Karla Lončar (1984)

I must admit that there aren’t many good pizza restaurants in Zagreb. Call me overly critical but I can’t remember more than a few places where I can eat a really tasty pizza with quality ingredients.

However, if you ask a random person which is the best pizzeria in Zagreb, he or she would probably tell you that that is Karijola 1 & 2. Karijola definitely stands out from the “ordinary” pizza places because it serves pizza (and only pizza!) with ingredients such as an excellent smoked ham, olive oil, rich mozzarella, garlic, cherry tomatoes, rucola, oyster mushrooms etc. Its base is really thin and crusty, baked in clay oven. It is the closest you can get to Italian style pizza in Croatia.

But, when it comes to quality ingredients, it usually means that you have to pay a higher price than usual. Prices range from 42.00 Kn for a plain Margarita to 60.00 Kn for specialty of the house – pizza Karijola (on photo). There are two locations of the same restaurant: Karijola 1 is situated in Kranjčevićeva 16a at Trešnjevka, while Karijola 2 can be found in the city’s Centre, in Vlaška 63.

The service is good, both interiors are pleasant, although the second one is slightly more modern, and they both serve several brands of beer and wine.

The Museum of Street Art, like any other street art exhibition space, doesn’t have a permanent space or opening times for its exhibitions. Therefore, its current whereabouts could easily transform when you decide to visit Zagreb. Moreover, it represents the continuous dialogue between the artists, citizens and city’s authorities.

In 2010, the Museum of Street Art initiative was taken under the supervision of internationally renowned Croatian artists and concluded one of its efforts by repainting the old graffiti-covered Branimirova street wall.

The idea of this project is to revitalize city’s everyday appearance and remodel the traditional sightseeing paths which usually end in front of the Museum of Modern Art. The whole project itself consists of continuous sporadic sub-projects. The first one, like I mentioned, was to repaint the Branimirova wall, which was successfully done. Lately, two similar projects took place at Novi Zagreb, thanks to which the neglected Siget and Dugave area, along with its walls and facades, transformed into the new must-see street art hotspot. 

As far as I can tell, all the projects have been received with praise – the locals are overjoyed with the changes in their everyday surroundings and eagerly await new street art actions, as well as seeing how Zagreb transforms into more lively space of imaginative intersocial dialogue.

Zagreb has a few Japanese restaurants but I must admit that I haven’t visited them yet, due to their budget-non-friendly price lists. Because of that, I personally welcomed the idea of opening of this relatively small sushi take away bar where you can choose from different varieties of Japanese delicacies. Besides sushi, you can order sashimi, miso soup, spring rolls and such. Everything mentioned is made by Chefs right in front of you.

MANZOKU sushi bar is situated in the city’s Centre and it won’t take you long to grab a few bites in the middle of your tour de Zagreb. Their tastiness and lightness definitely serve the phrase “the more the merrier” – at least when it comes to indulging yourself with some food during nice city walks. After all, ‘manzoku’ supposedly means ‘pleasure’ in Japanese.

Mirogoj cemetery is not only Zagreb’s central cemetery, it is also one of the most beautiful cemetery parks in Europe. It is built on the land of the famous linguist and central person of the Croatian national reformation or the Illyrian Movement, Ljudevit Gaj. Renowned architect Herman Bollé designed the main building, leaving Zagreb with one more beautiful landmark. The arcades, cupolas and the church at the entryway are must-see sights. Also, some of the monuments throughout the cemetery are true masterpieces of art.

Walking along the paths of Mirogoj is a very relaxing thing to do, especially if you are there on a warm, sunny day. All you can hear is the sound of birds’ chirrup and gentle breeze among the densely planted trees. Thereby it’s easy to forget the clutter of the everyday world. If you happen to visit Mirogoj during All Saints’ Day you’ll witness extraordinary lighting of the candles lit in memory of the dead.

It is easy to notice equally distributed graves of all religious groups, as well as get a hint of Croatian history by encountering the Monument to Fallen Croatian Soldiers in World War One, the Monument to the Yugoslav National Hero, Memorial Cross to Croatian Home Guard Soldiers, Monument to the Victims of Bleiburg and the Way of the Cross, German military cemetery and „Wall of Pain” (monument to Croatian victims of the Croatian War of Independence). Mirogoj is also called a Croatian Pantheon due to many famous people buried in its grounds.

If you happen to stay in Zagreb during Sunday, you should definitely visit the Antique and collectibles fair on British square. It is one of the Zagreb’s vivid symbols, always busy and full of people in search for a nice antique or a thoughtful present with a peculiar charm.

On rather sleepy Zagreb Sundays visiting this fair is a good way to experience a lively local gathering. Although the fair works until 14:00 hours, the best time for a visit is in the morning or around noon. After you look for some interesting and unique souvenirs, having a cup of coffee in the area of the Square is essential.

Personally, I love antique fairs and flea markets because, to me, it is a perfect way to experience local culture and traditions. A visit to such place gets you involved in a world of colour, antiques, kitsch, dusty books, shiny porcelain and scratched tin cups. Every item has a story and it’s hard not to feel fanciful in a surrounding like this.