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Mar 24, 2020 · Theresa Machemer. Correspondent. March 24, 2020. The top of Zagreb Cathedral's southern spire toppled during Sunday's earthquake. Photo by Denis Lovrovic / AFP via Getty Images. A 5.4-magnitude...
This is the same as it ever was. For one thousand years, the city of Zagreb has watched as the form of its cathedral has undergone a neverending transformation. We can say with certainty that the ...
May 29, 2020 · ZAGREB, 29 May 2020 – Two weeks ago, a cross was placed on top of the damaged north spire of Zagreb Cathedral. Today another cross was placed on the south spire. The south spire of...
Mar 23, 2020 · Zagreb Cathedral is among the historic buildings damaged by a 5.3-magnitude earthquake that rocked Croatia early Sunday morning. One of the 108m-tall spires of the Gothic-style cathedral—the...
- Emily Sharpe
People also ask
What happened to Zagreb Cathedral's southern spire?
What happened at Zagreb Cathedral?
What is Zagreb known for?
What happened in Zagreb?
- 25 Interesting Facts About Zagreb Croatia
- Facts About Upper Town in Zagreb Croatia
- Facts About Lower Town in Zagreb Croatia
- What Is Zagreb Croatia Known for?
- What Is Unique About Zagreb?
- What Are 5 Interesting Facts About Croatia?
- Conclusion: 25 Interesting Facts About Zagreb Croatia
#1 How Old Is Zagreb?
Located in the north-central region of the country, Zagreb is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The city’s name was first written in a charter from 1134 as Zagrabiensem episcopatum, but the city has a history dating back well over a thousand years.
#2 How Did Zagreb Get Its Name?
Although the exact origin of the city’s name is unknown, there are several working theories. One ancient folklore claims that present-day Zagreb was once a city plagued by a horrible drought. When an exhausted military commander was passing through with his dehydrated army, the commander plunged his sword into the arid ground. Moments later, water came miraculously pouring out of the cracked ground, much to the relief of the troops. Legend has it that a beautiful girl by the name of Magdalena...
#3 The Most Populous City in Croatia
Today, Zagreb is the largest city in Croatia and serves as an economic and cultural hub for the city. A 2021 census report approximates that 800,000 people are living in the city. This is equivalent to a quarter of the country’s population. To give you a reference point, this is also more than 4x as many people as the next most populous city in Croatia, Split, which has about 162,000 inhabitants.
#5 Home to the World’s Shortest Funicular
Originally built in 1893, the Zagreb Funicular is one of the shortest forms of public transportation and the shortest funicular in the world. It transports passengers a massive distance of 66 meters (217 feet), which equates to about a 90-second ride from Lower Town to Upper Town. It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Zagreb and only costs 5 kunas to ride. When you reach the top, you’ll see a stunning view of the city and its lovely red rooftops. Definitely worth the money and o...
#6 Hear the Grič Cannon Blast
If you time your ride up the funicular correctly, you might be able to see and hear the Grič cannon. Every day at noon, a blank cannon is fired from a window in Lotrščak Tower, which stands directly behind the Zagreb funicular. For the most part, the cannon has signaled midday to the people for over 140 years. However, this longtime tradition was halted after an earthquake shook the city and its people to their core. Following the earthquake, citizens found the loud boom and its following vib...
#7 One Architect vs 30 Churches
In 1880, a 6.3 earthquake struck Zagreb, damaging buildings all around the city. Although only one person was killed, the tremendous and fateful moment is referred to as the Great Zagreb Earthquake. For many decades, Herman Bollé spent all his time reconstructing 30 churches around the city, many of which can be seen in Uppertown. While this feat alone is remarkable, the architect ended up creating and restoring 150 buildings around Zagreb. Locals and tourists have him to thank for the Zagreb...
#13 Lenuci’s Green Horseshoe
Within Zagreb’s Lower Town, seven parks along with the Zagreb Botanical Gardens form Lenuci’s Green Horseshoe. Essentially, if you got an aerial view of the city, you would see that the eight green spaces line up in a U-shape configuration that resembles the shape of a horseshoe. Many of Lower Town’s historic landmarks are located along the Green Horseshoe, such as the Croatian National Theatre, which operates as a theatre, opera, and ballet house. Thus, if you are looking for an easy way to...
#14 Wealth Check at Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
Arguably the most famous and historic hotel in Zagreb is the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, which is located in the heart of the city. It was originally built in 1925 with the intention of providing housing accommodations for passengers from the famed Orient Express train that traveled all over Europe. Since its grand opening, the luxury hotel has hosted all kinds of famous people including, Josephine Baker, Woody Allen, HRH Queen Elizabeth II, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Catherine Deneuve, an...
#15 Sweet and Savory Štrukli
Aside from everything else that I’ve mentioned, Zagreb is also known for its delicious traditional Croatian food. One dish that I found to be especially tasty is štrukli. The dish consists of a special dough that’s filled with fresh cottage cheese, and sour cream and served with an assortment of toppings. If this sounds appetizing to you, or even if it doesn’t, I highly recommend giving it a try when you’re in the city next. The place I went to and loved is calledLa Štruk! It serves various i...
#16 The Best Christmas Market
Have you ever won something so many consecutive times that you’re no longer allowed to compete? Yeah, me neither…but Zagreb has! Every year, Croatia hosts a city-wide winter wonderland experience for locals and tourists to partake in called Advent for Christmas. The massive event includes 25 individual Christmas markets spread across the city, each with its own theme, decorations, games, and unique atmosphere. As a testimony to the scale, grandeur, and overall success of Advent for Christmas,...
#17 Lighting the Way One by One
A unique fact about Zagreb, Croatia that I absolutely love is that they still use old gas lanterns to light the city. This means that every night before dark, a couple of lamplighters go around the city manually lighting the 217 gas lanterns with a, for lack of better words, “white pokey stick.” Then each morning before sunrise, the gas lamps are individually extinguished one by one. The entire process takes about 2-3 hours, and not a single day has been missed since 1863. Whether there’s sno...
#18 The City of Museums
With about 30 museums and galleries to visit, Zagreb is often referred to as the city of museums. Never in my life have I seen so many museums concentrated over such a small space. There’s truly a museum for everyone in Zagreb. For example, the Museum of Illusions boasts over 70 exhibits with all kinds of trippy optical illusions, holograms, and interactive games. Meanwhile, the Museum of Hangovers shares many funny stories from drunken nights out, and allows you to experience the feeling of...
#19 Homage to All the Broken Relationships
While Zagreb is certainly home to lots of quirky museums, one of my favorite facts about Zagreb Croatia is that it has a Museum of Broken Relationships! And it garners quite a bit of attention… 👀 This museum honors all the failed and broken relationships of people around the globe. Inside, you’ll find about 75 – 100 treasured mementos donated by people all around the globe. Accompanying each item is a little plaque that details the backstory of each item. Some of the stories make you laugh o...
#21 Fleeing to the Coast
During the summer months, most of Croatia’s citizens flee to the country’s coastal cities. Some of the more popular cities include Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Pula. This is because these coastal cities experience ideal summertime weather and come with stunning blue waters. However, when the summertime ends, so does the fun. Most of the beach towns empty out as tourism winds down and people return inland to resume normal work life.
#22 A Dying Animal Currency
The currency used in Croatia is Kunas. If the name Kunas sounds familiar, you’ll recall the medieval coat of arms for Slavonia on St. Mark’s Church. Croatia’s currency is named after the Kuna which can be seen on the medieval coat of arms for Slavonia. That said, this currency is no longer in circulation. In January 2023, the country switched over to the Euro. This is an effort to increase the country’s financial security and better the lives of locals.
#23 Croatia Nikola Tesla
Famous engineer and physicist Nikola Tesla, who is responsible for inventing the first alternating current and helping modernize our electrical supply systems was born in a small village that’s part of present-day Croatia. As a result, Croatia often pays homage to the work completed by Nikola Tesla. A prime example is Zagreb’s Nikola Tesla Technical Museum, which showcases Tesla’s extraordinary life. The museum includes various interactive exhibits to better understand his work and how his co...
From its centuries-old traditions to an eccentric collection of museums to visit, Zagreb is such a fascinating city. I urge you to consider making a stop in Croatia to experience and see the incredible local culture for yourself next time you’re in Eastern Europe. It’s truly an underrated city filled with all kinds of hidden gems and stories waitin...
Mar 22, 2020 · The top of one of the two spires of Zagreb’s cathedral collapsed. The structure had been rebuilt after it toppled in an earthquake in 1880. The speaker of Croatia’s parliament, Gordan...
May 13, 2020 · The crosses, which are 8 metres high with the base and were made in the Zagreb suburb of Stenjevec, are temporary and will eventually be replaced with spires.
