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The Secrets of Zagreb

Where Medieval Towers Guard a City That Never Stops Reinventing Itself

Two rival hilltop settlements — Gradec and Kaptol — spent centuries feuding across a muddy stream. They eventually merged into one capital, but the tension never fully dissolved. It seeped into the architecture, the street names, the very layout of the city. Ten stops. Nine centuries. One city that keeps surprising you.

10
Stops
~2h
Journey
10
Riddles

How to Play

  1. Tap a stop to read its story
  2. Solve the riddle — tap your answer
  3. The truth (+ hidden history) is revealed!
  4. Tap the 📍 address to navigate via Google Maps
The Sacred Hill
Twin Spires Over Kaptol

For nine centuries, the cathedral has risen, fallen, and risen again above the rooftops of Zagreb.

⛪
Zagreb Cathedral
Gothic · 13th Century–Present
📍 Kaptol 31, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You stand before the tallest building in Croatia. The twin neo-Gothic spires reach 108 metres into the sky, visible from almost everywhere in the city. But this cathedral has been rebuilt more times than anyone cares to count.

The original was destroyed by the Mongols in 1242. What rose in its place survived centuries of Ottoman threats, only to be shattered by the devastating earthquake of 1880. Architect Hermann Bollé redesigned the façade in neo-Gothic style, adding the iconic spires. Then in 2020, another earthquake struck, toppling the south spire’s cross. Zagreb’s cathedral is not a monument to permanence — it’s a monument to persistence.
🧩 Riddle
How tall are the Zagreb Cathedral’s twin spires, making them the tallest structure in Croatia?
💡 Need a hint?
Think of a number just above one hundred metres...
🎉 The Answer
B. 108 metres
At 108 metres, the Zagreb Cathedral’s spires are the tallest structure in Croatia. Architect Hermann Bollé added them during the reconstruction after the 1880 earthquake, transforming the cathedral’s silhouette into the iconic image recognised across the country today.
The City’s Belly
Where Zagreb Feeds Itself

An entire neighbourhood was demolished to build this market. Locals have been coming here every morning since 1930.

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Dolac Market
Modern · Opened 1930
📍 Dolac 9, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You climb a short flight of stairs from Ban Jelačić Square and suddenly you’re in a sea of red parasols. This is Dolac — the “Belly of Zagreb.” Every morning, farmers from the surrounding countryside spread their produce across the raised terrace: peppers, wild mushrooms, lavender bundles, wheels of cheese.

Before Dolac existed, the city market sat in Ban Jelačić Square itself. In the 1920s, officials decided to clear an old, densely packed neighbourhood of houses to build a proper marketplace. The Plemić Manor was the first to go. By 1930 the new market opened, and it has not missed a single morning since.
🧩 Riddle
What was demolished in the 1920s to make room for Dolac Market?
💡 Need a hint?
It was a noble family’s estate and a crowded residential area...
🎉 The Answer
C. The Plemić Manor and houses
The Plemić Manor and a dense neighbourhood of old houses were demolished starting in 1927 to make way for Dolac Market. The raised terrace market opened in 1930 and has been Zagreb’s main fresh food market every day since.
The Beating Heart
A Square That Chose Sides

The statue at its centre has been removed, returned, and even turned around. This square mirrors Croatia’s own political journey.

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Ban Jelačić Square
19th Century · Named 1848
📍 Trg bana Josipa Jelačića, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
Every city has a main square. Zagreb’s has a bronze horseman at its centre — Ban Josip Jelačić, the 19th-century governor who abolished serfdom in Croatia. Austrian sculptor Anton Dominik Fernkorn created the equestrian statue, unveiled in 1866 facing north, symbolising defiance against Hungarian and Austrian domination.

Then came the Communists. In 1947, Tito’s government removed the statue entirely, calling Jelačić a “servant of foreign interests.” It stayed in storage for over 40 years. In 1990, after Croatian independence, a public petition brought it back — but now it faces south, giving the square a different visual balance entirely.
🧩 Riddle
In what year was the Jelačić statue returned to the square after decades in storage?
💡 Need a hint?
It came back the same year Croatia started moving toward independence...
🎉 The Answer
B. 1990
The statue was returned on 16 October 1990, the very year Croatia began its path to independence. Originally facing north as a symbol of defiance, it now faces south — a subtle but meaningful reorientation of Zagreb’s most important public monument.
The Hidden Stream
From Muddy Potok to Buzzing Strip

Beneath the café terraces lies the bed of a stream that once divided two warring towns.

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Tkalčićeva Street
Medieval Origins · Stream Covered 1898
📍 Tkalčićeva ul., 10000 Zagreb
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📖 The Story
You’re walking on top of a buried stream. For centuries, the Medveščak creek — known as Potok — flowed right through here, forming the natural border between Gradec and Kaptol. The two settlements fought bitterly, and this marshy valley between them was effectively no-man’s-land.

In 1898, the stream was finally covered over. The street was called Potok (Stream) until 1913, when it was renamed after historian Ivan Krstitelj Tkalčić. Today it’s Zagreb’s liveliest strip — a nonstop procession of cafés, bars, and restaurants. The conflict is long gone, but the geography remains: you’re standing in the old valley between two hills.
🧩 Riddle
What was Tkalčićeva Street called before 1913, reflecting what once flowed through here?
💡 Need a hint?
The name literally means “stream” in Croatian...
🎉 The Answer
B. Potok
The street was called Potok (meaning “stream”) until 1913. The Medveščak creek that once flowed here powered 25 mills crucial to both Gradec and Kaptol before being covered over in 1898.
The Miracle Gate
A Painting That Survived the Flames

The only surviving medieval city gate of Zagreb hides a shrine where locals still light candles every day.

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Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata)
Medieval · Built 1266
📍 Kamenita ul. 3, 10000 Zagreb
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📖 The Story
You pass through a narrow stone archway and suddenly the noise of the city fades. Candles flicker in iron holders. Fresh flowers line the walls. You’ve just walked through the Stone Gate — the last remaining gate of medieval Gradec, built around 1266.

In 1731, a devastating fire swept through the Upper Town, destroying most of the wooden structures. When the smoke cleared, only one thing remained intact inside the gate: a painting of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. The painting was declared miraculous, and a small chapel was built around it. Today, Kamenita Vrata is both a passageway and a place of worship. Locals stop to pray on their way to work. The image of Mary was declared patron saint of Zagreb.
🧩 Riddle
What survived the 1731 fire inside the Stone Gate, leading to its miraculous reputation?
💡 Need a hint?
It depicts a mother and child...
🎉 The Answer
B. A painting of the Virgin Mary
A painting of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus survived the 1731 fire completely intact. It was declared miraculous, and Mary was named the patron saint of Zagreb. The shrine inside the gate remains an active place of prayer to this day.
Coats of Arms in Tile
The Roof That Tells a Story

Two medieval coats of arms, laid out in colourful ceramic tiles, crown the most photographed building in Zagreb.

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St. Mark’s Church
Gothic · 13th Century, Roof 1880
📍 Trg Svetog Marka 5, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You emerge into St. Mark’s Square and look up. The church roof blazes with colour — red, white, and blue ceramic tiles arranged into two enormous coats of arms. On the left: the medieval insignia of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia. On the right: the emblem of Zagreb itself — a white castle on a red field.

The church dates back to the 13th century, but the famous tiled roof was added in 1880, after a catastrophic earthquake damaged much of the Upper Town. The Gothic portal, carved in the 14th century, features 15 sculpted figures set in shallow niches. Friedrich von Schmidt and Hermann Bollé oversaw the reconstruction, blending medieval bones with 19th-century ambition.
🧩 Riddle
What two entities are represented by the colourful tile coats of arms on St. Mark’s roof?
💡 Need a hint?
One is a triple kingdom, the other is the city itself...
🎉 The Answer
B. Croatia-Slavonia-Dalmatia and Zagreb
The left coat of arms represents the medieval Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia, while the right shows the emblem of Zagreb. The colourful tiled roof was added in 1880 and has become the city’s most iconic image.
The Noon Cannon
A Bell for Thieves, A Cannon for Time

Every day at noon, a cannon fires from this 13th-century tower. The tradition has held since 1877.

🔭
Lotrščak Tower
Medieval · 13th Century
📍 Strossmayerovo šetalište 9, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You climb the spiral staircase of a squat stone tower perched on the edge of the Upper Town. At the top, 360-degree views of Zagreb unfold — terracotta rooftops, the cathedral spires, the green expanse of Medvednica mountain to the north.

Lotrščak Tower was built in the 13th century to guard the southern gate of Gradec. Its name comes from the Latin campana latrunculorum — “the thieves’ bell” — which rang every evening before the gates were locked. Since New Year’s Eve 1877, a cannon has been fired from the tower at noon every single day. Originally it synchronised the bell-ringers of the city’s churches. Today it’s a beloved tradition — and you will hear it if you’re anywhere near the centre at midday.
🧩 Riddle
What does the name Lotrščak come from?
💡 Need a hint?
Think about what rang before the city gates closed at night...
🎉 The Answer
B. The thieves’ bell
The name comes from the Latin campana latrunculorum, meaning “the thieves’ bell.” It rang each evening to warn that the city gates were about to close. The noon cannon has fired every day since 31 December 1877 — never missing a single day.
Love and Loss
Where Heartbreak Became Art

Two ex-lovers turned their breakup into one of the most original museums on the planet.

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Museum of Broken Relationships
Contemporary · Opened 2010
📍 Ćirilometodska ul. 2, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You enter a Baroque palace on a quiet Upper Town street. Inside, display cases hold objects donated from all over the world: a toaster, a wedding dress, an axe used to destroy an ex’s furniture. Each item comes with a short, anonymous story of a relationship that ended.

The museum was born from an actual breakup. In 2003, Zagreb artists Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić ended their four-year relationship and joked about setting up a museum for their leftover belongings. The joke became real. After a touring exhibition starting in 2006, they opened this permanent space in the Kulmer Palace in 2010. It has since become one of Zagreb’s most visited attractions and inspired branches worldwide.
🧩 Riddle
What prompted the founding of the Museum of Broken Relationships in 2003?
💡 Need a hint?
Two artists had a personal experience that sparked the idea...
🎉 The Answer
B. A joke after a real breakup
Co-founders Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić came up with the concept as a joke after their own breakup in 2003. It first went public in 2006 at the Zagreb Salon, opened permanently in 2010, and has won the European Museum of the Year Kenneth Hudson Award.
The Underground
A Shelter Beneath the Hill

Built in secret during World War II, this 350-metre tunnel now connects two sides of the Upper Town.

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Grič Tunnel
World War II · Built 1943–1944
📍 Mesnička ul., 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You step into a cool, dimly lit corridor that cuts straight through the hill beneath Gornji Grad. The Grič Tunnel stretches 350 metres, connecting Mesnička Street on the west to Radićeva Street on the east, with additional exits to Ilica and Tomićeva.

In 1943, with Allied bombing raids a real threat, the prime minister of the Nazi-puppet Independent State of Croatia ordered the construction of a public bomb shelter under the Upper Town hill. The tunnel was completed in 1944 using locally sourced materials — gravel from the Zagreb area and timber from Bosnia. After the war, it was renovated in 1947, then largely forgotten for decades. Today it serves as a pedestrian shortcut and occasional art installation space.
🧩 Riddle
How long is the Grič Tunnel that runs beneath Zagreb’s Upper Town?
💡 Need a hint?
It’s roughly a third of a kilometre...
🎉 The Answer
C. 350 metres
The tunnel is 350 metres long and has six exits connecting Mesnička, Radićeva, Ilica, and Tomićeva streets. Built as a WWII bomb shelter in 1943–1944, it was renovated in 1947 and reopened to the public in 2016 as a pedestrian passage.
The Grand Finale
Where an Emperor Cut the Ribbon

Built on what was then the city outskirts, this theatre became the cultural heart of an entire nation.

🎭
Croatian National Theatre (HNK)
Neo-Baroque · Opened 1895
📍 Trg Republike Hrvatske 15, 10000 Zagreb
▸
📖 The Story
You stand before a sweeping yellow Neo-Baroque façade that seems to glow in the afternoon light. The Croatian National Theatre was designed by the famed Viennese theatre architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner, and it was built in just over a year.

On 14 November 1895, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I himself attended the grand opening. At the time, this location was on the outskirts of the city, and many Zagrebians thought it was too far out. They were wrong. The theatre anchored the development of an entire new district and sits today at the centre of the elegant Republic of Croatia Square, surrounded by grand 19th-century buildings and the Ivan Meštrović fountain — the Well of Life.
🧩 Riddle
Who attended the grand opening of the Croatian National Theatre on 14 November 1895?
💡 Need a hint?
He ruled both Austria and Hungary...
🎉 The Answer
B. Emperor Franz Joseph I
Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I attended the opening on 14 November 1895. The theatre was designed by Helmer and Fellner, the same duo behind opera houses across Central Europe. Construction took just over a year, breaking ground on 22 May 1894.

📋 More Must-Dos

Top-rated experiences from locals and travelers

🌅
Mirogoj Cemetery
Architect Hermann Bollé’s masterpiece. Ivy-covered arcades, domed pavilions, and the most peaceful spot in Zagreb.
📍 Aleja Hermanna Bollea 27
🚞
Zagreb Funicular
The world’s shortest funicular — just 66 metres. Connects Lower to Upper Town in 64 seconds. Running since 1893.
📍 Tomićeva ul.
🎨
Art Pavilion
Southeast Europe’s oldest gallery (1898). A prefabricated iron structure shipped from Budapest’s Millennium Exhibition.
📍 Trg kralja Tomislava 22
🌳
Maksimir Park
Zagreb’s green lung since 1794 — one of Europe’s first public parks. Lakes, ancient oaks, and the city zoo.
📍 Maksimirski perivoj
🖤
Museum of Contemporary Art
Striking modern building in New Zagreb. Croatian and international contemporary art across a vast collection.
📍 Avenija Dubrovnik 17
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Medvednica Mountain
30 minutes from the centre by tram and cable car. Hiking trails, a medieval fortress (Medvedgrad), and panoramic views.
📍 Medvednica Nature Park
🍺
Craft Beer Scene
Zagreb’s microbrewery revolution is real. Try The Garden Brewery or Pivnica Mali Medo for local craft brews.
📍 Slavonska avenija 22f

“Zagreb is a city that lives in the present, respects its past, and dreams of its future.”

Est. 1094 — Biskupija Zagrebačka
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