The Medieval Centre of Zagreb: Gradec and Kaptol in Gornji Grad-Medvescak

I was in Croatia last March and it now feels like I was there last year. Time flies so quickly.

The heart of Zagreb: Ban Jelacic Square.

Ban Jelacic memorial statue on Ban Jelacic Square and the funicular that will bring you to Gradec.

Medieval Zagreb: Gradec and Kaptol
Information: Zagreb Tourism Website

If the goal is to see the medieval centre, do some sightseeing, perhaps a little bit of shopping here and visiting a few museums and places of interests there, then Zagreb in my opinion can easily be covered in two days. A good city trip! The core centre is really small which is perfect because most places I wanted to see were just within short walking distance.

There are two main areas in the medieval center: Gradec and Kaptol. The medieval center is also called the Upper Town or Gornji Grad-Medvescak. Gradec is the fortified and hilly part overlooking the downtown area, also called as the Hill of Zagreb. Kaptol on the other hand is beside Gradec, nestled just below the defensive walls where the Zagreb Cathedral is located. Both neighbourhoods meet together at the Ban Jelacic Square (and pedestrian street Ilica) which serves as the hub of the city and border from the modern part.

My first day in the city was nothing near exciting really. The day was a bit cold, the skies were grey and rain showers were distracting me the whole time. I walked around a lot and saw some interesting places of interests such as the Kamenita Vrata Gate Chapel, the Panoramic Views from Gornji-Grad and the Museum of Broken Relationships. The second day was much better, a bit chillier though but dry nonetheless.

I did not see a lot of tourists when I was in Zagreb but there were a trickle here and there that came in groups (Asian and retired American group tours). It is a bit strange because I am a tourist just like them but I cannot relate with them. Maybe because I am on my own and I have the freedom to go wherever and whenever I want.

Below are some of the pictures I took during my discovery walk around Gradec and Kaptol.

Ban Jelacic Square on a showery day.

Moi on the second day on the Ban Jelacic Square, much better weather.

Just below the Dolac Market on a side street leading to and from Ban Jelacic square you can find the flower market.

The flower market sells lovely flower arrangements. It is very interesting to see what they mix into the arrangement.

Walking the hilly part of Gradec, the fortified area of Zagreb.

St. Mark’s Church and Square, the centre of Gradec.

Moi on St. Mark’s Square on the first day of my visit.

The Church of St. Catherine and the yellow beige building on the right is Banks Dvori, a mansion occupied by the Croatian government.

Vaulted passageways in the shopping area which reminds me of Salzburg, Austria.

Lots of bars and cafes on Tkalcica Street.

Roasted chestnuts are great to eat when its cold outside.

Espresso and a shot of Rakija =). Rakija are typical Croatian spirits and they come in different flavours. They are similar to the Palinkas in Hungary.

Colourful Croatian currency = HRK Kuna (HRK 1.00 = EUR 0.13)

Tkalcica Street in Kaptol which is beside and below Gradec. On the picture you can find the fortified walls of Gradec behind the blue house and sculpture.

Tkalcica Street, a must go-to street in the city especially during the weekend. The pictures above does not really give justice as this was during the week and it was raining. I came back here on a Saturday which happened to be lovely weather just before flying back to the Netherlands and the street was full of locals and as fancy and bouncy as I have expected it to be.

I went shopping in Kaptol: sparkling wine and salami for my own room service at the hotel =)

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The twin spires of the cathedral are a popular and important landmark feature of Zagreb.