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When a place has been going on since 1968 with more or less the same good vibe then there must be something to it. I must admit I haven’t been a regular visitor of the famous “Apple” until recently, but it’s never too late to join the club of faithful devoted followers – consequently I prefer Saturday nights in Jabuka which are conveniently united under the name of “Night of faith and devotion”.

All lovers of old school electro-pop and rock with a splash of newer artists will definitely enjoy this playlist.

Although some critiques have complained of Jabuka losing its alternative vibe in these modern globalized times I personally can only say that, not knowing what it had been like 20 or 40 years ago, it’s a place I always go to if I want to dance all night to something different than this year’s chart hits.

The program in Jabuka is more or less the same every week, which is also part of its charm – you can be sure that if you’re in a certain mood looking for something specific, it will provide. Fridays are reserved for Luna Park („Amusement park”) with a lighter note, while Saturdays are the notorious Night(s) of Faith and Devotion. Some nights also become theme nights connected to upcoming concerts in the area.

If you decide to go to Jabuka, don’t worry about what to wear – the place is as dark as it gets. So you can dance away without restraints. 

The Museum of Arts and Crafts is definitely my favorite museum in Zagreb (the fresh Museum of contemporary art still has to prove its worth over a longer period of time) because it’s the least static museum in Zagreb. Naturally, this is easier to be when you’re a museum of Arts and Crafts, still I’m amazed by everything that goes on in this building.

Since its founding in 1880 (making it one of the oldest of its kind in Europe) it has focused on reflecting life and the world around us in a realistic and relevant way, originally envisaged to preserve the traditions of old crafts and create a new aesthetics for the people it serves.

Nowadays, after 130 years of tradition, the Museum still holds its relevant position in the artistic and everyday life of Zagreb. With its constant exhibitions which range from musical instruments over architecture, design, photography to ceramic, painting, textiles and many more, but more importantly with ongoing events and exhibitions that reflect the current state of arts, crafts and events in Croatia.

Therefore it is no surprise for the favorite “MUO” to hold an exhibition dedicated to the cult Zagreb radio station “Radio 101″ to celebrate its 25th anniversary or have lectures with professionals on how to write project that receive grants from the EU. No matter what time of year you visit Zagreb, there will definitely be something worth seeing in MUO.

So this is the scenario: it’s Monday, one of the usually less interesting days of the week. You’re walking around downtown Zagreb not really looking for a crazy dance-party but not quite ready to go home yet. After all, who said Mondays should be just a dull beginning of the (work) week days.

If this happens, and you’re in the mood for a beer and some live music, not just Mondays, you can stop by this small and cozy bar on Mesnička street and be sure you’ll find what you’re looking for. Because in Tituš, every single day of the week you can be sure there’s gonna be at least someone playing the guitar (or an accordion, a violin or DJ-ing from real old-school vinyl records). Be it either local kids who want to practice their performance skills on thursdays (whoever wants to play at night) or a super professional artist, the atmosphere will always be the same: unpretentious, full of good vibes and music, music, music.

In Tituš, there’s never knowing who can stop by, pick up or bring an instrument and just have fun with it, spreading good energy among the crowd, backed up by the always friendly couple who runs the place (Marija & Davor) who do their job sincerely from the heart and it’s there for everyone to see.

After the invasion of big corporations into the cinema industry Croatian old cinemas followed the route of I believe many old cinemas, at least in European tradition, that have reinvented themselves as specialized in certain “alternative” genres. One such story is the famous Kino Europa (check the Kino Europa article) in Zagreb.

Another one, not as famous but nonetheless equally interesting, is the creation of Dokukino Croatia – a cinema with only 37 seats. Ah, but beware dear film-lover, these seats are not your ordinary movie seats, rather comfortable sofas from which you can enjoy the best of the best documentaries.

Yes, Dokukino, as its name tells us specializes in documentary films and doesn’t screen any other genre, making it unique in itself. The cinema was reopened in 2009 by the initiative of Restart association and Croatia film company. Its purpose is to become the focal point of documentary-lovers’ gatherings, which is why the cinema organizes not only movie projections (both recent production and archive footage) but also talks with directors and various film workshops.

And yes, it does encompass a café in itself, where you can chill and talk movies. And documentaries.

Park, music school, club, cathedral. Take your pick. If you’re into a walk in a park in the very heart of the city, here you go. If you want to learn how to play an instrument or sing, over there you go as well. And if you want to listen to those who have already learned how to play and sing, there you go again. All in the shade of the centuries old walls of the Zagreb cathedral.

Ribnjak is the name of the park where all this takes place. Although in my opinion there are nicer parks in Zagreb (Maksimir, Zrinjevac and its companions along the Lenuci’s Green Horseshoe) one cannot deny that Ribnjak has a special vibe to it, especially during the past couple of years and interesting initiatives such as the Park in Zagreb two-week long music festival at the beginning of every summer.

The name of the club in the middle of the park is “Purgeraj” which could be translated as the meeting point of true Zagreb folk (“purger” being a colloquial word for those whose family has lived in Zagreb for generations).

The music school is called “Rock Akademija” and offers classes of most instruments needed to form a rock-band.

Finally, an interesting and valuable fact is that the gas-station across the street from Ribnjak is open 24-7, if you’re in need of cigarettes or anything else in the center of Zagreb in the middle of the night.