This is Zagreb, capital of Croatia that for three years in a row hosted the best Christmas
market in Europe.
Zagreb also came in at number three on the list of the Top 50 Best Christmas Markets
in the World.
Hi guys, my name is Rok and I’ve spent the last 10 years traveling around Europe as a
tour guide and I can’t wait to show you the Christmas Market In Zagreb, Croatia.
Christmas market known as Advent in Zagreb begins on the last weekend of November and
ends on the first weekend of January.
It takes place in various streets and squares throughout the city and I am starting on the
main square.
This is the heart of Zagreb and one of the main venues with a stage and a big Christmas tree.
Here are little huts selling Christmas souvenirs, mulled wine and food.
Among the Christmas decorations are oversized traditional toys once manufactured in Zagreb.
Toy-making is still alive in Zagreb as local craftsmen still produce authentic and unique
toys which can be the perfect Christmas gift for children.
This square is also the main transport hub as almost all blue painted trams, the most
important means of public transport, stop here.
Most of the surrounding buildings date to the 19th century and in the middle stands
a statue of a national hero on a horse Ban Jelačić after whom the square got its name.
Here is also a simple fountain decorated as an Advent wreath.
The fountain was built above the natural spring that was a source of drinking water for centuries
and it holds an amazing legend.
The legend is about a girl who stood at this spring when a Croatian war leader was returning
from a battle on a tired horse.
The horseman asked the girl about her name.
She told him her name was Manda.
The horsemen said to the girl: Mando, dušo, zagrabi mi vode! meaning: Manda, honey, please
scoop me some water.
When the worn-out rider and his horse quenched their thirst, the girl said: Whoever drinks
the water from this well will always stay close by.
There’s nothing I’d like more than that, said the knight.
And so the knight settled here and soon enough he wedded beautiful Manda.
Happy couple retold the story of their first encounter many times.
To recall the way the knight approached the girl with the words Mando, dušo, people named
the well Manduševac and the area around the well became known as zagrab or to scoop.
Over time zagrab changed to Zagreb and that is how the Croatian capital got its name.
Between the main square and the main train station are three large squares.
First one is actually a park called Zrinjevac.
This park is a true Christmas fairy tale surrounded by beautiful historical buildings and trees
shining with the white glow of thousands of lights.
Right in the middle stands a beautiful music pavilion from 1891, a gift to the city from
a wealthy trader.
Christmas music from live performances takes over the entire park and makes it one of the
most romantic Christmas venues in the city.
Right in front of the Central Train station is the biggest square in Zagreb, often mistaken
for a park.
For Advent in Zagreb here is usually an open-air Ice Skating Park.
Unfortunately for well known reasons like global pandemic and last year's earthquake
this year Advent in Zagreb is less spectacular and has less venues.
As you can see here are only silhouettes of ice-skaters along with other decorations,
art installations and oversized toys.
The square features a statue of king Tomislav, the first Croatian king from 925 after whom
the square is named.
King Tomislav successfully defended the continental part of Croatia from Hungarian attacks and
for the first time united all Croatian lands into one country.
Here are also a fountain and Art Pavilion known as the oldest purpose-built gallery
in Southeast Europe.
Right next to the King Tomislav Square is an Art Deco Hotel from the early 1900s with
a terrace that hosts one of the most popular gastronomic events of Zagreb Christmas Market.
It is called Fuliranje, or fooling around and it offers top street food experience with
an extensive music program.
Twelve different restaurants with famous Croatian chefs are showing off their street food skills
along with a great music atmosphere.
Among burgers, sausages and other modern creations you can also find traditional tasty treats
called Štrukli or cheese dumplings.
The most important ingredient of this vegetarian food is fresh cottage cheese, mixed with sour
cream, salt, and pepper.
The filling is spread onto the very thin dough and rolled and can be either boiled or baked.
This is a great venue for food, drinks and socialising where you can capture your Christmas
spirit in different photo boots.
Almost every venue has little huts serving mulled wine or "kuhano vino" and food.
The most common food in these huts are different types of sausages and fritule, soft and airy
deep fried round balls resembling little doughnuts.
Fritule is a festive pastry made particularly for Christmas and is usually flavoured with
rum and can be topped with powdered sugar or Nutella.
The religious aspect of Christmas is the strongest on Kaptol hill from where Zagreb Cathedral
dominates the city.
This monumental Roman Catholic building from 13 century is the main church in Croatia.
It was severely damaged by the earthquake in 1880 and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style with
impressive twin spires.
Unfortunately since the last earthquake from a year ago, the Cathedral is temporarily closed.
But in front of the church, the Community Cenacolo organizes a live Christmas nativity
scene.
This community helps people suffering from addiction to change their lives and for more
than 20 years these people have been sending a beautiful Christmas message of hope, light
and new life.
The Upper town known as Gradac is one of the most magical places of The Christmas Market.
To add even more charm here they still use gas street lamps instead of electrical ones
and every evening lamps are still hand-lit.
To get from the Lower Town to the Upper Town you can either walk or take a ride with a
world’s shortest funicular.
This landmark of Zagreb is the oldest means of public transport built in 1890 and runs
every 10 minutes while the ride lasts just over 60 seconds.
Lower Town station is just a short stroll from the main square and the Upper Town station
is right under the beautiful Lotrščak Tower.
As The Upper Town used to be surrounded by the city walls this tower was built to guard
its southern gate.
The tower got its name after the bell that rang every evening before the town gates were
closed.
Later the tower was converted to a prison and nowadays houses a small gallery and an
art shop.
The top of the tower offers a gorgeous view of the city and it also houses a cannon that
fires every day exactly at noon.
The legend goes that the Ottomans completely surrounded Zagreb and were preparing for a
final attack.
At exactly noon a cannon ball was shot from this tower and it flew straight into Ottoman
camp and landed on a platter carried to the Pasha for his lunch.
The Pasha got scared of Zagrebs canon snipers and decided not to attack and the city was saved.
First popular Christmas venue in The Upper town, right under the tower is Strossmayer
promenade called simply Štros.
It offers beautiful views and has a dazzling array of lights and a row of little huts serving
holiday-themed drinks.
From the walls lit by hundreds of lights hangs a small and funny open air museum of unwanted
gifts, a reminder that Zagreb has more museums per capita than any other city in the world
and some of them are very different and unusual.
Right above Štros is absolutely magically decorated Bela IV Park.
Here you can sit on a moon which has landed in the middle of hundreds of glowing flowers
and cascades of golden lights hanging from the trees.
King Béla IV was a Hungarian king when in the 1200s Zagreb was part of the Hungarian Kingdom.
King Bela gave Gradec free royal city rights and used it as a hiding place after escaping
Budapest due the Mongol invasion.
Probably the most magical venue is Gradec Plateau as it is covered with hundreds of
beautifully decorated Christmas trees.
In the Christmas forest are special photo points and even a popular old Zastava 750,
a car which motorized the former Yugoslavia.
A path between hundreds of Christmas trees will take you to the courtyard of a former
18th century Jesuit monastery, which now hosts an art gallery.
This courtyard is another wonderful place for a drink with music.
Zagreb Christmas Market offers even more venues worth visiting.
To see all venues and an extensive cultural program with concerts, theater plays, exhibitions,
workshops and children programs check out the official Zagreb Christmas Market website
in the link below the video.
As Zagreb offers so many wonderful sights and experiences I’ve made a list of my favorite
Zagreb activities and tours available in the description below.
If you want to learn more about Croatian capital you can also check my other Zagreb videos
in the top right corner.
And don’t forget to smash the like button, click on subscribe and turn on the notification
bell to be notified about my new travel videos.
Thanks for watching, I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Sretan Božič, and see you next time.