Things to do in Zagreb

Zagreb is not about the sea. It behaves differently for it: open all year, full of students rather than cruise passengers, Austro-Hungarian rather than Venetian.

A funicular joins the upper and lower towns. It runs sixty-six metres. The city claims it as the shortest public line anywhere.

What the city holds

• Gornji Grad. The upper town, with St Mark's tiled roof and the gas lamps still lit by hand each evening.
• Dolac market. The red-umbrella produce market above the main square, working every morning.
• The Museum of Broken Relationships. Donated objects with their stories, and better than the premise sounds.

The city as a starting point

Most of what is sold here leaves town. Zagreb is the inland gateway, and the catalogue reflects that more than it reflects the city.

• Plitvice Lakes. Two hours south, sixteen terraced lakes joined by waterfalls, the country's busiest park.
• Istria and the coast. Transfers to Pula and the peninsula, often with a stop built in.

Eating and evenings

The city eats inland food: freshwater fish, štrukli, and cured meat from the north. Tkalčićeva is the street where the bars are. It fills every night and does not depend on a season.

Practical

• Plitvice tickets. Timed entry, and summer slots sell out. The park is a full day from Zagreb, ten hours door to door.
• Season. Zagreb is a winter city too: the Advent market runs through December and is genuinely the point of coming then.
• Getting around. Trams cover the centre and run all night on the main lines. The centre itself is walkable.
• The airport. Seventeen kilometres out, with a shuttle bus to the main station.