Zagreb, Croatia came in as major city #59 on my Major City project and here I’ll share a few first impressions covering the city with my camera. My project focuses on major cities, not tourist cities. Many times there’s some crossover there, but in Croatia, its coastline has blown-up recently when it comes to tourism, leaving in-land Zagreb off many lists. Zagreb still brings a decent amount of tourism with its historic upper town and attractions, but I included it because it’s Croatia’s capital and largest city. I wanted to see more than the beach tourism and Game of Thrones attraction. What I got was a city that won’t blow you away with unique interest, but has plenty of charm and enough variety to make for some enjoyable street photography. Zagreb has old character, activity, and a local atmosphere. While I wasn’t in love at first, I left being surprised at the interest and photos I came away with. If you’re coming to Croatia for the coast, I wouldn’t leave too quickly if you’re using Zagreb’s airport as a gateway, especially if you enjoy street photography.
So here are my first impressions of Zagreb, from my personal Street Photographer perspective…
7 First Impressions of Zagreb
(From a Street Photography Perspective)
1. Croatia’s city away from the sea
Many tourists opt for Croatia’s popular coastline over its capital and largest city. Croatia’s tourism has skyrocketed recently due its coastal beauty, old character and of course, the HBO series Game of Thrones’ popularity. For many, it’s gotten out of hand as places like Drubnovik have become crowded, expensive and touristy. Zagreb might not have the castles on the sea, but it still contains much of that Croatian character, all with a mix of big city and more variety of life. Also, its location makes for an easy quick trip to Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, which isn’t a bad idea if you have the time.
2. Zagreb still has its fair share of tourism around the upper town
Not everyone wants to go to the sea or deal with the higher prices, but many still enjoy Croatia’s character and in Zagreb, at least, it’s still cheaper than Western Europe. So, around the old town, especially upper town, you’ll still be surrounded by tourists. Partly due to quick and cheap flights, Zagreb has become especially popular with Germans, who come to enjoy beer and food on the picturesque old town cobblestone streets. And picturesque is a good word for this area, but for many, including myself, it can feel a little too polished and touristic. Everything contains that old character, but in perfect condition, while being lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. Still, the upper town is definitely worth walking up to for some beautiful atmosphere and street photography. There’s character and activity.
3. Being the country’s biggest city helps give it more variety to the tourism
My 100 City Project is completely focused on major cities, which brings a lot of questions on why from others I meet. They feel most major cities are boring and that I should be going to the most touristic cities, but that’s one of many reasons why I decided to focus on major cities. Because others don’t. I’m not doing this for fun like they are, either, and I’m not looking for tourism. I’m looking for cities with a wide variety of layers and local life for me to capture. And that’s where major cities shine.
On the surface, major cities might look like another busy metropolis, while those tourist towns show you what’s special as soon as you arrive, but underneath they usually have much more to offer. Tourist towns show you all their cards up front, while major cities play with many decks of cards that take time to go through. And this is what gives Zagreb more of a variety of interest compared to its more famous coastal cities. There’s no Game of Thrones’ castles here, but there is a bustling city of neighborhoods, history and variety. For street photography, I think that makes it worth a stop if you’re in Croatia. It has its fair share of tourism, but also its fair share of local life and variety to explore with your camera.
4. Ban Jelačić Square is always lively, with the famous Dolac market above
Ban Jelačić Square is Zagreb’s central square and its center of activity. From morning to night, it’s always busy here. Honestly, it’s one of the more consistently active squares around and makes for a great point to keep coming back to for street photography. It’s right in the middle of all the tourist attractions and old town atmosphere, but it’s also a center for the locals so you can get an interesting mix. It’s a popular meeting point for the city’s social life too with some 19th-century architecture for added atmosphere. With the city center foot traffic and a popular trolley stop here, the crowds quickly change too. When you’re not finding much interest in Zagreb, then it’s a good spot to come to.
Just steps above the square, you’ll also find the famous Dolac Market. Traders from all over Croatia have been coming here for nearly a century in this elevated space between the lower and upper towns. While touristy, it is a very colorful market with picturesque character. My favorite time here is around 3 pm when sellers are slowly packing things up, locals are picking up free leftover produce, and the light is getting better for all the bright reds and yellows.
5. Illica Street makes for a long walk with interest along the way and enjoyable atmosphere
One of the longest streets in the city, Illica has been a main road in Zagreb since the 15th century. Running almost 6 km through the northwestern part of the city, you can feel its age contained in its character. A mix of shops, businesses, markets and more lining the old street, while it also passes through a few nice spots to stop for more street photography. Its east end starts at the popular central square, BAN JELAČIĆ, and then goes west, while also passing a nice little flea market, among other interest. I like ending at Črnomerec and shooting for a while because of the interesting activity the light rail and bus stations here attract. If it’s sunny out, Illica is especially good later in the day because of how the sunlight shines east right down it the whole way.
6. There’s not a ton to see, but enough to explore on foot (or tram)
While it is the country’s largest city, and one of the largest in the Balkans, Zagreb still isn’t that big. I walked most of it, with much of the south being very quiet, and there’s not a ton of areas of interest to explore. So, for visiting with your camera, it’s probably best to spend most of your time walking the upper town, city center and south not further than the train tracks (Glavni Kolodvor). Below that, the streets get quieter, and for a visit, I wouldn’t advise too many places to go for street photography. Heading east from the area I did advise, though, you can find more interest. All in all, most of my days included similar walks once I knew the best places to go. While not overflowing with interesting places to explore, Zagreb does provide a walk friendly city with more than enough for street photography.
7. Zagreb is a nice city
If you were to ask me about visiting Zagreb, that’s what I would reply. Zagreb is a nice city. It’s nice to walk, the old town and architecture is beautiful, there’s enough city life to keep you interested and the people are friendly. You get a mix of Croatia, history, beauty and bigger city. But at the same time, I can’t say anything really stood out for me in comparison to other major cities I’ve covered. I have nothing bad to say and enjoyed my time, but other parts of Croatia along the coastline will appeal more to most visitors for uniqueness. For street photographers, though, Zagreb might win out due to more variety and less tourism. For a major city during my project, I’m still happy I covered it. The city and people do have character and it’s an easy going city to shoot. It’s a nice city.
If any of you have been to Zagreb before, tell me about your experience and impressions of the city and country in the comments below! And stay tuned for more on Zagreb, including some of the best Street Photography shots I captured while there.
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(from a street photographer’s perspective)
So did you find time to come to my Ljubljana?
Hello, Jure. No, unfortunately, I didn’t have time to get there as my time was limited before I had to be elsewhere for work. But I hope to one day soon.