Without it ever bowling us over with its exceptional architecture or dramatic scenery, we quite like Zagreb; it has a nice relaxed atmosphere, and all that you could need for a very pleasant trip away following the lads. Given that most of us aren’t going to be here for long we’re not going to be recommending long distance excursions or grand tours, but there are a couple of places worth a look, and all within easy walking distance of the main square (or to give it its proper name, Trg BanaJelacica – now you know why we keep calling it the main square!) and from the places where most people are likely to congregate for pre-match lubrication.
Just to the north-east of the main square is Kapitol, where the twin spired cathedral can be found; up the hill from the north-west corner of the same square is St Mark’s church, with its famous colorfully-tiled roof that looks like its made out of Lego. There are nice parks just to the south of the square too, but, OK, that’s enough culture, you want to know where everyone’s going to be getting together for drink or six before the game. All within easy reach of the square, Zagreb has two areas which we think are likely to attract England fans.
The Street of a Thousand Bars
One is a lovely, narrow, pedestrianised street off the northwest corner of the square, by the name of Tkalciceva, which we’ve decided to refer to, for simplicity’s sake, as the Street of a Thousand Bars. A slight exaggeration, maybe, but you get the picture and it’s traditionally the area where visiting fans spend their pre-match hours.
As usual, your Free Lions team have gone out of our way to make contact with a few of these bars to ensure that they’ll be extending a warm welcome to fans – look out for the stickers as a sure sign. Not least among these will be the Oliver Twist pub, at number 60 Tkalciceva; if you’re looking for a late night after the game too, this might be your best bet, as they tell us they’ll be open from 9am till 4am. A bit nearer the square is Bonn, at number 22, open from 8am till1am. Local beer at 16HRK for half litre (about £1.50 a pint), and big screen showing the game for anyone without a ticket – what more could you want.
Just beside them are two other “sister” bars, across the street from each other – Café Bar Enigma at number 25, and Café Donna opposite at number 24, both welcoming Free Lions readers, and both open from 8am till 1am. Both equipped with plasma screens for the game too – and beer at 15 HRK a half-litre. And if while you’re enjoying the atmosphere of the Street with a Thousand Bars you feel the need to check your emails, then we’ve found our very own Free Lions internet café for you – Café Art, open 8 am till 11pm, internet connection at 50HRK an hour, and bottled beer at 14HRK a half-litre. Beer and Spam, mmm…Across the other side of the square from the Street of a Thousand Bars lies a part of town that we’ve decided to call the Area of a Canny Few Cafes, another description that’s fairly self-explanatory.
There are a canny few café-bars in this area; there’s a Hard Rock Café on Ljudevita Gaja; and among a whole parade of pavement cafes, a bar by the name of Bulldog XL that’s worth a look. You’ll notice though, weather permitting, that many of these ‘bars’ seem to sell more ice cream than anything else. When it comes to eating, it’s worth noting that eating and drinking tend to be done in separate establishments here. That’s not to say you can’t get a drink with a meal, more that the pubs don’t generally serve food. There’s no shortage of places to eat though, in both of the above mentioned areas; lack of space prevents us listing them, but there’s the full range from fast food outlets to posh restaurants, with price ranges to match. Note that eating out in Zagreb isn’t particularly cheap; service is usually however included in the bill, just round up for a gesture towards a tip.
