The City of Zagreb & Plitviče Lakes

During KUL's (long) break between classes and exams, I visited Croatia for much needed time off from May 22nd to June 1st. I'm fortunate enough to have been to Croatia once before and during that trip I saw all sides of the country, but this time around I stayed closer to Zagreb and got to know the city a little better.

My grandparents have a house just outside of Zagreb's city centre in a beautiful and green rural area. Staying here for a week and a half was perfect for both relaxing with a view and enjoying all the capital has to offer.

The best backyard view probably ever

Honorary pet cat (actually a stray that comes for food and then leaves)

Exploring Zagreb's city centre began with a trip down to enjoy the must-see Dolac market - complete with baked goods, souvenirs, jewellery, fruits and veggies, and other artisan products. 

 

Tourist isle

Inside the Church of St. Catherine

Zagreb Cathedral

A starry sky on the ceiling

St. Mark's Church in old Zagreb: it's colourfully tiled roof shows the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia on the left side, and the emblem of Zagreb on the right.

A breathtaking view of Zagreb

Hangin' with g-ma

That same day we paid a visit to the Botanical Garden located downtown. The garden was founded in 1889 by a professor at the University of Zagreb. I remember visiting this space a few years back during my family trip to Croatia, and it seems to have stayed exactly the same - which in turn makes it seem like time hasn't passed at all.

Wild roses

Water lilies on their lily pads

Poppies

With the day still young, and not much else on the agenda, we took an impromptu trip to the Zagreb Zoo. Of course, in true Zagreb fashion, we had to cross through a good lookin' park to reach the entrance.

Those arms - so cute

Casually sunbathing

Reaching for some leaves

Little tiny monkeys scurrying around

Sleeping wolf

The petting zoo portion - this guy was running the place

Eye contact with a meerkat: a bucket list item I never knew I had

King of the zoo

Some more of the city from the following days.

My favourite street in Zagreb: good food and cute buildings

A visit to Sunday's vintage antique market with grandma (where I picked up a cute little ring)

To keep everything from Croatia in one place, I'll share my photos from our day at the incredible Plitviče Lakes National Park. Even though I've previously been to Plitviče, it was nice to go on a day that wasn't scorching hot (as it was last time, for me). I was slightly disappointed by some of the pathway closures, though, which I think were due to some flooding that made visiting the lower pathways and falls a bit dangerous (but I did notice a few people sneaking past the barriers anyways). Either way, it was beautiful! Enjoy the photos.

That's everything from Zagreb and Plitviče! There was a lot of city walking, market visiting, and chilling around the house. We also took a day trip to Ljubljana, Slovenia, and I'll be sharing that in my next post. Thanks for looking and reading!

- Alexandra