Post 10: Zagreb in 46 hours
I said goodbye to the Island of Vis on the sunrise ferry to Split. That's the bonus for getting up early. It also allowed me to arrive in Zagreb by 2 in the afternoon. The Catamaran on the left is how I arrived, the ferry on the right is how I departed. I thought the cat was big...haha.
There was much more to see and do in Zagreb then I expected so I made the most my time by getting out and walking. How else do you learn a city?? 😊 My apartment was 1 mile from the bus station and approximately 1 mile from just about everything else I wanted to see as well.
After settling into a cute 1 bedroom apartment, I set out for Gornji Grad, a.k.a Upper Town. This 1000 year old neighborhood is the container of most of what I intended to experience in Zagreb. I walked first to Ban Jelačić Square with its 19th century bronze statue of viceroy Josip Jelačić on a horse as its focal point.
From there I went to St. Mark's Church.
St. Mark's Church
Ban Jelačić Square
Then on to the Stone Gate, the 13th century stone passage into old town that became a shrine to the Virgin Mary - Zagreb's patron saint - after their fire in 1731. It's believed to have miraculous healing powers and there was a service happening in the street when I arrived.
I took a walk through The Museum of Broken Relationships which originated in Croatia as a traveling exhibit before finding a permanent home here in Zagreb. The museum is intended to be cathartic and an inspiration of letting go of the past; letting go of broken and lost dreams.
On my way home, I happened upon Strossmartre Summer Festival so ended the evening in a magical little hippie setting serving up wine and music.
The next morning I decided to start my day with a Solar System "treasure" Hunt. Apparently many locals don't even know about this unique city wide installation called "Nine Views" that starts with the sun sculpture located at Bogovićeva ulica. Each planet's sculpture and location replicate an exact scaled down model of our solar system placed throughout the city and suburbs. I could only walk the ones within the city limits. Saturn was positioned closest to my apartment and, based on its size, was fairly easy to find. I hadn't factored in just how small replicas would be of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Needless to say, the sun was the easiest to find. It was quite the hunt!!
An added bonus of the hunt is that it took me through Dolac Market, their daily farmers market; the Cathedral, most identifiable part of Zagreb's skyline; and stops for fun on Tkalčićeva Street, which offers a lively walk through the 18th century street that also showcases the locals love for outdoor cafes of all types. Today was a very full and fun day and sealed the deal for me to give Zagreb a 2 thumbs up review!!
