One thing I love about Eastern Europe is that it always surprises me. While lots of travellers flock to western European cities like Paris, London, Barcelona and Rome, Eastern European boosts many great places in the path less travelled. I’ve done quite a bit of travelling around Eastern Europe this year and I have to say, cities like Budapest and Prague are just as beautiful, grand and cultured as any western European city, if not more so.
My trip to Croatia and Montenegro does not disappoint.
If you love fun in the sun, Croatia is like a gem as it borders along the Adriatic Sea. One city a lot of travellers tend to skip is Zagreb (Croatia’s capital) as they head straight for the coast. While it doesn’t have a beach, I actually really loved Zagreb. It was the first Croatian city I visited, and definitely one I left only after falling in love with the place.
For one thing, I loved the laid back vibe of the city, the wide streets and all the pretty architecture!
The city also has lots of cheap eating options, ranging from sushi, to burritos, salads, burgers and more. There were also Konzum supermarkets everywhere, fruit stands and in the old part of town, rows of restaurants. If you love blueberries, they’re so popular in Zagreb, that they even sell blueberry milkshakes at Mcdonalds! (which if you ever have a chance to try, is really amazing!)
And my favourite place in Zagreb – a desert shop called The Cookie Factory! The milkshakes are so delicious and I love the cheesecake and brownie bowls!
There’s also lots of things to stumble upon in the city centre, like these Croatian dancers:
Or giant lawn chairs sponsored by local beer companies:
Compared to Dubrovnik where everything seems to be catered to tourists, I love how underrated Zagreb is. Despite being the middle of summer, it’s one of the few European capitals not swamped with tourists and the locals are extremely friendly (and tall! we definitely saw a good amount of people who looked like they’re 7 feet tall!).
And now I leave you guys with a fun fact: did you know that neck ties were invented in Croatia?
Have you guys ever been to Zagreb?