Interesting facts and attractions of the city of Zagreb

Did you know?

Most of the city, more than 75% of it, is covered by green areas, and at least one of the 45 city parks in total can be found in every neighborhood.

Green Zagreb has 10 million square meters of landscaped lawns and flower gardens and more than 200 kilometers of maintained tree lines and 130 thousand different trees.

The Black Queen was the ruler of the Medvedgrad fortress. The legend about her is one of the darkest and most popular Croatian legends. It says that the Black Queen was known for her cruelty and debauchery, that she bathed in milk to stay young and beautiful, and she had her lovers thrown off the walls of the old fortress. 

Zagreb has its very own Solar System. It is an art installation set up in 2004 by artist Davor Preis. He used the sculpture The Grounded Sun (orig. Prizemljeno sunce) by Ivan Kožarić located in Bogovićeva Street and turned it into the center of his newly-created solar system.  Then, in proportion to the size of Kožarić's Sun, he calculated the distances and sizes of all the planets and distributed them accordingly across the city.

Most of the city, more than 75% of it, is covered by green areas, and at least one of the 45 city parks in total can be found in every neighborhood.

Green Zagreb has 10 million square meters of landscaped lawns and flower gardens and more than 200 kilometers of maintained tree lines and 130 thousand different trees.

Interesting facts and attractions of the Zagreb area

Did you know?

that the first mountaineering trip in Croatia was a "climb" of the Croatian Mountaineering Society to Samobor Highlands, Oštrc and Plešivica, on May 17, 1875. At that time, such a trip to the Samobor Highlands was a serious feat. 

that Cret in the vicinity of Zaprešić is one of only a few locations in Croatia where round-leaved sundew thrives, rare and precious carnivorous plant.

that after the Uskok war between Austria and Venice at the beginning of the 17th century, a signed peace determined that Uskok ships be burned, and Uskoks be moved from Senj inland. Thus, some of them settled in Žumberak and in old documents this area is called Uskokengebirge in German or Uskok Mountains. The Venetians called them Scochi and in Žumberak there is still a village called Skoki. The Uskoks became Greek Catholics, so in Žumberak, in addition to Catholic churches, there are also Greek Catholic churches.

that Marija Gorica has an elephant on its coat of arms, which is actually a prehistoric elephant called Deinotherium, extinct millions of years ago. Fossil remains of today's elephant’s ancestor were found in the area of this small municipality in the early 20th century.

that the composer Ferdo Livadić entertained in his castle in Samobor the most prominent Illyrians and artists of his time, so in 1846, during a visit to Zagreb, his guest was the famous composer Franz Liszt and perhaps they even played together.

that in 1932 Charlie Chaplin, on his way from Vienna to Trieste, stopped at an inn called Villa Horvat in the center of the village Plešivica. He spent the night there, eating chicken in sauce and drinking local wine. Also, the famous dancer Isadora Duncan was a guest of this Plešivica inn, which closed down at the beginning of World War II.

that 30 Croatian emigrants travelled on the doomed Titanic, among them Stjepan Turčin from the village of Bratina near Pisarovina. That is why there is a memorial house called "Titanic 100", which was established by the eponymous association of researchers of the famous shipwreck.

that the first mountaineering trip in Croatia was a "climb" of the Croatian Mountaineering Society to Samobor Highlands, Oštrc and Plešivica, on May 17, 1875. At that time, such a trip to the Samobor Highlands was a serious feat. 

that Cret in the vicinity of Zaprešić is one of only a few locations in Croatia where round-leaved sundew thrives, rare and precious carnivorous plant.

See & Do

Enrich your stay with new sights and memories

Cycling on Sljeme – A Two-Wheel Forest Adventure
Botanical Garden – Leafy Splendour in Central Zagreb
Bundek – A Family-Friendly Lake
Golf in Zagreb
Jarun – The Zagreb Sea
Savica Lakes – Bird Safari on the Edge of Town
Maksimir – A Park and a Monument in One
Mirogoj – Place of Eternal Peace and Beauty
Sljeme – A Hikers' Paradise for All Generations
Zagreb Sightseeing – An Experience to Remember
Zrinski Mine – Go Deep Into the Past
The Sava River – Zagreb's Green Promenade
Zagreb Solar System – The Planet Hunt
Tuškanac – A Romantic Forest Walk
Veternica – Medvednica's Underground Secret
Zagreb – Living Room in the Open
Zagreb Zoo – Wildlife in the Heart of the City
Museums of Zagreb – Choice for Everyone
Things to do in Žumberak
Things to do in Moslavina
Things to do in the Samobor area
Things to do in Prigorje and Zelina
Things to do in Plešivica
Things to do in Turopolje
Things to do in the Zaprešić area
Ten greatest Croatians of Zagreb County
The animal world of the Green Ring of Zagreb
Biking across the Green Ring of Zagreb
Naftalan—unique healing treasure from the depths of the earth
Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Green Ring of Zagreb
Active lifestyle in the Green Ring of Zagreb
Most beautiful viewpoints near Zagreb
The Birds of Zagreb and Surroundings
The Colours, Smells and Taste of Autumn in Zagreb
The length and breadth of Zagreb by bike
Zagreb Cemeteries – The Silent Beauty of Memories
Zagreb winter wonderland
Winter paradise at a stone’s throw from Zagreb
The winter call of nature
The winter tale: Samobor and Sveta Nedjelja
The winter tale: Jaska and Pleševica
Christmas traditions from around Zagreb
Japetić - an unforgettable view of the snow-capped Alps
Where does which tram go?
Zagreb views
A short course of purgerski – Zagreb jargon
Zagreb steps
Castles and forts of Zagreb
Accommodation in Zagreb – Serving All Your Needs
Mountain lodges of Medvednica
Green oases of the center of Zagreb

Around Zagreb Video series

Places to see… memories to have

Traditional cuisine of Zagreb and its surroundings