About this route
Route overview
Zagreb is the capital of Croatia (770,000 inhabitants) — an Austro-Hungarian city with two historic hearts: the medieval Gornji Grad (Upper Town) on the hill with episcopal walls and the canonical Kaptol, and the Art Nouveau Donji Grad (Lower Town) shaped in the 19th century by the Lenuci Horseshoe — a strip of 8 parks and squares mirroring the Viennese Ringstrasse. Gornji Grad: St Mark Church from 1880 with its iconic roof of 9000 glazed tiles forming the coats of arms of Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia and Zagreb (one of the most photographed roofs in Europe), the Baroque Markov trg with the Croatian Parliament Sabor and the Bans Palace, the Lotrščak Tower with its noon cannon shot at 12:00, the Stone Gate (Kamenita vrata) with the miraculous image of Mary saved from the 1731 fire, and the Zagreb funicular from 1890 (the shortest public funicular in the world — 66 m, 64 seconds). Zagreb Cathedral (1880, under reconstruction from the 2020 earthquake until 2026 — previously with 105 m Neo-Gothic spires). The Museum of Broken Relationships (Muzej prekinutih veza, 2010 — European Museum of the Year 2011, a unique collection of break-up gifts from around the world). Donji Grad: Esplanade Hotel Zagreb from 1925 (built for Orient Express passengers, 5*, Art Deco), Ban Jelačić square, Mimara Museum, Maksimir Park with the ZOO. Gateway to Plitvice Lakes National Park (130 km, 1 h 45 min — 16 cascading karst lakes, UNESCO 1979, one of the most beautiful national parks in Europe). 370 km via the A2 and A4 motorways through Maribor and Bregana, 3 h 45 min. The service runs 24/7. From EUR 1000 in a Mercedes E-Class for 1-3 passengers, from EUR 1250 in a V-Class for 4-6.