WEEKENDER | ZAGREB 58 | TRAVELLER | 15 TH BIRTHDAY ISSUE
Here, Jelac˘ić Trg is Zagreb’s main square, surrounded by stately secessionist façades PHOTO ©PHOTOLIBRARY WE ARE 15 NEW ROUTE ZAGREB IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST DESTINATIONS, BUT PETERJON CRESSWELL DISCOVERS A WEEKEND OF FUN AMONG THE CITY’S OLDEST ATTRACTIONS FRIDAY This year marks 15 years since the Croatian War of Independence, but the combination of Zagreb’s Balkan roots and chic European vibe makes it an inexpensive and exciting getaway. I reserved a room in the opulent Regent Esplanade hotel (from €216; book at hotels.easyJet.com), a pre-war landmark built in grand style to serve the Orient Express. Emerging from the hotel’s art deco lobby, I jumped on one of Zagreb’s swish new trams up to Jelac˘ić Trg, the square named after the 19th-century general whose statue you can see there, sitting proudly astride his horse. All trams pass through Jelac˘ić, making the city easy to negotiate. Behind it is the main market, and the bar-lined higgledy-piggledy street Tkalc˘ićeva alongside, while Zagreb cathedral, the main landmark, towers above. This is old Zagreb at its best, but to get a sense of the city’s rapidly changing character, take a detour west along Ilica, the main artery and the place to fi nd authentic Tito-era shopfronts purveying pipes and WEEKENDER | ZAGREB Trilby hats, standing alongside cutting-edge contemporary boutiques. I popped into innovative fl orists Sas˘a Šekoranja (82 Ilica, tel: +385 1 484 7070), and was struck by its fl oral displays in tall, minimalist vases. Zagreb may have all the major international shopping brands these days, but browsing with prices in an alien currency (kuna) and names in exotic Slavic lettering was a challenging and fun experience. A short walk up Ilica I came to the funicular, the “Old Lady” that glides up to the Lotrs˘c˘ak Tower and the main sights of the Upper Town. I got my bearings amid the steep, cobblestone streets at St Mark’s, the bright church bearing the nation’s coats of arms. Here I also found the Governor’s palace and Croatian parliament. It’s amazing to think that a nation tapering all the way down to Dubrovnik and encompassing a thousand islands is governed from this northern city. With general admission prices modest to minimal, I checked out two museums before closing time. First, the ivy-clad 17th-century surroundings of the Mes˘trović Atelijer (8 Mletacka, tel: +385 1 485 1123, mdr.hr/ mestrovic), former studio of Croatia’s most renowned sculptor, Ivan Mestrovic, fi lled with his works in bronze, stone and marble. Nearby, the Zagreb City Museum (20 Opatic˘ka, tel: +385 1 485 1361, mdc.hr/mgz) shows reconstructions of Ilica shopfronts from the 1800s. Today’s city still resembles the one the Habsburgs built, ornate façades and all, under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Prasac (6 Vranicanijeva, tel: +385 1 485 1411), meaning “pig”, in Upper Town produces creative, contemporary cuisine for trendy, discerning locals. I booked a table for dinner and tucked into delicious tuna while contemplating a bar hop on Tkalciceva, ‘Tkalci’ to locals. I sampled rakija spirits in all fl avours at off-beat Cica (18 Tkalc˘ićeva, tel: +385 95 609 899), washing machines and all, and the timeless rocky atmosphere of Melin (47 Tkalc˘ićeva, tel: +385 1 48 28 966). Finally I went to the Funk Club (52 Tkalc˘ićeva) with its lively upstairs bar and basement DJ where I plunged into Zagreb’s kicking music scene before stumbling back to the Esplanade. SATURDAY After a Mediterranean salty massage at the Esplanade spa, I headed back up to Jelac˘ić for a wander around Zagreb cathedral (31 Kaptol), with its medieval frescoes and triptych altar by Albrecht Dürer. By now the market was in full swing, with rows of colourful, locally-grown vegetables outside and indoors, and the Kumica ladies from nearby villages selling the local delicacy of sir i vrhnje (cream cheese). Served with a little fresh bread, this is a classic Zagreb snack. 15 TH BIRTHDAY ISSUE | TRAVELLER | 59
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IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY! NOVEMBER 2010
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COVER ILLUSTRATIONS © STUART HOLME
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15 CONTENTS TH BIRTHDAY ISSUE SHORT
- Page 7: Welcome to our 15th birthday issue
- Page 10: GREETINGS | BIRTHDAY ISSUE THE 15 C
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- Page 23 and 24: Time flies when you’re having fun
- Page 25 and 26: Pedal Power in Palma MAJORCA Sunshi
- Page 27 and 28: PHOTO © AERO ICARUS, UNIFORMFREAK.
- Page 29 and 30: PHOTOS © TONY FRENCH | WORDS & DIR
- Page 31 and 32: PHOTOS © YANN MINGARD WE ARE 15 PE
- Page 33 and 34: PHOTOS © GUIDO CASTAGNOLI, CHRISTO
- Page 35 and 36: WE ARE 15 Birthday Wishes If you co
- Page 37 and 38: Matt Preston travelwithamate.com Ho
- Page 39 and 40: www.spain.info www.comunitatvalenci
- Page 41 and 42: PHOTOS © LUIGI FIANO, ELISABETH RE
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- Page 45 and 46: PHOTOS © SEAN MALYON, DAN KENYON,
- Page 47 and 48: MARRAKECH Steve Bloom is a world-re
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Happy birthday to you, happy birthd
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15 years of easyJet: congratulation