Zagreb is the peak! In Slovenian slang, špica is a very useful word. It means something positive, bounced and cool.
The people of Zagreb add a geographical dimension to the same word: Spica is a place where you have to be seen and where you look at your fellow citizens. Saturday coffee on Špica is, next to football (well, in recent years we have to add skiing), the most important sport in the Croatian capital, but the choice of a bar on Gajava, Berislavićeva or Preradovićeva Street is just as important as the rite of passage. Especially in spring and summer, when the social life is transferred from inside the cafes to the streets, Špica is full of famous faces of the Croatian stage, who 'accidentally' walk on the way to the market in the latest collections of world-renowned creators, and the paparazzi happily chase them into their lenses. The most trend-conscious sit at Escobar, the slightly older population of politicians, scientists, doctors and lawyers prefers to go to Charli on Gajevo ulica, one of the oldest privately owned bars in Zagreb, while students, artists and writers prefer to have a drink in Golf Cafe, Pif or KIC Club. In between, there is also time for sweet indulgence, which is really sinfully good in a pastry shop Millennium on Bogovićeva Street. While walking around Špica, it is important to give the appearance that we care little about the social carousel and that we do not in any way act like strangers, so it is important to know that one of the centers of action Predarović Square, which is an unknown name even to the majority of Zagreb residents, as everyone knows this pleasant square by its name Flower market.
Shopping in the center
When we have processed the mandatory performance, we can afford a new challenge. A walk along the number one shopping street – Ilici. The street that runs west of Zagreb's main square, Ban Jeličić, is a true paradise for all those who value showing off on Špica. Despite the fact that huge shopping centers and even a real 'outlet' town have grown up around Zagreb, the most fun is walking along Ilica, avoiding trams, seeing the latest collections of big fashion houses, such as Mango Terranova or Esprit, to remember Tito's times in front of the windows of some stores that still defy time, or to look for the creations of young Croatian designers. Their stores are mainly on the streets that wind from Ilica towards Gornji Grad. Two of the most famous stores of young Croatian fashion are I-LOOK, where the creations of creators Martina Vrdoljak Ranilović and Nataša Mihaljčisin are for sale, and Space on Mesnička Street, where, in addition to fashion, you can also enjoy visual art and music. On Sundays, British market, about a ten-minute walk along Ilica or two tram stops from Ban Jelačić Square, opens a paradise for collectors of antiques, kitsch and memories of youth. A large crowd gathers around about a hundred stalls every Sunday morning flea fair of antiques trying to find something to decorate the walls or just collect dust. Of course, we mustn't skip the aromatic walk through the market Dolac, above Ban Jelačić Square, where you can taste Croatian specialties from Dalmatian 'delicia' to Slavonian 'kulen'.
Gornji Grad for lovers of romance and museums
If we climb into the part of the city called Gornji Grad, doesn't smell, we can enjoy a very short but fun funicular ride that will take us from Tomićeva Street to the tower in a few seconds Lotršćak, the remains of the medieval walls, from which, since 1877, every day at noon, a very loud cannon shot announces the exact time. A pleasant promenade Strossmayer Promenade offers us a wonderful view of the city, and only a short walk separates us from one of the most beautiful churches in Zagreb, a church built in the 17th century Saint Catherine, which is a dream place for a wedding for every aware Zagreb woman, which is why the waiting list is long, which gives young couples extra time to think. One of Zagreb's symbols is for sure St. Mark's Church with a beautiful roof, on which the Zagreb and Croatian coats of arms are depicted, and around which the top of Croatian politics is concentrated. But since politics is something that only a handful of people deal with (and annoys both our neighbors and us), we prefer to take the time to visit the excellent museums in the upper part of the city. The best way to get to know the history of the city is during a tour Museum of the City of Zagreb, and some of the most high-profile exhibitions in Croatia were hosted in the Klovićevi Dvori gallery. Lovers of painting should not miss the Gallery of Croatian Naive Art, and we should also pay tribute to the greatest Croatian sculptor, Ivan Meštrović, by visiting his studio.
Hedonism for the select and entertainment for the masses
Before we descend from Gornje Grad towards Ban Jelačić square, let's take some time for gourmet delights. Gornji Grad is home to one of Zagreb's best restaurants (but also the saltiest). Jurjevska street has become a meeting place for food fans, as some of the icons of Zagreb cuisine can be found here. Among them, the restaurant is leading Marcellino, whose owner Mario Čerhak learned his skills in Berlin, and in addition to his classic delicacies, he also delights lovers of ethnic cuisine with Moroccan, Japanese and Italian dishes that can be ordered in the restaurant Hugo, which is in the same building as Marcellino. Wallets will remain a little thicker after a visit to a restaurant Bistro Apetit (Jurjevska 65 a), which is in the hands of Austrian chef Christian Cabalier. One of the most interesting restaurants whose name Piggy it does not mean that they will serve us only pork, but in addition to excellent food, it also convinces with an intimate atmosphere. Well, if the cholesterol in the pork doesn't raise our pressure, the high prices certainly will, but hedonism has never been cheap.
“Weaver' for fun
It is definitely the most lively street in Zagreb Tkalčićeva. Although for a 'serious' night party it is best to drive to Jarun, which is affectionately called the 'Sea of Zagreb', but it is worth starting the evening at 'Tkalča'. During the day, the street is full of tourists who like to have lunch in the restaurant Ivica and Marica or in Agave, and in the evening it turns into the social center of the city. Some bars are small but famous for their imaginative interiors, for example Tit, where washing machines serve as tables, and one of the walls is always decorated with artificial flowers, others, for example Melin, but they resist new trends and attract alternative youth and nostalgic old rockers. Tkalčić's street gets its true image especially on warm summer days, when smaller festivals, music events and street theater performances take place on the street, but regardless of the season, the street, just like the whole city, is a charming mixture of Central Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, which is worth getting to know more closely.
Information:
– I-GLE, Dežmanov Prolaz 4, www.i-gle.com
– Space: Mesnička 5, www.multiracionalkompanija.com
– Klovićevi Dvori Gallery, Jezuitski trg 4, www.galerijaklovic.hr
– Croatian Museum of Naive Art, Ćirilometodska ulica 3, www.hmnu.hr
– Marcellino and Hugo restaurants, Jurjevska 71
– The Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) opened in Novi Zagreb at the end of last year
