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.

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Dokukino Croatia | Art & culture, Cinemas | Entry Kn 20
Katančićeva 3 | +38514813711
11:00 – 22:00 daily

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. 

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Jabuka | Music | Entry Kn 25
Jabukovac 28 | +38512441944
Fri – Sat 22:00 – 04:00

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.

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Pizzeria Karijola 1 & 2 | Restaurants (Pizzeria) | Pizzas from Kn 42.00
Kranjčevićeva 16a | +38513667044
09:00 – 00:00 daily

Not many people know that the Jarun lake was enlisted in Zagreb’s topographic map already back in 1728. Back then it was just a small armlet of the river Sava which became a swamp after the big flood in 1964 and the building of the Sava bank since the stones from the area were used to build the bank, which brought about to deepening of the waters in that area.

For a couple of decades it was forgotten and abandoned, however, since Zagreb was chosen as the host of “Universiade” in 1987 it was decided that the Jarun area would be perfect for building a sports center. It had been a huge project under which a lake of 70 hectares was arranged to hold sailing, rowing and kayak clubs, an athletic lane courts for other sports (plus a sports center Mladost, in the vicinity of the lake).

Ever since, Jarun has been a place of relaxation and in the last couple of years there has been more effort in upgrading already existing facilities. The Jarun beaches have deserved the blue flag marking them clean and safe for swimming. But Jarun has turned into a nightlife spot as well with various bars and clubs emerging on the lake shores. Clubs such as Aquarius that holds a cult status and many newer ones emerged making the lake a favorite place to visit.

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Jarun | Bars, Music, Relaxing | Free
Jarunsko jezero
24 hours daily

Coming from the German word “shpitze” meaning “tip”, the Zagreb “špica” is a peculiar social phenomenon that doesn’t happen that often in other European cities, at least based on the feedback from my international friends.

It happens on Saturday mornings, more precisely between 10:00 a.m. and 14:00. It makes sense to get around to doing everything you didn’t have time throughout the week on Saturday morning – going to the market, doing some shopping around town, meeting friends for a coffee and catching up etc. But what is specific about “špica” is that everyone tends to do that in the range of a couple of streets downtown, looking their best.

So, if you take a walk around Bogovićeva, “Cvjetni trg” area, Tkalčićeva and the main square, you’ll see women in their fur coats looking as if they just came out of the hairdressers, pushing their strollers around in the highest imaginable heels just being their everyday fabulous selves. And the men don’t lack behind much.

Although for this one Saturday mornings are reserved for sleeping; sunny weather, a friend or some choir may get me up and about downtown where I end up amazed once again by the ingenuity and pure energy put into getting your amazing self there to the “tip”. So, if you want to see the best of the best in Zagreb, meet celebrities and celebrity wannabes, witness the latest trends, or bump into almost everyone you know in Zagreb, špica is the place to go.

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Špica | Coffee & tea, Shopping | Free
Mirka Bogovića
Sat 10:00 – 14:00

One of the first memories I have of the Lisinski concert hall are of its chandeliers. For the first five years of my life I lived across the street from Lisinski, and I’d go in quite often to play – back then the words concert hall didn’t mean too much to me, it was a big interesting building with gorgeous chandeliers and many many secret corners to discover.

This wasn’t too difficult to do since back then on Sundays there were puppet shows and concerts for kids where my parents would always take me, but I preferred to sneak out and go wander around the building itself.

Not to mention Lisinski was the place of my first dance performance when I was 7, so indeed it holds a special place. These days however, I have to admit I’ve become an adult, so my visits to Lisinski are more serious – everything from the live broadcasts from the Metropolitan on Saturdays, to concerts ranging from the Zagreb symphonic orchestra to Nick Cave to Jazz concerts – Lisinski concert hall has one of the most interesting music repertoires in Zagreb, a bit expensive sometimes but well worth the visit.

Even just for the architecture (maybe those childhood memories left a trace, but I have a weak spot for socialist-realist architecture) or the chandeliers.

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Lisinski | Art & culture, Music | From Kn 30
Trg Stjepana Radića 4 | +38516121111
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 14:00

ZPC – the Zagreb Dance Centre opened its doors in October 2009, much to pleasure of all of us who are dancers, professional of recreational or simply in love with the art of dance. After a long period of waiting (somehow it seems that in Croatia the proverb “Good things come to those who wait” is beyond truth, it’s an universal fact) dancers, choreographers and common folk who wanted to inform themselves about anything connected to dance have gotten their spot.

ZPC is envisaged as a place where choreographers and dancers can perform, take classes and practice, with open doors for everyone who wants to learn. Apart for physical acts of dancing, film projections connected to dance take place here (after all, this used to be a cinema, one of the oldest in Zagreb which had to close its doors after the birth of big corporations called multiplex cinemas), discussions and seminars – in other words, anything and everything connected to dance.

Choreographers from most dance studios in Zagreb and beyond hold open classes in the Dance Centre to which you can simply walk in and test your strength, endurance and knowledge.

The building itself was voted one of the best architectural solutions lately in Zagreb, designed by the Zagreb based studio 3LHD. Therefore, ZPC is truly a place to visit, either to dance or simply look around and have a coffee on its terrace which provides a peaceful, artistic vibe in the very centre of Zagreb.

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Zagrebački Plesni Centar – ZPC | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Dance workshops Kn 30
Ilica 10 | +38514621967
09:00 – 22:00 daily

Skalinska street is a small street leading up from the well-known and busy Tkalčićeva up to Opatovina and the Zagreb cathedral. Although only approximately 100 meters long, it hosts a couple of interesting spots, rather, a three-in one spot.

It is the “Nokturno” complex, a combination of two restaurants and hotel/hostel. The restaurants “Nokturno” and “Skalinada” offer a varied choice of Italian and Croatian food. Although they would hardly receive a Michelin star, the food is quite tasty and surprisingly cheap for downtown Zagreb.

In case you are in need of good lunch and don’t want to spend too much money on extravaganza, I would definitely recommend it, also because of the view on the cathedral while you’re having lunch.

The “Nokturno” hostel/hotel is small and cozy, most importantly very clean and alongside offering hostel accommodation in 3-6 bed dorms, it also has one apartment style room which could serve well for a romantic couple’s weekend.

Apart for the sleeping/food question, this little street is quite charming as a passage from Tkalčićeva up to Dolac market, Opatovina (another street filled with small cafes) and Kaptol, the religious-part of Zagreb’s two hills history.

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Skalinska | Restaurants (Italian/Croatian) | Pizza Kn 30
Skalinska | +38514813325
08:00 – 01:00 daily

In case you are into taking a silent walk around the upper town of Zagreb around midday, don’t be surprised if the silence will suddenly be interrupted at noon. Don’t be scared either, the city is not under siege, it is just the “Grič cannon” marking its usual noon activity.

According to the legend, the king Bela IV, who proclaimed Zagreb as a free royal city in 1094, left one cannon to the city of Zagreb and ordered that cannon to be in use every day so it wouldn’t get rusty. Officially, the cannon started its daily practice on January 1st 1877.

There is much more history to be told about the edifice where the famous cannon resides – the Lotrščak tower. It is one of the oldest standing buildings in Zagreb, the remains of the Romanesque old town walls and fortifications.

One of the interesting facts about the tower is that the city rented it out in times of peace in order to gain money for its maintenance and it was given back its defending purpose in times of peril. There are many stories about this oldest tower in Zagreb, but I will just say you should definitely visit the site to get more information.

In case you’re not so interested in history, visiting is worth it just for the amazing view from the top, which you can climb all the way up to. It’s definitely a special experience to be there right at noon when the cannon strikes.

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Lotrščak tower | Art & culture | Entry Kn 10.00
Strossmayerovo šetalište 9 | +38514851768
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 19:00

Opened a year ago, Divas is a refreshment on the Zagreb cafe scene. It has all a cozy, warm  and unique cafe needs to have – great coffee, good service, a great imaginative interior and a smoking section with awesome ventilation where you don’t feel like a quarantine disease patient secluded from the rest of the world. Oh, and not to forget the cake selection, which depending on the day can range from awesome to good . 

It is quite a small place that can feel cramped at times, due to its popularity, so seating might be hard to find but when you manage to grab that chair of yours, you will feel welcome to spend as much time as you need there. I’ve spent many a day working there since they have fast reliable wifi. 

But one of the tings that always keeps me interested is the decor – ever changing and interesting, there will always be a new detail you can inspect for a while and it doesn’t get boring as there’s so many details there it’s hard to notice them all in a few visits. Definitely a place to recommend for a coffee and chill. 

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Divas | Coffee & tea, Snacks | coffee Kn 9 kn
Martićrva 17 | +38514921295
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 22:00