Upper town Zagreb – All our local tips

Whether you just want to have a nice glass of beer or need a warm-up before going to some club, a beer hall Mali medo (meaning “little bear”) is a spot you don’t want to miss. It is in the city centre, in middle of the Tkalčićeva street, so it won’t be hard to find.

The beer that you’re going to drink there is a high quality home made beer, very good and well priced. Beer hall Mali medo is on of the Medvedgrad beer halls, and the first in Zagreb to produce their own beer.

If you get hungry you can order something from the menu with traditional croatian meals.

But besides a great beer and traditional dishes, cosy interior is also a reason to visit this place. Mali medo is covered with old pictures of Zagreb on the walls. And best of all, the atmosphere is always great; the more people, the merrier it gets!

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Beer hall Mali medo | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Croatian) | Beer Kn 10.00
Tkalčićeva 36 | Upper town | +38514929613
10:00 – 00:00 daily

A great old school bar for grabbing a quick, yet quality, drink. A perfect place for a gloomy rainy day, the interior is in shabby wood, filled with smoke, a waitress wearing borosane, a small TV set flickering and showing whatever and a mandatory resigned drunkard at the bar. Does it not sound like a perfect place to grab “a quick one” to warm up the body and soul and then get lost in a rainy night?

Of course, you can always sit down and take your time sipping and enjoying the wide selection of spirits, most famous of which being flavoured rakija from Istrian town of Višnjan. The offer includes rakija made with honey (medica), fig (smokvovaèa), mistletoe (biska), myrtle (mirta), carob (rogaè) etc.

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Buffet MK | Coffee & tea | Rakija Kn 12.00
Pavla Radića 7 | Upper town
08:00 – 01:00 daily

Imagine the following scenario: It’s Wednesday afternoon, the weekend is light years away, your boss is sitting on your neck and you still have tons of stuff to do… What now? A tough question.

Or, rather, it would be tough, were it not for Cica (The Boob). Located in Tkalčićeva street, just around the corner from a great kebab place and Leonardo and Nokturno restaurants, Cica offers mother’s milk for a young working class soul. The place is very small, mostly crowded and a bit chaotic, filled with shouting, laughter and cigarette smoke. They offer a wide range of home made fruit rakija and two of the best Croatian beer – Velebitsko (light) and Kasačko (semi-dark). The rakija comes from the Istrian peninsula and is kept in various bottles with handwritten labels on them which adds to the atmosphere.

The music ranges from hip-hop, house, alternative rock to whatever the air is in the air that evening. And do not be surprised if you stumble upon an exhibition, movie projection or a poetry evening, there’s something going on all the time. Just order your favourite shot and a beer, mingle and meet new people. Who cares if tomorrow is Thursday!

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Cica | Bars | Rakija Kn 12.00
Tkalčićeva 18 | Upper town
10:00 – 01:00 daily

The best way to describe Gjuro 2 is to say that it is a must-visit-club. Gjuro 2 is one of the oldest clubs in Zagreb, it has a long tradition and a great reputation. The name Gjuro 2 suggests that there is also Gjuro number 1, but actually Gjuro 2 was, before it was renamed, just Gjuro.

This club guarantees loads of fun almost every day of the week, every day a different program for different tastes. Wednesday is a day for R’n'B fans (R’n'B Confusion) , Thursday is for Business class, on Friday is a Mash’s (R)evolution and Saturday is dedicated to house music (Gorgeous Gjuro).

Gjuro 2 is among the most popular clubs in Zagreb, so during the weekend nights don’t be surprised to see a crowd outside waiting to come in. Also prepare yourself for a queue when you step inside. But that shouldn’t bother you cause in the end it’s all worth it.

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Gjuro 2 | Bars, Music | Ticket Kn 20.00
Medveščak 2 | Upper town | +38514683367
Tue & Thu -Sat till 04:00

This is a gallery you’ll probably find in any guidebook to Zagreb, but I love it so much, I couldn’t resist to include it in this inside guide. It’s called Klovićevi dvori- a palace of Klović; the gallery was named after Julije Klović who was a Renaissance illuminator and painter born in Croatia. It’s situated in an 18th century building in the Upper town.

The gallery is known for its impressive exhibitions of European art, including Croatian. For example, the last one that was held was a mind-blowing collection of most famous expressionists’ works- all grand names, from Schiele to Kandinsky. To name a few more: a great retrospective of Chagall; Van Gogh, Mondrian and other well-known Dutch artists; Dora Maar and Picasso…

It just might happen that you’ll be lucky and get the chance to see another amazing exhibition at the time you find yourself in Zagreb. So don’t hesitate- take a walk to the Upper town and drop by the Klović gallery.

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Klovićevi dvori | Art & culture, Shopping | Entrance adults Kn 30.00
Jezuitski trg 4 | Upper town | +38514851926
Tue – Sun 11:00 – 19:00

From the 1970, when it was open, Saloon has been one of the most popular and prestigious clubs in Zagreb. Today it has a reputation of a cult center, and is a place where many people from public and social life gather. Saloon even has famous „godfathers”: every year some person from public life takes that title. The interior of Saloon is really stylish and it is also one of the reasons why people enjoy coming here.

Saloon is now most known for the “After party of all after parties” program. Every Friday to Saturday and Saturday to Sunday Saloon is the only place in Zagreb where you can party in the morning hours starting from 04:30.

So if you still don’t feel like going home in that hour, Saloon will welcome you for only 20 kn and there you can squeeze the last atoms of your energy by dancing to the sounds of house music.

It’s also good to know there is no strict dress code, but try to dress nicely!

Thursday: The Old School
Friday: Flashback & Dance Electric
Saturday: Croatian Music & House/R’n'B
Every Friday & Saturday: After Party of all After Parties, start 04:30

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Saloon | Bars, Music | Entrance Kn 20.00
Tuškanac 1 | Upper town | +38514834903
Depends on the program

If you’re taking a walk around Upper town in Zagreb, there’s no chance you will miss this place. From outside, it looks like a simple passage, but you might want to stick around a while longer.

I’m talking about the Stone gate (Kamenita vrata in Croatian), the only remaining gate out of four that once connected Lower town to a part of Upper town known as Gradec. In 1242, the Croatian king Bela IV gave Gradec a status of a free royal city, which automatically made the Stone gate one of the most important passages in Zagreb. Yet, the historical aspect of this place isn’t as important as the spiritual one: today, the Stone gate serves as a chapel where people take a moment to light a candle and say their prayers. The feeling is quite special: in an instant you’re no longer in the urban rush; instead, you find yourself in a calm place lighted only by dozens of candles. The main point of the chapel is the painting of Mary with baby Jesus, which miraculously survived a fire in 1731, and is now placed behind a beautiful large iron grille.

Even if you’re not religious, I suggest you buy a candle from the old lady standing at the entrance. You might want to think of your loved ones while lighting it, you can make a wish, say a silent prayer, or just enjoy the atmosphere of the place and the simple act of placing your candle next to all those that are already burning.

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Stone gate | Art & culture, Relaxing | Candles from Kn 2.50
Kamenita, 10000 | Upper town
24 hours daily

When I first visited Zagreb with my mom years ago, she took me to a place whose mentioning would probably make most locals laugh. Yet to me it was fascinating- we didn’t have anything like that in my hometown. Not that there was a need for one, but still…

I’m talking about the funicular that’s a link between the Lower town and the Upper town. To be exact, it connects the Ilica street to the Strossmayer promenade. No matter how insignificant or useless it may seem- come on, people, walking is healthy!- its 66 metres of length make it the shortest funicular in the world. Now there’s a record to be proud of

The funicular was built in 1890, after the idea of a contractor who noticed that quite a few people use exactly that little street as their way from Ilica to the Upper town. It’s in operation even today, being something that both locals and tourists list among the things this city is known for.

Now, taking a (really) short funicular trip probably won’t be your most exciting experience in Zagreb, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to give it a try. It will cost you next to nothing and take 64 seconds of your time, and afterwards you can think of it as taking part in a little piece of Zagreb’s history.

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The funicular | Art & culture, Relaxing | Fee Kn 4.00
Tomićeva bb | Upper town
06:30 – 21:00 daily

Theatre Komedija is one of the rare theatres in Zagreb that manages to sell tickets for their shows upfront. The reason for that are musicals. This genre is relatively unknown in Croatia in general; you won’t find it in other theatres. Komedija is the first theatre that has accomplished to show musicals like Aida, Briljanteen, Jesus Christ Superstar, already well known and often-performed hits.

All the shows were really successful and really well-accepted by the audience, so the theatre has continued working in that direction. Of course, musicals are not the only shows you can see in Komedija, other genres are also represented. However, the accent is on the shows that will entertain you and make you laugh.

Even though all the shows are in Croatian, this place is worth visiting. It will give you a glimpse of the cultural scene in Zagreb and you will definitely have a good time!

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Theatre Komedija | Art & culture, Theaters | From Kn 30.00
Kaptol 9 | Upper town | +38514835212
Tickets can be bought 1 1/2 hour before the show (usually 18:00 – 18:30)

A big problem in Croatia is that when you want to see a movie classic, something other than American production or older than… well, 2008; most often you have nowhere to go. Even if you try renting a dvd, you’ll have trouble finding something that doesn’t have ‘Hollywood’ written all over it. Thankfully, there are a few cinemas in Zagreb to whom quality is more important than glamour; the most alternative one being the Tuškanac cinema.

There’s nothing posh or capitalistic about this little gem. They don’t sell popcorn and there are no glossy posters, but they’ll give you a chance to watch the best that European cinematography has to offer. As can the Asian, American… You got it- good movies from all around the world. There are famous names like Truffaut and Bertolucci, but also less known producers from countries ranging from Ukraine to Peru. You name the state- at one point you’ll get to see a weekly programme including a dozen of its great movies.

One more thing- they have the cheapest tickets in town. If you’re fed up with popular blockbusters, the best thing you could do is to visit Tuškanac cinema and treat yourself to a good piece of art film.

Some events in October and November:
02/10/09 – 07/10/09: Japanese movie cycle
07/10/09 – 02/11/09: Italian movie cycle

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Tuškanac cinema | Cinemas | Movie ticket Kn 10.00
Tuškanac 1 | Upper town | +38514834039
18:00 – 22:00 daily