Activities
Eats
Zrno Bio Bistro (Vegan place next door to my AirBnb, healthy salad time!)
La Štruck (Specializing in a regional dish that is similar to lasagna, unique and delicious!)
Frank & Otto (Tasty breakfast)
Melt Gelato (They have cashew gelato!)
Accommodation
AirBnb (I liked this place, but it was way bigger than what I needed and the AC wasn’t great!)
In planning my trip to Croatia, Zagreb wasn’t on the top of my list for places to visit, but it’s where my flight was leaving from, so I got the chance to spend an evening there. I had an Airbnb close to the center of town, which came with a parking spot. The parking spot required driving through a doorway that was about 2 inches wider than the car itself…thank god for my Airbnb host’s sister who offered to drive the car in for me (and, the next day, drove it out)…otherwise it would have been a disaster.
When I got in, I was SUPER tired and hungry from waking up at 6 AM to visit Plivitce Lakes, and subsisting only on breakfast pizza up until this point (now 2 PM). I decided to prioritize food over nap, and ate at the closest place to my AirBnb, which happened to be a very tasty vegan spot. At this point in the trip, I really needed a salad in my life, and this fit the bill perfectly.
After unsuccessfully napping, I decided last minute to join a free walking tour of Zagreb. The guide was great, but the weather was DISGUSTING. It was about 97 degrees, no breeze whatsoever, overcast, yuck. The tour was very worthwhile, but between the heat, being tired, and not having eaten enough, I was not feeling my best. I tried to take in some of the information anyway!
Especially the information on dinner recommendations, which led me to try a place called La Štruck. They serve a regional dish called, you guess it, Štruck! They have both sweet and savory versions; I only tried the savory kind, which I’d describe as a cross between lasagna and mac and cheese. Feeling I needed even more dairy in my life, I had my last gelato of vacation at Melt…they had a cashew gelato which was something I hadn’t seen before but was so delicious. Yum! Definitely made up for missed calories earlier in the day.
The crappy weather continued the next day, this time, thunderstorms instead of heat! I have to admit, I preferred the rain, and, since I was leaving that morning, it’s not like it ruined any plans I had to walk around the city. I did manage to get in a big and delicious breakfast at Frank & Otto and made a short visit to see the farmer’s market (so much amazing looking produce that I wish I could take home!).
Compared to some of the more tourist destinations that I’d been in for the trip overall, Zagreb definitely stood out as a place where people really live. I know that sounds kind of stupid and maybe obvious, but it made me realize how based around tourism all the other spots I visited were (not in a bad way!) While people weren’t as friendly and English-speaking in Zagreb, I felt like I got a small peek of a more authentic Croatia. I definitely could have spent more time there, but sadly it was time for vacation to start winding down.
I got to the airport waaaay ahead of my flight. My mom will be happy to hear that, since I usually get there very last minute which stresses her out. I needed to return my rental car, and take a COVID test to re-enter the US, and I wasn’t sure how long either of those things would take. Both tasks were super easy and efficient, which, combined with a delayed flight, left me with about 4.5 hours sitting in the Zagreb airport. While I can say many positive things about Croatia, the Zagreb airport really needs some more snack options. The international terminal only has a duty free shop, two restaurants (both grills) and one coffee cafe. Nowhere to buy a snack that is not a hamburger, a croissant, or a duty free bottle of whiskey!
As part of my long journey home, I had an 18 hour layover in Lisbon. I opted for a hotel right by the airport, but took an uber to the center of town for one amazing last meal at a restaurant called Essencial. Since YOLO, I opted for the full tasting menu, with 6 courses and 4 wine pairings. It was all amazing, and now I will never eat again. That’s a wrap on Summer Vacation 2021! I saw so many beautiful places, met friendly and interesting people, ate some great meals, and tasted every possible local gelato. I hope you all get the chance to visit Croatia some day, it’s a truly magical country with so much to explore!