Zagreb, Croatia

Zagreb, the charming capital of  Croatia. In the north, near the border with Slovenia. The largest city of the country as well. Greater Zagreb counts over 1 million inhabitants. Mostly Croatian, but about 10% Serbian as well.

The capital has many theaters, about 20 in total. A very interesting archeological museum and beautiful churches. The most important church is Cathedral of the holy Mary, also known as the Cathedral of Stefanus. It is visible through the entire city as it is located on the highest part of the city of Zagreb.

Zagreb is divided into an upper and a lower part of the city. The upper part is much older than the lower part. Both are pretty in their own way and both have a different atmosphere. But both very relaxed.

Next to beautiful buildings, Zagreb has many nice shops, cafes and good restaurants. The city has a hip and happening vibe. With nice seats on the side walks on the city wall overlooking the city.

You could easily stay a long weekend in Zagreb. There is plenty to see and do. People speak the English language very well, so it’s easy to communicate with them.

Here are some awesome things to do in Zagreb, follow this list and you will for sure see all the major highlights of this wonderful city. Use it as a check-list. It works really well.

• Stroll the city and look at all the beautiful buildings;
• Visit the Cathedral of Stefanus;
• Take the cable car up or down to/from the Lotsraktower. This cable car is one of the smallest in the world, and has been transporting people from 1890.
• Have lunch or dinner in one of the fabulous restaurants of the city.
• Walk past (or even better stay in) the most famous hotel of Zagreb, The Esplanade, built for the passengers of the Orient Express near Zagreb Central Station.
• Go to the Archeological museum, set in a magnificent monumental building. When walking to the museum you will pass a very nice park. In summer this park is filled with artistic lanterns, we say dresses hanging there with lamps in it and there is live music at night as well.

Esplanade Hotel Zagreb 

Ul. Antuna Mihanovića 1, 10000,
Zagreb
+(385) 1 4566 666
www.esplanade.hr

Price range

$$$$

Location

The Esplanade Hotel is located next to the Central Station of Zagreb.

Accommodation

We booked very last minute so I choice was quite limited. But we had very good rooms. As the children are getting older, we don’t always necessarily require connecting rooms anymore, although we still prefer to have connecting rooms if possible. As this time we did not have connecting rooms we split up, converting the sofa in the junior suite into an extra bed where our youngest slept. And a deluxe room big enough to put in a roll away bed for one of the older children to sleep in. The rooms where decorated in classic design to match the atmosphere of the hotel. With all modern amenities available.

Dining

The hotel has 2 restaurants, a bar and room service. One of the restaurants is one of the most posh in town. And recommended by many. However, we had a look at the menu and didn’t think we would do our children a favor eating there. So unless you have very easy eaters I would recommend to book a table for 2 and order room service for the children.

Services and amenities for kids

For an overview of the services and amenities for kids at this hotel click here. Amenities provided by the hotel in green.

Extra info

The grandeur, it did feel a bit historic, can be felt upon entering the hotel. The building is magnificent and you feel like you are about to board the Orient Express the day after tomorrow. The staff is very friendly, the rooms are good and the breakfast as well. The location of the hotel is perfect, you can easily walk into town without having to take the taxi or any other transportation.

Carpaccio