres and has a height difference of 754 metres between the lower and upper stations.

The TV tower was built in 1973 and stands 169 metres tall.

Zagreb Cable Car Bottom Station
The bottom station of Zagreb Cable Car

Getting There

The lower station of the Zagreb cable car is located in the Gracansko dolje region of northern Zagreb. It’s easy to get here by public transport, although you will most likely require a change somewhere along the way. You can make the whole journey by tram, or by tram and bus.

If travelling from the main square, take tram number 14 north to its end point of Mihaljevac. Once there, you’ll see the stop (it’s only about a minute walk away) for tram number 15 which heads to Gracansko dolje. This tram is rather unusual and an experience in itself – it only operates for four stops and at somewhat of an incline (compared to the other Zagreb trams at least) whilst it speeds along the track, seemingly mere centimetres away from the houses at points.

At Mihaljevac, it is possible to take bus number 233 for five stops to Gracansko dolje instead. Personally, I would recommend the tram option – it is far more fun!

It is also possible to reach Gracansko dolje by car, for there is a large parking garage below the base station building. Or you could also take an Uber or Bolt vehicle, but…take the tram, it’s so much fun!

Either way, once you reach the Gracansko dolje, you’ll see the gleaming, modern Zagreb cable car base station in front of you. Resist the urge to climb the climbing wall/bear hybrid here (you’ll know what I mean when you see it!) and head inside to purchase your tickets and begin your journey.

The Experience

The Cable Car

The six-person cabins of the cable car are much like any other cable car you may have come across – including those up mountains at ski resorts! Funnily enough, Zagreb’s cable car has something in common with those – for it is possible to ski on Sljeme in the winter months, and the cabins are adorned with sports equipment (i.e. ski and snowboard) holders on the outside.

Zagreb Cable Car Cabins
About to board the Zagreb Cable Car

As the cabins continuously pass by being pulled by the ever-moving cable, you have a short window to enter. Not too long and not too short, but just enough time for the four of us to enter along with the buggy we also had with us. This adds a certain excitement to the proceedings.

Visiting in the mid-afternoon in late October saw hardly any other visitors on the cable car – certainly, there was no one boarding at the same time as us, and as we ascended (and later descended), few other cabins had people in.

Going up in the cable car offers stunning views over Zagreb and of the lush forest below, which is full of autumn colours at this time of year. The full journey takes around 20 minutes each way, which is plenty of time to take in the magic of your surroundings and snap plenty of photos in all directions. And to admire the cable car itself, of course.

Interestingly, once you board the cable car at the bottom you’ll be whizzed through another cable car station almost immediately. On our journey, we wondered about the purpose of this station; it turns out that this “corner” station is required to change the direction of the cable car’s travels by 28 degrees. Huh!

There’s also an intermediate station – Brestovac – at which people can disembark.

At Sljeme

Once you reach the top of the cable car, you’re at Sljeme, the peak of Mount Medvednica. You’ll immediately the the Zagreb TV tower in front of you (home to the Zagreb 360 viewpoint which I’ll talk about in a second) as well as a little restaurant/cafe for refreshments.

OIV TV Tower, Zagreb
The OIV TV Tower

Take a look all around you for the amazing views – Zagreb stretches out in front of you (and it really does stretch out; the city is perhaps far larger than people think), whilst you can see little towns and villages at the base of the mountain in the other direction.

A short walk away from where the cable car places you are a few more restaurants as well as the Hotel Tomislavov Dom which would be an excellent place to base yourself if you really want to explore the nearby Medvednica Nature Park or Medvedgrad Castle.

The Zagreb 360 viewpoint also has its own little cafe, so after your hard work ascending the cable car you have the additional tough job of choosing where to reset for a little while, enjoying a coffee or hot chocolate. (Or a cup of whipped cream in the case of my toddler.)

We opted for Vidikovac Sljeme which has a pretty wide menu (had I not already had lunch, I would definitely have opted for one of their hearty-looking soups!) and seating next to large windows for you to really take in the view.

Should you be travelling on the cable car in winter, you might have come up to Sljeme to go skiing! There are some ski/snowboard rental shops up here too…and, of course, here is where the ski runs start!

Zagreb 360 Viewpoint

The 169 metre-tall Zagreb TV tower (the Sljeme OIV tower, to give it its proper name) is now home to the Zagreb 360 Viewpoint experience, which is located roughly highway up the tower – at an altitude of 1,118 metres above sea level.

A fast and large lift whisks you up to the inside portion of the viewpoint where there is also a cafe. To my delight, the cafe’s tables all had boards and pieces of the game Čovječe, ne ljuti see (translates to Man, don’t get angry; essentially it is the game Ludo) which I remember playing endlessly as a child. We attempted a game before the toddler interrupted and started throwing pieces around.

Covjece ne luti se board game at Sljeme 360 Viewpoint
Ready for a game of Covjece, ne luti se?

Of course, the view from up here is spectacular – and all around, seeing as you’re in a tower! I highly recommend also visiting the Zagreb 360 viewpoint once you’re up Sljeme.

Funnily enough, as we were visiting barely a week after it had opened, we could see that some of the furnishings weren’t quite finished.

Opening Hours and Prices

Make sure the weather is good before setting off to enjoy these attractions!

Zagreb Cable Car

The cable car operates from 10am to 7pm (last departure from the lower station is at 6.30pm) every day, year-round. The cable car may not operate in the case of strong winds or bad weather, so do check the Zagreb Cable Car website before you set off to make sure it is operating.

It costs €16.59 return (€9.95 one way) for adults; €9.95 return (€6.64 one way) for people aged 15-24 and 65+; and €3.98 return (€2.65 one way) for kids aged 0 to 15 or for people with disabilities. (These are all 2023 prices.)

It has to be said that Zagreb Cable Car has been accused of being too expensive – in my opinion, the experience on this modern transport method and the views make it worth it.

Zagreb 360 Viewpoint

The viewpoint is open 10.30am to 6.30pm daily (from 9.30am on Saturdays).

This costs an additional €10 for adults; €7.50 for kids aged 12 to 18, students and those aged 65+; €5 for kids aged 5 to 12; kids under 5 go free. (2023 prices)

A

More info

You can learn more about Zagreb Cable Car at the Sljeme 360 Viewpoint on their respective websites, and there’s additional information on the cable car on the ZET website.

Spotlight on: Old Town Walls, Dubrovnik

In the first of a regular series looking at some of Croatia’s most famous – and perhaps lesser-known – sights in more detail, today we’re taking a look at the Old Town Walls, Dubrovnik. These famed walls run for a length of 1,940 metres around the Old Town part of Dubrovnik and are 25 metres tall at their highest point. In the interior, the walls have a thickness of between 4 metres and 6 metres, whilst on the portion facing out over the Adriatic Sea, they are 1.5 metres to 3 metres thick.

Old Town Walls Dubrovnik
A “close-up” look at the Old Town Walls Dubrovnik

The walls are stunning to experience for yourself in real life and have a fascinating history. They have protected Dubrovnik during a number of attacks over the centuries and served as excellent protection during the Homeland War in Croatia in the early 1990s. The walls also withstood an incredibly powerful earthquake in 1667 (when 2,000 locals are estimated to have died, and many of the Old Town buildings were destroyed) and were barely damaged.

History of the Old Town Walls, Dubrovnik

Portions of the walls were first constructed in the 13th century, with the basic shape fully outlined by the 14th century. The walls were continuously added to over the subsequent centuries, with considerable work on the walls undertaken in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Many builders and architects contributed to the construction of the walls and their elements over time, including Juraj Dalmatinac (who worked on Minceta Fortress) who is famous for his work in Sibenik.

Features of the Old Town Walls, Dubrovnik

As we’ve mentioned, the walls run for 1,940 metres in length and include a number of towers, fortresses and gates, and we’ll take a look at some of the best ones here.

Minceta Fortress, completed in 1464, was the main point of defence on the land side of Dubrovnik and is in fact the northernmost point of the Walls as well as the highest point. (So be sure to climb for some fantastic views!) The Tower was originally built in a rectangular shape in the 14th century but was then changed to be a round tower in the mid-15th century.

Top Sights in Croatia - Dubrovnik Old Town
A view over the rooftops of Dubrovnik Old Town from Minceta Tower

Pile Gate is the main entrance into the Old Town on the western side and stands where Pile Fortress used to be, which was torn down in 1818. As you approach this gate you will cross a 15th-century, triple-arched stone bridge. Above the gate itself you will notice a statue of St. Blaise, Dubrovnik’s patron saint, that was sculpted by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic; the gate itself actually consists of two gates, and outer and an inner one which were built at different times.

Pile Gate, Old Town Walls Dubrovnik
Pile Gate with the stone bridge approaching it

On the western side of the Old Town is Ploce Gate which also consists of an outer and an inner gate and a stone bridge on its approach; again, this gate was constructed in the 15th century. Be sure to check out a gorgeous view of the harbour when you cross this bridge!

Next to Ploce Gate is Revelin Fortress which is also adjacent to the Old Town port. This fortress was constructed in the late 16th century to protect the city from attacks from Venice which were considered heightened at the time. These days, the fortress is home to Club Revelin – what an amazing place to do some partying!

St John’s Fortress to the southeast of the Old Town harbour stood to protect the city from attacks from the sea. Completed in 1557, today this amazing building is home to the Dubrovnik Aquarium and the Maritime Museum.

St John Fortress, Old Town Walls Dubrovnik
St John Fortress

The circular Bokar Fortress stands to protect Pile Gate and the harbour just below. Completed in 1570, this fortress was used as an ammunition store and also to test canon range.

Lovrijenac Fortress stands separate to the town walls – but you will get an excellent view of this fortress when you make the walk on them, and a ticket to the town walls also includes a visit here. This was likely the most important defence of the city, given its position 40 metres up on these cliffs. Originally built in the 14th century – likely on the site of a previous fort, which existed perhaps as early as the 10th century – this triangular-shaped fortress was strengthened and changed over the centuries and also needed restoring after the 1667 earthquake. Amazing, the walls of the fortress that face the sea are 12 metres thick, but much, much less so on the side facing inland. Lovirjenac “plays” the Red Keep of King’s Landing in Game of Thrones.

Lovrijenac Fortress, Dubrovnik
Lovrijenac Fortress

Visiting the Old Town Walls

Getting There

Obviously, the Old Town Walls completely surround the Old Town (the clue is in the name!) so once you’re in Dubrovnik, make your way over to the Old Town.

You can obviously marvel at the walls from many a spot inside and outside of the Old Town. In fact, walking around the outside of them – on the land side, of course – is one way of appreciating the magnitude of the walls and the level of protection they bestowed on the town. Should you get a chance, opting for a spot of sea kayaking in Dubrovnik is another fantastic way of seeing the walls, this time from sea level (of course!). Again, you can imagine how imposing the walls would have been to potential marauders.

Entry & Tickets

There are entrances up to the Town Walls by both Pile and Ploce gates, and you can buy tickets for the walls at both of these locations. Personally, we like entering at Pile Gate to make the walk around on the sea side first before heading inland and marvelling at all the pretty orange rooftops. It is also possible to buy tickets online on the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities website. Tickets cost €35 for adults and €15 for children under 18 (2023 prices). This includes entry to Lovrenjac Fortress as well.

Old Town Walls Dubrovnik

More info

You can learn more about the walls on the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities website. This society was formed in 1952 to protect, preserve and promote the walls. The same society also looks after the stunning town walls in Ston.

Take a look at our Dubrovnik Old Town Photos gallery to see the sights visible on and from the walls.

St Nicholas Fortress

Visit Croatia Review: Visiting St Nicholas’ Fortress

If you’re visiting the lovely town of Sibenik, you’re in for a real treat! This smart town has it all – great accommodation options, good food, and some amazing sights. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sibenik; no other location in Croatia has two such sites in the same place! Here, we will explain how to visit the impressive St Nicholas’ Fortress and review whether it is worth it.

St Nicholas Fortress
An interior shot of the fortress

St Nicholas’ Fortress – a bit of history

To expand on what we’ve said above – St Nicholas’ Fortress is indeed a UNESCO World Heritage site but under the title of “Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries”. These works of defence include six different sites; three in Italy, one in Kotor in Montenegro and the Old Town walls in Zadar.

Located in St Anthony’s Channel, out to sea from Sibenik, the fortress sits on a tiny island named Ljuljevac. Bult between 1540 and 1547 by Venetian architect Giangirolamo Sanmicheli, the fortress was indeed constructed to act as a sea defence against Ottoman boats and to protect the town of Sibenik. The Fortress obviously did its job – Sibenik was never attacked from the sea, and no naval battles in this area were ever recorded.

St Nicholas’ Fortress gets its name from the Benedictine Monastery of St Nicholas which was located on the same island but was demolished to make way for the fortress.

The fortress was opened to visitors in 2019, so it’s only been a short few years that travellers to Croatia have been able to visit the place.

How to visit St Nicholas’ Fortress

St Nicholas’ Fortress can only be visited on an official boat tour. You cannot visit using a private boat or via an unofficial tour boat.

St Nicholas Fortress boat
The boat to the fortress (on the right – the larger one, not the little dinghy!) waiting in the harbour

Boats depart Sibenik’s waterfront, close to Perivoj Robert Visanija and the Hotel Bellevue. Tickets for the tour can be purchased in a little office just opposite the boat – ask the guide or captain on board the boat to point it out to you if you can’t spot it. Alternatively, you can also purchase tickets ahead of time online on the St Anthony’s Channel website.

Tickets cost €22 for adults and €16 for children aged 7 to 18 years old. Children under the age of 7 go free.

Boats run several times a day (four times a day in peak season, July and August; two or three times a day outside of these months) from the end of April to mid-October.

St Nicholas Fortress tablet
The tablet for the tour, waiting to be used!

What you see and do on the St Nicholas’ Fortress Tour

Upon boarding the boat, you are given a tablet – with headphones – that’s loaded with an interactive tour of the fortress. Its a quirky addition to the tour that feels a little unusual at first, but makes sense once you actually step foot inside St Nicholas’ Fortress.

It’s a 30-minute boat ride over to Ljuljevac island on the comfortable boat; make sure you take in your surroundings and get your camera out as there are plenty of photo-worthy scenes. As you sail through St Anthony’s Channel, you’ll notice lush greenery on both sides; on the left, you might notice a path through the trees (and eventually a small beach) that you might want to return to another day. There’s also an intriguing tunnel set in the cliff walls – this was built by the Germans in WWII and continued to be used in the days of Yugoslavia. (It is no longer used, of course!)

Welcome to Sibenik sign
A Welcome to Sibenik sign
Tunnel in St Anthony's Channel
The tunnel – now unused – in St Anthony’s Channel

When you arrive at the Fortress and disembark on the pier, make sure you take some photos of the grand main entrance. It really is an impressive first experience of the Fortress, and when you arrive you truly understand the amazing way the structure has been built on this islet, right up to the water’s edge.

St Nicholas Fortress entrance
The entrance to St Nicholas’ Fortress
St Nicholas Fortress entrance
Looking back once inside

Once inside the Fortress, the guided tour begins. Our tour guide was a lively lady who spoke excellent English and was perfect at explaining the different elements of the complex. As mentioned, however, all visitors are also given a tablet with an interactive tour. There are different numbers displayed on walls throughout the Fortress at which you are supposed to play some additional audio or video on your tablet.

The same tablet also allows for some neat augmented reality elements – suddenly, some “guards” may appear right before your eyes! Walking through what would have been the ammunition storage room, you are also guided to play a game on the tablet, shooting cannonballs at attacking ships.

St Nicholas Fortress interior
St Nicholas Fortress interior
St Nicholas’ Fortress interior

Whilst the different interior components of the Fortress are interesting, once you get on the roof you can really get a sense for how well placed St Nicholas’ Fortress would have been to protect the town of Sibenik. These days, you can rest easy with some gorgeous views out to see, and the only boats to remark on are the numerous speedboats taking holidaymakers somewhere fun.

St Nicholas Fortress roof
A panoramic shot on the roof of the fortress

Is it worth visiting St Nicholas’ Fortress?

Absolutely, yes! All in all, this is a very interesting, informative and highly pleasant little trip.

We visited the fortress in the mid-afternoon in the peak summer season – late July – and although the trip was busy with a good number of visitors, it wasn’t overly crowded. I believe the full capacity of the boats/tour is 94 people, and we were probably not even a third of that number.

The boat trip over to the fortress was a very enjoyable start and end to the trip – a lovely way of experiencing St Anthony’s Channel and an opportunity to snap some gorgeous shots of Sibenik from the sea.

More info

You can find out more about visiting St Nicholas’ Fortress on the official St Anthony’s Channel website.

Istria Tours Sini

Get to know Istria Tours and their tours of the region…and Croatia!

Istria Tours are a Pula-based tour company offering tours of Pula, of Istria and the whole of Croatia! Run by the very friendly licensed guide Sini Sljukic, there’s a whole heap of exploring to do with Istria Tours.

Sini Sljukic, Istria Tours
Sini

The company was started by Sini in 2011 as something he always wanted to do – with an interest in history and culture as well as a wish to work in tourism, after working for other companies and learning the job he decided to try to work on his own! Having acquired the necessary qualifications to be a licensed guide at university, it’s been full steam ahead for Istria Tours ever since! Sini’s tours are offered in English or German, and he runs them year-round, transporting guests in a new, airconditioned van of 8 + 1 seats or a black Mercedes limousine.

Walking Tours of Istria

If you’re heading to Istria in the near future, check out the walking tours of the region’s different towns and cities that Sini offers. There are walking tours of Porec, Rovinj, Pula, Umag, Pazin, Motovun, Labin and Groznjan – as well as Opatija – that last one or two hours (depending on the tour) and are priced at €70-80 for a group.

Sini’s personal favourites are the walking tours of Pula. He says:

It is never the same, different people, different questions…I enjoy it every time!

Istria Tour - Pula
An aerial view of Pula, Istria

Excursions

If you fancy travelling further afield from your Istrian base, it’s an excursion that you’re after! Again, Istria Tours offer a number of different options – whether you’d like to explore some of the peninsula’s inland towns and villages (such as Groznjan – “city of artists” and Motovun – “capital of
truffles”) or perhaps you want an easy way to explore some of the not-too-distant islands such as Krk or Cres. One excursion that we know many travellers to Istria look for – but that is difficult to navigate themselves due to a lack of direct public transport – is a day trip to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Istria Tours can organise such an excursion which includes transportation, a guide and an entry ticket from 1990 Kunas per person.

Bale
One of the pretty streets in Bale

Sini’s favourite excursions are the van tours are to Rovinj, Bale and Vodnjan and the one to Groznjan, Motovun and Pazin. He says:

There is so much we can do along the way: truffle hunting, wine tasting, olive oil tasting, truffle and cheese tasting… We see the most beautiful sights, we have lunch in the best “konobas” (the Istrian word for restaurant)…culture and culinary highlights of Istria, a great way to spend a day in “Terra magica” (this is how they call Istria)!

Boat Tours of Istria

If exploring by sea is more your kind of thing, take a look at the boat tours that Istria Tours offers. You can visit multiple locations in one day in Istra – for example, setting off from Rovinj to the Lim Fjord, Vrsar and Porec, or from Rabac to visit island locations such as Valun and Cres. These boat tours are priced between €30 to €40 per person (depending on the tour) and boat transport, a guide and lunch and a drink.

The most popular boat tour is the Brijuni Islands tour from Pula, which Sini believes is because of the beauty of the national park and its vicinity to Pula.

National Parks in Croatia - Brijuni National Park
The Brijuni islands

Transfers

If ‘all’ you need is some transport in Croatia, Istria Tours also has you covered! They can organise transfers in a standard car for just 1 or 2 people to larger groups (5-8 or under 20 people) requiring a people carrier or a van, to much, much larger groups that need a coach. Contact sini@istria-tours.hr with the number of passengers you need transporting and the route so they can give you a quote.

Istria Tours Sini
Sini and his van by Pula’s famous Arena

Istria Tours offer tours of Croatia too!

But it’s not just Istria they cover! Istria Tours can also do tours covering the whole of Croatia – for example, Sini has run a 20-day tour of the country for a customer that started in Zagreb and ended in Dubrovnik. A private tour of the country will enable you to see as much of it as possible in the time frame you have in mind for visiting the country (2 to 3 weeks are ideal, although shorter tours are also certainly doable).

More on Istria Tours

Learn more about the company on their website Istria Tours and contact Sini direct atsini@istria-tours.hr or on +385 994 012 153 (via WhatsApp or Viber).

Museum of Illusions in Zagreb

Museum of Illusions in Zagreb – Visit Croatia Review

One November morning, Visit Croatia popped along to the Museum of Illusions in Zagreb to enjoy the illusions and tricks on the eye in this relatively new museum. See what we thought!

Visiting the Museum of Illusions in Zagreb

A rainy, grey Saturday morning in Zagreb is an ideal time to visit a museum – especially a relatively new one, and a quirky one to boot. It seems like many other people in Zagreb had the same idea that morning, judging by the queue to get into the Museum of Illusions and the number of people inside! * (see note below)

Luckily, the entrance down a small covered alleyway provided shelter from the rain…and the queue moved pretty quickly anyway. We were into the museum and ascending the stairs to the first floor of the museum swiftly.

Museum of Illusions in Zagreb
The ‘head on a platter’ (without the head!)

Here on the first floor, you have a number of the smaller exhibits, such as the clone table (where you can play cards against several versions of yourself!); the ‘head on a platter’ trick (you can be served up as a dish!); the infinity room (a closed room of mirrors, giving the appearance of multiple versions of the room’s occupants that stretch out seemingly forever! An ideal space for ‘pulling some shapes’…); and the ‘tricks on the eye’ optical illusions. I’m not giving the game away by revealing any of these exhibits here, by the way, as they really need to be seen to be ‘believed’ and are far more impressive in real life rather than just being written about!

Heading on up to the second floor, there are some of the ‘larger’ illusions – including the anti-gravity room, where it seems gravity’s gone haywire; the Ames room, where two of you can become giant and miniaturised versions of yourselves; and the rotated room, where the world has been rotated by 90 degrees. The kaleidoscope is also super fun – where you get to be in a large kaleidoscope!

Museum of Illusions in Zagreb
The Bottomless Pit Illusion

When we were there, the museum was very busy indeed and it was sometimes difficult to get to see and interact with all the exhibits, as well as take the appropriate funny snaps. But that’s of course a reflection on the popularity of the museum – and if you’re patient enough, you’ll definitely get your turn with each exhibit. (Visiting with a little one in tow who dictated patience levels meant we had to zip through most exhibits quite quickly!)

Is it worth visiting?

Is the Museum of Illusions in Zagreb worth visiting? Yes, definitely. This is one of the city’s newer museums and belongs in the same boat as some of the more quirky ones – such as the famed Museum of Broken Relationships and the Zagreb 80s Museum, to name two. There’s plenty to occupy your time, with a number of optical illusions to interact with. We’d recommend going along with a friend or two to get the most out of tricks such as the Ames Room – or, at the very least, so you can get snaps taken as one of you performs the ‘tricks’ and the other is behind the camera! It’s certainly a very visual museum and you’ll get plenty of excellent photos to share on the ‘Gram!

As for age suitability…I went with my then 4-year-old child and I’d say it was a little bit too old for her. Sure, she liked the illusions involving mirrors and couldn’t wait to try out the ‘head on a platter’ trick (although most of the fun there for her was crawling through the small tunnel!) but she didn’t quite get the fun of most of the exhibits. I’d say the museum is more suitable for kids aged 7 and older, especially pre-teens and teens. And it’s absolutely suitable and fun for adults too!

Museum of Illusions in Zagreb

The museum is priced at a reasonable 50 Kunas for adults, 40 Kunas for students and seniors and 30 Kunas for children aged 5 to 15 years.

Museum of Illusions
Ilica 72
10000 Zagreb
muzejiluzija.com

* Note: Visit Croatia visited in November 2019, well before the pandemic and any need for social distancing. Please do check before visiting for opening hours and any visiting restrictions.

Zagreb 80s Museum Feat

Zagreb 80s Museum – Visit Croatia Review

If you’re anything like Visit Croatia, you have both a strong connection to the city of Zagreb…and are absolutely in love with the decade that is the 1980s. In which case, what could be a better museum for you to visit practically anywhere in the world than the Zagreb 80s Museum!

(No? Just me then?)

Well, even if neither of the above apply to you, read on…for this is certainly one of the most fun museums to visit in Zagreb!

Zagreb 80s Museum Sign

Visiting the Zagreb 80s Museum

If truth be told, this was definitely on my list of things to see in Croatia’s capital…but I actually stumbled across it during a walk in the Upper Town one November afternoon, having finally escaped the confines of the warm indoors after a lengthy and heavy rainstorm. Admiring the statue of St George as I have done a number of times before, I turned around…to be greeted by a bright and cheery sign with everything (well, not exactly everything) that is dear to me.

Climbing up the steps to what is basically a first floor apartment, you enter the museum’s small lobby area in what would ordinarily be a hallway. But this is a hallway with a difference, for it features half a yellow Fico car (a Zastava 750) practically emerging out of one wall. And you can climb inside for photos!

Zagreb 80s Museum Fico Car
The Fico car in the lobby…climb inside!
80s Ski Gear
80s ski gear

There are several distinct rooms – apart from the hallway/museum lobby, there’s an open plan living room/kitchen with sofas, entertainment and lifestyle items (telephone, record player, TV) and even one of those giant wardrobe/sideboard items that seemed to be very popular in…well…everyone’s home in Yugoslavia in the 1980s. Beyond that there’s another hallway-slash-office-slash-tribute-to-Zagi (remember him??!); a bedroom and then a kind of games room with the ubiquitous 80s games consoles.

Zagreb 80s Museum Reception
Does this look like a living room that you remember??
80s Wardrobe
Open it up to discover the fun inside…including 80s clothes to dress up in!
80s Telephone
Yup, the standard ‘telephone corner’ with the standard 80s telephone
80s Dining Room

But what’s there to do?

The premise of this museum is that it is fully interactive and offers you an immersive experience of what living in Yugoslavia in the 1980s was like. That means nothing is off limits – you can touch everything in the museum, sit in the chairs, open up the drawers, play around with things like the games consoles. You can even dress up in 80s gear as one of the wardrobes is filled with 80s clothes!

There’s plenty of fun to be had touching and feeling the exhibits, opening up cupboards to see what’s inside. Try sitting in the living room and pretending this is your apartment, albeit one 35 years ago.

One area that brought me the most amusement was the small corner dedicated to Zagi, the blue squirrel that was the mascot of the 1987 Univerzijada (the University Olympics) which were held in Zagreb. If you were slightly obsessed by him back in that decade, well, this will be a real treat for you.

Yugoslavian money
Yugoslavian Dinars
Yugoslavian food items
Food packaging from 1980s Yugoslavia
Zagi
A corner dedicated to my beloved Zagi

Zagreb 80s Museum – Verdict

We (of course!) absolutely loved this museum and really enjoyed our visit – so it’s no surprise that we’d really recommend this place.

However, we would say that the Zagreb 80s Museum is probably for those that are either really in to the 1980s (or don’t mind it for a few hours!) and/or have some kind of nostalgia about Yugoslavia or another Eastern European country during that decade. (Whether you lived through that time, had family there or visited in some way.)

But it is actually even good for kids! Given that it’s a fully interactive museum, they’ll also have fun looking at the ‘funny’ exhibits and there’s plenty of kid-friendly things that will catch their interest. (Even if this sets the scene of a time ages before they were born.) And they’ll just love sitting in the yellow car and pretending to drive.

The Zagreb 80s Museum is also located just a short distance from many other sights in the Upper Town, so can easily be combined with a tour of this part of the city – it’s a nice way to change up the scene from walking around looking at many of the outdoor sights.

There are also some rather fun (and some…ahem…quite naughty) trinkets to take home from the little shop. I went home with a Tesla (a Yugoslavian brand) lightbulb!

Zagreb 80s Museum - 80s games consoles
The games console corner

More info

Tickets for the museum cost 40 Kunas for adults, 30 Kunas for concessions (students and 65+) and 25 Kunas for kids aged 3 to 13.

Full details on Zagreb 80s Museum can be found on the official website.

Zagreb for Kids - Zagreb Zoo Sign

Zagreb Zoo – Visit Croatia Review

Zagreb Zoo is located in the very pleasant and tranquil Maksimir Park, in the east of the city of Zagreb. The Park and Zoo are just a short tram ride away from the main part of the city, and so very easy to reach no matter where you’re staying.

Combining a day out in this pretty park with a few hours in the Zoo is a great way to spend an afternoon in Zagreb, particularly if you have kids in tow! The Zoo is also astonishingly cheap compared to zoos in other European cities and is well run and maintained, with an interesting selection of animals.

Zagreb Zoo Sign

Covering an area of 17 acres, the zoo completed the first stage of a modernisation program in 2016. Zagreb Zoo is a member of the European and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a participant in the European Endangered Species Programme.

Getting to Zagreb Zoo

Trams 11 or 12 operate from the main square, Trg ban Jelacic, to the road just outside Maksimir Park. Trams 4 and 7 from elsewhere in the city and also stop near the park.

Entry

Tickets for the Zoo cost just 30 Kunas for adults, and 10 Kunas for children.

The Zoo is open 365 days of the year so, weather permitting, you can enjoy it any time of year! Do note that the Zoo has different opening hours at different times of the year – obviously, longer in spring/summer and shorter autumn/winter. For example, the zoo closes at 4pm November to January inclusive, whilst it stays open until 8pm May to August. The ticket office closes about a hour before the zoo does, so make sure you make it in time to buy a ticket.

Large scale map at Zagreb Zoo
A map of the grounds, soon after entry. We are visitor number 79 that day!

What to See and Do in Zagreb Zoo

You can explore and visit the animals in the Zoo taking a largely circular route past the many exhibits. Soon after you enter you’ll walk over a bridge to get to the main part of the zoo, passing by flamingos, storks and a funny collection of capybaras.

Zagreb Zoo - lynx
Can you spot the lynx? (in the middle of the picture, to the left)

On to the main part and there’s an insectarium and lemur island and an often snoozing but beautiful lynx. The Australian section – and its wallabies – follows before you make your way over to the European brown bear enclosure.

Zebras and tapirs follow, then pygmy hippos and some very interesting exhibits in the Twilight Zone (nocturnal animals) and Tropical House buildings, including assorted reptiles and crocodiles!

Zagreb Zoo - Zebras
Zebras in a nice open enclosure
Crocodiles in Zagreb Zoo
Crocodiles in the Tropical House

The Monkey Pavillion and its chimpanzees brings you to the zoo’s restaurant, right next to the playful sea lions. Swing by the wolves before heading into the petting zoo where you can indeed stroke some of the animals such as goats.

Next you’ll see bison and camels and a large enclosed aviary before coming to probably the premier exhibit – the gorgeous lions. Nearby is also a very cute and playful red panda that is definitely worth watching for a bit!

Zagreb Zoo - Lions
The lion enclosure
Lion and lioness in Zagreb Zoo

Playgrounds

As you wind your way around, you’ll also encounter a decent number of children’s play areas which – depending on the age of your child – may delight them more than the animals!

Talks and Animals Feedings

Some days of the weeks see talks and public animal feedings take place for a number of animals in the zoo. You can see the timetable of this here, or check when entering the zoo.

Historical sights in Zagreb Zoo

The Zoo first opened in 1925 so there are a number of older structures dotted about – including a small tower (which you can climb up) just after the main entrance.

Eating in Zagreb Zoo

There is a restaurant on site called “Kod morskog lava” (which means “By the sea lion”…for the restaurant is indeed next to the sea lion enclosure. The restaurant serves traditional continental Croatian fare – think soups, Schnitzel-type meats with accompanying veg side dishes and tasty desserts.

There is also a very reasonably priced kids menu; for about 30-40 Kunas there are different ‘packages’ which contain a main, a side (usually chips) and a drink. (The more expensive ones also include a dessert.)

There are also numerous snack carts dotted around Zagreb Zoo from which you can grab a snack (ice cream, no doubt, for the kids!) or a drink.

Kod morskog lava restaurant
The sea lion enclosure (they’re in there, somewhere!) next to Kod morskog lava restaurant

Shopping

There is a cute little gift shop located not too far from the entrance that has a nice range of animal-themed gifts – soft toys, books, jewellery and other assorted knick knacks. Any kids in your group will probably find it hard to resist the soft toys…

Our verdict

Zagreb Zoo is definitely a wonderful way to spend a few hours in this city, whether you’re an animal lover or if you’re visiting with kids. The Zoo isn’t particularly big, but that’s perhaps best as some larger zoos can be quite exhausting to visit or are a full day experience. There are are also very modern facilities and amenities (toilets!) that add to the whole experience.

All the exhibits in the zoo are very interesting, and most of the animals seem well kept indeed – it certainly looks like a considerable amount of money has been invested in the zoo, and the recent modernisation programme has really helped.

I did think the sea lions’ enclosure was a little on the small side, however, and unfortunately it looked like the chimpanzees had learnt to sit, arms outstretched, begging for food from passers-by – I did hope that the ‘no feeding’ signs could be enforced a bit better.

But, all in all, I’d definitely recommend visiting Zagreb Zoo!

More information

Full details on visiting the zoo can be found on the official website.

Zagreb by scooter - Bikini Scooters

A new way to discover Zagreb – by scooter!

Croatia’s lovely capital city Zagreb has lots going for it – plenty of sights (both old and modern), galleries, museums, shopping, bars and cafes, restaurants, events and much more. It’s an excellent choice for a weekend city break, or as a starting (or end) point for a longer holiday in Croatia. The city also has plenty of ways of exploring it, but now here comes something new – the opportunity to explore Zagreb by scooter!

Launched in May 2019, Bikini Scooters is an agency that offers both interactive guided tours of the capital on electric scooters and well as e-scooter rental. A noise-free and eco-friendly way of seeing Zagreb – that also covers a lot of ground with hardly any exertion…and is of course lots of fun!

Zagreb by scooter - Bikini Scooters
Visitors to Zagreb enjoying a Bikini Scooters tour

Since they started offering their tours, plenty of people have enjoyed seeing Zagreb by scooter with Bikini Scooters – families with children, exchange students, travellers, couples on holiday, professionals in town on business, seniors wanting a new kind of sightseeing experience and many more!

Guided Tours – Zagreb by Scooter

Bikini Scooters offer 90 minute guided tours of Zagreb by scooter, which are available in English or Spanish. Their tours cover most of Zagreb’s main sights, including Kaptol and the Cathedral, Ban Jelacic Square, the Green Horseshoe of Zagreb/Lenuci’s Horseshoe (the parks of downtown Zagreb), the Croatian National Theatre, and the Upper Town. All tours are conducted by a licensed guide.

Zagreb by scooter - Bikini Scooters
Visiting Zagreb’s Cathedral by scooter!

Three tours show off Zagreb’s sights – the Start Your Day Tour; the Afternoon Tour; or the Zagreb by Night Tour. The Zagreb by Night Tour is an excellent choice in summer when the cooler evenings offer some relief from the hot days. Not only this, but the Zagreb by Night Tour has the added bonus of a complimentary drink in Tkalciceva Street. Here your guide will also be able to point out the best nightspots, bars and restaurants!

Bikini Tours also offer private tours which can be customised to visitors’ tastes and interests.

Riding E-Scooters in Zagreb

For anyone nervous about riding an e-scooter, don’t be! The scooters are easy and fun to ride, don’t require any previous experience and can be mastered in just minutes.

Children aged 12 years and older can ride a scooter by themselves. Younger children can ride on a scooter with an adult.

All scooter riders are provided with helmets.

Scooters are permitted to be ridden on pavements and in pedestrian areas in Zagreb.

Zagreb by scooter - Bikini Scooters
A Zagreb by Night Tour in front of the Music Academy

About Bikini Scooters

Bikini Scooters was formed by a team of like-minded professionals from diverse backgrounds. They all like to show off Zagreb to visitors in an enthusiastic and exciting way!

The company are also planning lots more exciting tours of Zagreb, including covering the New Zagreb (Novi Zagreb) area, sports themed tours, and showing off green areas such as Maksimir Park, and around places such as Lake Bundek and Lake Jarun. Watch their website for news!

More info

You can find all details about the tours Bikini Scooters run on their website. Do also check them out on Facebook and Instagram as well!

Bikini Scooters
bikiniscooters.hr/tours/

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik – the world’s first museum dedicated to love and romance

The wonderful city of Dubrovnik received a brand new museum earlier this month, and it’s the first museum in the world dedicated to the charming subjects of love and romance – the Love Stories Museum.

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

Romance and Love in the Love Stories Museum

The Love Stories Museum collects and displays unique personal love stories and items of great sentimental value from around the world. You’ll see items such as a coffee mug from Sweden that got together an American woman and a man from France, and experience stories such as the emotional tale of a couple going through a divorce that decided to give their marriage one last try.

And you, the visitor, can also help expand the collection! You can donate your own personal love story which could end up part of the global love stories collection.

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

The Love Stories Museum also focuses on local historical and mythical love stories from old Dubrovnik, so there’s a chance to learn more about the city in this respect. And there’s also a display dedicated to romantic plots from films and TV programmes that have been filmed in Dubrovnik in recent times – well known shows and cinematic features such as Game of Thrones, Robin Hood and Star Wars. The Museum also features a music section, introducing visitors to the people that have inspired some of the greatest love songs of all time.

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

Leave your mark on the Love Wall!

Once you’ve rejoiced in all the romantic stories the museum has to offer, leave your mark on the Love Wall. Sign it, doodle a picture or pin a couple selfie to it – it’s up to you to help create ‘the most romantic wall in the world’!

Love Stories Museum in Dubrovnik

Location and Tickets

The Love Stories Museum is located right by Pile Gate, just outside the Old Town. You can see a map of its location here.

Tickets cost 50 Kunas for adults and 35 Kunas for children (aged 10 – 18). Children aged 9 and below go free.

Love Stories Museum
Od Tabakarije 2, Dubrovnik
lovestoriesmuseum.com

Zagreb 2009 - St Mark's Church

Zagreb Travelogue 2009

Having been in Novi Sad, Serbia for the previous four days for the 2009 Exit Festival, we’re now really on “day 5” of our full trip. But day 5 is actually the beginning of the second leg of our travels and our first day in Croatia – which brings much excitement! Here’s our Zagreb travelogue telling what we did.

From Novi Sad to Zagreb

Our story begins as we depart Novi Sad bus station promptly with the 9.30am Suboticatrans bus headed for Zagreb. It’s clear that our bus contains a number of fellow Exit Festival-ers, some of whom appear to be Croats heading home whilst others are travellers going on to Croatia for an extra bit of holiday – like ourselves.

We pay a mere 60 Dinars – about 60p – for each piece of luggage we have to store in the bus’s hold. The bus station in Novi Sad has a little gate through which only travellers can pass upon showing a ticket – and there’s nothing beyond here except buses, so make sure you get your bottles of water and snacks and so on before you pass through. Oh, and make sure you change your dinars! (Aside from keeping a bit to pay for luggage, of course.) There’s an exchange place right there in the bus station; this will probably be the last place you can change back Serbian Dinars that you will see…possibly ever! (They are not exchangeable in other local countries or your home country.)

Munching on our pre-bought breakfast (our usual Serbian “food surprise”: croissant with frankfurter inside), there’s not an awful lot to see as we head through Serbia towards the border. Once we get there, we pass through the border with ease this time, though have to disembark to go to a Croatian immigration office to show our passports.

It is only my friend who is travelling on a Malaysian passport that has a tiny bit of bother as they ask her to step aside for a moment whilst they a closer look at her passport. Slight panic sets in as everyone else on the bus reboards without problems, and she’s left behind in the office! Our eventual theory is that they haven’t seen too many Malaysian passports pass through this particular checkpoint, and they may also think she requires a visa (which she doesn’t – she triple-checked before she headed out to Eastern Europe). All the border patrol guards seem pretty relaxed and relatively friendly (as friendly as border guards can ever be – hey, at least they’re smiling); she isn’t asked to wait for long – barely a few minutes – and then rejoins us on the coach. Phew!

Just past the border, we stop off at a rather fancy looking INA petrol station (the motorways in Croatia seem impressively new as do, rather surprisingly, a lot of the petrol stations). Our stop there reveals usual rip off petrol station prices, but who can ever resist buying something at these places? “Slani stapici” (pretzel sticks) and “Flips kikiriki” (think peanut flavoured Cheetos) it is!

The long stretch of motorway towards Zagreb doesn’t reveal all that much in terms of countryside, though it is rather green and beautiful in its own way, with lots of fields of various crops on either side of the road. As we head into Zagreb just after 3pm (a city of which a large portion is made up of “suburbs” and “outskirts”, it’s a while after we enter the city that we actually reach the bus station itself), I can’t help thinking how pretty it all looks. It may be the bright sunshine beaming down, but Zagreb on that particularly day certainly looks like a bustling and cosmopolitan city.

We take a taxi (60 Kunas – approx. £7 – including baggage; I guess we’re not in Novi Sad anymore, Toto) to our accommodation. After a brief rest, long enough to indulge in the very English pursuit of cups of tea, we head out on a leisurely walk to the city centre – and you can’t get more central than Ban Jelacic Square (Trg bana Jelacica). It’s at this point I discover that English speakers have problems pronouncing “trg”; some even refuse to believe it’s an actual word. (“It has no vowels! It can’t be a word!”)

Zagreb Travel Guide 2009 - Trg bana Jelacica
Trg bana Jelacica

We stop off for a beer at one of the square’s cafes – a holiday requisite of course, what else does one do on vacation but stop off at cafes every hour? After a nice cold Karlovacko, we decide to head immediately to dinner and pick nearby Kerempuh restaurant, which is just by Dolac market (which has long since closed for the day).

There, we get served by a friendly, young English-speaking waiter, who’s clearly served many a foreign tourist in his time. The boys in our group get steak with mushroom sauce; also on order was veal cutlet stuffed with cheese, and a special kind of Croatian dish (usually found in Istria): pljukanci (a type of pasta) in a truffle sauce. We sample the first of one of our many 1 litre bottles of house wine for week – at 60 Kunas (about £7) it isn’t half bad and goes down pretty easily!

Zagreb Travel Guide 2009 - Pljukanci
Pljukanci

Exhausted after our travels of the day, and happily full from dinner, we had back to our accommodation and settle in for the delights of Croatian television. An episode of 24 (who doesn’t love to watch a bit of torture, Jack Bauer-style) and Seven is an odd mix, but a TV night in with friends is always satisfying.

Zagreb Travelogue 2009 – Day 2

All of that topsy-turvy getting up late + staying out late + long bus journeys of the previous few days makes for some pretty tired travellers. Not forgetting that we’re on holiday…so, a nice lie in followed by some pastries and cups of tea is the order of play for day two in Croatia and Zagreb.

Our first task is to head off to the bus station to buy our tickets for the next day’s bus to Trogir, but it’s luckily an easy walk to the station from where we’re staying. We head upstairs in the station to buy our tickets; the helpful lady behind the desk explained our various bus options and waits while we make our decision – the 8.30am bus it is, which will get us to Trogir just after 2pm.

So, what to do next? Having got our hands on a free tourist guide to Zagreb called “Zagreb City Walks” (pick it up at the tourist office!) we decide to create our own special walk – the second half of the Lower Town walk, mixed in with most of the Upper Town walk. The central part of the city is very well suited for walking, and there’s plenty to see in such a small area so it’s the best way of sightseeing. And, of course, it provides the perfect opportunity to stop off at one of the many cafes everywhere for some refreshments.

Heading down Branimira street towards the train station (Glavni Kolodvor), it’s time to get our cameras ready for some snapping. It’s another beautiful day in Zagreb, very warm and a lovely blue sky overhead, which makes for some perfect photo taking conditions. As we head up beside the collection of three parks that make up Zrinjevac, we marvel at the architecture of the surrounding buildings, though sadly the Art Pavilion is buried deep under scaffolding.

We never seem to be more than a few hours – or steps – away from a delicious meal so we decide to stop off at Boban (owned by Croatian football star Zvonimir Boban) for lunch – funnily enough, following exact instructions given to us by the Lonely Planet Eastern Europe guide who recommend people stop there for lunch on “day 2 in Zagreb”.

The cosy basement restaurant – decorated rather traditionally – is well known for its pasta, and rightly so, featuring a number of unusual dishes I’ve not come across elsewhere. We opt for tagliatelle, gnocchi, lasagna and black gnocchi in salmon sauce, which turns out to be giant, almost parcel-like bits of pasta – most delicious!

Refreshed, we decide to start our walk of the Upper Town walk and head towards Zagreb cathedral. We meander around the sights in the area, including Dolac market, Kamenita vrata and Tkalciceva ulica which is lined with numerous cafes on either side, filled with locals enjoying themselves in the afternoon sun. Our helpful “Zagreb City Walks” guide points out that a brook once flowed where the street now lies – who knew?

We wander towards St Mark’s Square to see the Croatian Parliament – Sabor – and the beautiful tiled roof of St Mark’s Church, certainly one of Croatia’s most iconic images. We then head towards the funicular railway just below Lotrscak Tower, deciding against taking the train down, instead taking the adjoining steps which place us in the middle of Ilica.

Zagreb Travelogue 2009 - St Mark's Church
St Mark’s Church

An important part of the day next – stocking up on provisions for the next day’s bus trip! Heading back to our accommodation, we stop off at Konzum on route for various snacks, including items to make kulen (our new favourite type of salami) and cheese sandwiches.

Heading out rather late for dinner, we want to try Baltazar restaurant which is opposite the cathedral. Arriving there too late (just before 11pm) we find that service has, unsurprisingly, finished for the day. Instead we make the short walk to Skalinska street which has a number of small restaurants open late serving standard fare – pizza, pasta, that type of thing. A pizza washed down with some Karlovacko pivo (beer) really hits the spot!