Zagreb: the forgotten European city

The first day in Zagreb after the crazy drive to the city was an eventful one. Ante met us at our hostel and took us on a tour of city. Having a local act as your free tour guide is really cool by the way. We saw the main square, which like all the other cities I've been to in Europe, is where the people congregate. It also has a statue of Ban Jelačić, which used to point toward the enemy Hungarians but now points out into the sea. The central Zagreb museum was really cool, it gave a quick summary of the entire history of the city. I learned a lot, and was very impressed with the millennium of foreign occupation Croatia suffered under yet still managed to pull through. Croatian food is really good, the meat eaters in the group had some kind of burger thing that isn't really a burger. I could eat that every day until I have a heart attack.

Day two saw us go outside the city and climb the mountain. Most of it was by car thankfully, but the walking part was still quite difficult. Ante kept apologizing for the strenuous activity, which I thought was hilarious. The hike was worth it though, we saw beautiful views of Zagreb, a clean natural water source(that tastes good), and Medvedgrad. Medvedgrad is a medieval ruin which at one time was a fortress overlooking Zagreb, really awe inspiring. Before leaving the city for the Adriatic coast, Ante took us to the Mirogoj central cemetery. Croatians don't bury their dead and cover them with soil, instead a large stone seals off a room in which all of the family coffins are kept intact. It was interesting to see the cultural differences. A final dinner with Ante was our last stop in Zagreb and then we took the drive to the coastal town of Bibinje, a story which will be told in the next post.