Christmas Market in Zagreb

Hello everyone, one day later!

I have spoken to you quite a lot about Croatia in my other posts, in fact, I made a list with the 10 places that I consider must-see locations in the country (for anyone who still hasn't read it: https://erasmusu.com/es/erasmus-croacia/blog-erasmus/10-lugares-que-no-te-puedes-perder-de-croacia-i-786517). However, on this list I haven't included the city of Zagreb, since to be honest, it isn't one of my favourite places in Croatia. It is pretty and interesting, but it is rather overshadowed by the incredible coast, the national parks, etc. It isn't one of those cities that leaves you wowed, you know.

Saying that, I have to say that I have a really good memory of my visit to the city, and it is because when I went we were right in the middle of Christmas, in the middle of December, therefore we were able to enjoy the Christmas Market which takes place there every year.

There are lots of other Christmas markets in Croatia, like the ones in Zadar, Split, etc, but none of them compare with the one in Zagreb. So much to the point that it has been declared for 3 years running (2016, 2017 and 2018) the best Christmas Market in Europe by the European Best Destination which 54 other cities took part in, and also the Best European Destination by Lonely Planet in 2017. I am sure that this would surprise most of you, seeing as Zagreb isn't one of the most well-known European cities, nor is it known for its Christmas market; since for all of us a German city, like Nuermburg for example, comes to mind.

But as you can see, each time more and more tourists come to this city specifically for these dates, largely thanks to the big work that they have done on promoting tourism that has taken place in the city in recent years. In fact, we came across a city with an incredible atmosphere.

Normally, from the start of December to the beginning or middle of January, the city is known for celebrating these holidays to the limit with a varied activity programme like concerts or shows for children, markets, all across the city, its enormous ice-skating rink, the food...

And watch out! Something to bear in mind and that surely most of the people that are thinking of visiting this city will be interested in is that; during all of these Christmas celebrations it is free to use public transport, both for the locals and for the tourists. Anyway, we for example, hardly made use of this because the city is not too big, you can go around it easily by foot . In fact, it is the best option since in every corner there is a market to see, so this way you don't miss out on anything.

Another piece of advice, don't forget to come well prepared with warm clothes since, at least when we went, it was horribly cold.

As I told you, all other the city there are lots of different points to stop at. I will tell you about the most interesting ones in the city and where they carry out the main Christmas activities in the city.

There is an application called "Zagreb Be There" which lets you know what routes to take around the city. In this case, the route "Zagreb Advent" will interest you, which marks the different locations and events of the city. We decided to research and we didn't download it, but it is a good idea for those who prefer to organise their trip better and not miss out on a single spot.

Almost all of the places that I am going to talk to you about are really near each other, therefore as I said you can go around perfectly by foot. As we were in the city for three days we went around at our leisure, but you can do it perfectly in a day or two.

What is incredible is seeing the city at night, since this is when you can enjoy it all lit up, and you can really feel the spirit of Christmas.

Ban Josip Jelačić Square

This main square, right in the city centre, is the one where you can find the biggest Christmas tree in the city. But not just this, it is one of the areas with the most atmosphere, since every day lots of different concerts take place here (folk music, choirs, etc) in the open air. Also, there are a multitude of wooden stalls where they sell every kind of food, from the classic Christmas food, like different traditional desserts, to sausages, cheese, etc.

When we went around here, there was a live jazz concert, and it was incredible to go along looking at all of the stalls full of delicacies, meanwhile enjoying the music.

In the streets surrounding this square, there are also more stalls which sell ornaments, artisan products.

Saint Mark's Church

Even though this square is not one of the areas of the city with the most atmosphere, seeing as there aren't any markets or concerts, it is an incredible place to visit in Zagreb, whether you are visiting at Christmas time or not.

It originates from the 13th century, but throughout the years it had to be reconstructed several times. The coloured tile roof (blue, red and white like the Croatian flag) really catches your attention, and you can appreciate the coat of arms of Croatia and Zagreb.

The truth is that at Christmas it has a special charm since the decoration of the church and of Saint Mark's Square, where it is located, is beautiful.

Europe Square

This square is also found in the heart of the city, and here they also hold different concerts, although the music is usually more modern and thus there are usually more young people there.

The market here isn't one of the biggest ones in the city, but it is perfect to buy something to eat from one of its stalls or have a nice glass of mulled wine. I have to say that I don't like mulled wine at all, some of my friends bought it and they gave it to me to try, but I wasn't convinced. Saying that, it is quite a typical thing to drink there, particularly in Christmas time to warm you up. They also sell souvenirs and other decorations.

Zrinjevac Park

This park is one of the places with the most charm in the city. And it has just as much at Christmas, with all the trees lit up, as during the rest of the year when it is full of flowers, so it is a good idea to go around it.

Again, we came across the typical wooden stalls where we found all kinds of products, although I have to say that this area is characterised for selling artisan objects which are quite original.

The thing that we came across the most was definitely the thing called a Licitarsko, which is a kind of heart which is already a symbol of Christmas in the city and in the whole country in general. Formerly it was a kind of biscuit, but now it is just an object in the shape of a heart to decorate, which is usually painted red. In fact, here it is a really common Christmas present.

In addition to that, we all bought after cute Christmas souvenirs in these stalls to decorate the Christmas Tree with when we went back to our houses for Christmas.

This park is also special due to its fountain, which is especially eye-catching in the night when it is lit up. There is also a small stage which they also usually have concerts at during the weekends.

Tomislav and its ice-rink

Here you can find another one of the most famous parks in the city, but at Christmas, it is mainly visited due to its enormous ice-rink. It all looks incredible, it is true that I hadn't been to big ice-skating rinks before, but it seemed gigantic to me. There were lots of people skating on the rink, and even so there was still space to skate at ease.

Every 45 minutes the people got off of the rink and a new group went on, if I remember rightly. There was an enormous room with lots of skates where you ask for your size, put on the skates, then wait for your turn. We we went, it was fit to burst with people. Here is where I have my best memory of the city, we had a great time, seeing as one of us was always falling over.

This ice-rink is located just behind one of the most important buildings in the city: the National Theatre. It was constructed in 1894 and is surrounded by gardens. At Christmas, it gets a very different perspective, especially when it snows and the gardens and the building are covered in snow. We weren't lucky enough to see this but I thought it was just as pretty.

Grič Tunnel

This is another one of the most stand-out attractions in the city, and it is because nobody can go to Zagreb without passing through this tunnel, which seems as if it introduces you to a Christmas wonderland. In the past, it was built as an air-raid shelter, specifically during the Second World War, but now during Christmas they project different images on it that achieve this effect. That said, there are usually quite a lot of people there and it is not super big, so in our case, it was a bit crowded and with so many people there, you aren't able to enjoy all of its charm.

Of course, as well as these places that I have spoken to you about, there are lots of other ones such as Strossmayer Square which are also worth visiting. As always, the best thing to do is to lose yourself down the streets and go along discovering bit by bit all of its nooks and crannies, and as I said, in Zagreb, there is a Christmas market in practically every corner.

SalajLand

For those who especially like Christmas, don't miss out on the chance to visit the town of Cazma, which is only an hours drive away from Zagreb. There is a bus line which goes from Zagreb to this town, since quite a lot of people from the city or tourists that have visited it, don't want to miss out on this either.

In this town, there is a family farm called Salaj which has got more and more famous over the year. And it seems as if it is a recreation of one of the images from a typical Christmas film. It is one of the places which has the most Christmas decoration and lights per metre squared. This is what I think, although it is probably true, all you have to do is look at some pictures of the town from this time of year.

It started when the Salaj family began decorating their house, bit by bit each year they increased the number of decorations, and nowadays, the entire town is like something out of a Christmas tale.

Mirogoj Cemetery

Even though in this post I am talking to you about Zagreb during the Christmas period, which is when, in my opinion, it has maximum charm and the city has the greatest atmosphere... I don't want to finish without talking to you about a different place in Zagreb that we visited: the Mirogoj cemetery.

To get there you have to take a bus, the number 106 to be precise, since it is not that near to the city centre. By bus, it takes around 15 minutes to get there, and they leave you just in front of the cemetery entrance.

Well, it is true that, at first, few people would think it seems appealing to visit a cemetery... Me too, but this is an exceptional case. In fact, it is one of the jewels of the city, as much for the architecture of the cemetery itself, as for the sculptures that are inside it.

And it is more than a cemetery, it is a special place in which, even though at the end of the day you walk by lots of graves, it feels more like walking through an art gallery in the middle of a big park. The Monument to Fallen Croatian Soldiers in World War I definitely stands out, which is in the centre of the cemetery.

A very strange fact about this cemetery, that actually made me like it even more, is that different to most cemeteries from this time, in this one you can find graves of people from different religions, such as Jewish, Protestant, Christian...

And that is all for now my friends! I hope that you have liked this post which has been a bit different to usual, and that you keep the city of Zagreb in mind as a destination for your next Christmas getaway.

Thank you for reading!

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