Croatia 8 - Zagreb 2
We spent all of Day 8 exploring the city of Zagreb. First things first, we began with getting a breakfast. The temperature was near freezing point, but there was no wind. I wouldn't say it was comfortable but not so bad to be outside in our winter gear.
Boogie Lab was our breakfast place of the day. It was a lovely bakery and cafe. Their sweet (my plum and chocolate) and savory (J's ham and cheese) pastries were tasty. The freshly squeezed juice (orange, lemon, ginger) was refreshing. My earl grey was fine. J's cappuccino looked nice. Plus, the modern dining area was spacious and the staff was friendly. It was more than good!
We started walking around the Lower Town, characterized by 19th and early 20th-century Austro-Hungarian architecture - grand, monumental buildings in Historicism, Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, wide boulevards, and structured parks. Our architecture-watching tour was entertaining!
The Art Pavilion is a remarkable yellow-facade Art Nouveau exhibition hall. The seasonal ice rink was placed in front of the building at that time.
I happened to find the Embassy of Japan in the pale yellow building at the corner. I didn't have any business with them during the trip but it's always good to know the location.
Designed in the style of a Neo-Renaissance palace, the 19th century building belongs to Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, housing the Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters on the top floor.
Zrinjevac Park! We were there the day before.
The late-19th century Meteorological Post is located in Zrinjevac Park. It's still working and showing the current atmospheric pressure, humidity and temperature.
We arrived at the Ban Jelacic Square, the city's main square. The big and small Christmas bells were found there. We played with a couple of bells.
The equestrian monument depicts Ban Josip Jelačić, a military commander and national hero who played a crucial role in the 1848 revolution against Hungarian forces, helping secure Croatian autonomy within the Habsburg Empire.
Then we stepped into the Upper Town, or the city's Old Town...
We walked through Park Ribnjak, a 19th century English-style garden built on medieval bishopric fishponds. The giant sequoia tree is supposed to be famous as a rare and magnificent tree in the area, but it just looked like one of the trees tired of winter.
We arrived at Dolac Market. We were there the day before but it was foggy and dark at that time. I had a better look this time.
I don't know why but the produce market wasn't held at the square of the Dolac Market but on the streets just below the staircase to the square. I guess wherever the produce vendors stand become the Dolac Market these days.
A giant Christmas tree was decorated at the Ban Jelacic Square. The square was located at the border between the Upper Town and the Lower Town. We almost always came back there whichever direction we headed to.
Then we wandered in the Lower Town.
Inaugurated in 1895 by Emperor Franz Joseph I, the Croatian National Theatre is considered a masterpiece of Neo-Baroque architecture. The team of nutcrackers welcomed visitors at the main entrance or scared them...
The theater was closed at that time but the front door was open. A security staff there kindly let us come in the lovely lobby and allowed us to take some photos.
We continued our architectural walk tour...
Completed in 1913, the Croatian State Archives combines Art Nouveau, Secessionist (Vienna Secession), and Classical design features, such as columns and pediments as well as extended straight lines that hint at the emerging architectural trends.
We came back to the Upper Town for lunch. Zagreb was a very walkable city!
Stari Fijaker is a Croatian restaurant that offers traditional dishes representing the Zagreb-Zagorje region. It seems that the place is very popular and making a reservation is a must do even for lunch time. We got there at 11am, as soon as lunch started, and the place was largely empty. I guess people usually don't eat lunch at 11am.
We both tried roasted duck with Mlinci. Mlinci is a traditional Croatian pasta-like specialty, originating from the regions of Zagorje and Slavonia. It's typically served as a side to roasted meats, and the combination of roast duck or turkey with Mlinci is a popular Sunday classic in those regions. In fact it was Sunday. We were doing the right thing. Our duck was very good but a bit salty for me. Mlinci was like thin wide flat egg noodles. I liked both the texture and flavor but it was super salty! I was very thirsty in the afternoon.
The view wasn't our primary reason to be at the park actually. We were there to find the Lotrščak Tower, a 13th century fortified tower, located at the edge of the park, and watch the Grič Cannon, the city's famous, over 130 year, daily tradition. A cannon, which is installed at the window on the top floor of the tower, fires at exactly noon every day. It was originally to help the city's church bell-ringers synchronize their clocks, but today serves as a landmark signaling midday for locals and tourists. We gathered at the food of the building about 10 minutes before noon and waited for the cannon fire. As the time got closer to noon, more tourists joined us. We all looked up at the window...
BOOOM!!
The fire was very loud so that the ground (and me) shook! However, miraculously my camera was able to capture the moment. While the booming echos were still ringing in my ears, we took a short walk to St. Mark's Church, an iconic landmark in the city of Zagreb. While the original church was built in the 13th century, the present version was the result of a comprehensive reconstruction undertaken in the the second half of the 19th century. The symbolic colorful tiles roof displays two medieval coats of arms: one of the City of Zagreb and the other of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia.
Like the Cathedral, sadly we couldn't enter St. Mark's Church due to ongoing restoration following the 2020 earthquakes. The square in front of the church was also closed for security reasons. It seemed that some special people who were attending a concert at somewhere behind the church were allowed to walk through the square at that time, though. Anyway, we were stopped at the line of the Christmas tree.
We walked further north to visit the Zagreb City Museum. It was a nice break from the very chilly air outside.
Set in a 17th-century former convent building, the museum presents the history of the city of Zagreb, from prehistory - traces of which were recently discovered beneath the museum building itself - to the present day. The permanent exhibition covers the wide range of aspects, including politics, the church, economics and business, town-planning and architecture, art and literature, entertainment, and everyday life.
Although we couldn't visit either the Cathedral of Zagreb or St. Mark's Church, we were able to see some treasures from those churches as parts of the museum's permanent collections.
The museum was extensive and fascinating. We spent longer time there than I expected. We were back in the cold streets and walked more in both the Upper and Lower towns.
We stopped by ChiaCups Shop & Coffee Bar in the Lower Town. Everything in the cafe was with polka dot!
I had Matcha latte with oat milk and a slice of chocolate cake. Matcha latte was fine but the chocolate cake was so-so. It was kinda dry and didn't have intense chocolate flavor. J challenged the lady at the counter to create "dirty chai" for him. It wasn't on the menu. First of all she didn't know what "dirty chai" was. It was kind of her to make it happen by following J's description. He also got a piece of Matcha cookie, which was somehow only a half portion of the entire cookie. Their customers don't want to eat a whole cookie?
Anyway the hot drinks and sweets gave us more energy to walk. We came to the southern edge of the Lower Town, where we found Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor, the city's main railway station in 19th-century Neo-classical style.
The station was near the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, a historical luxury hotel, built in 1925 to specifically accommodate passengers of the famous Orient Express. The exterior architecture is a blend of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
On the opposite side of the street was the headquarters for the Croatian Railways (I think). How many yellow façade did we see on the day?
To be continued...
