Istria Uncovered: A 6-Day Journey Through History & Heritage

Zagreb-An Old City with a Young Soul

Zagreb is the Croatian capital and largest city in Croatia by population. Historically, the city of Zagreb has grown from two neighboring settlements, Gradec and Kaptol, which form the core of today's Zagreb, its historical center. According to the legend, Zagreb got its name when an old ancient ban, tired and thirsty, made the girl Manda bring water from the spring. Ban said: "Mando, dear, zagrabi!“ (zagrabi – grabs) 

Zagreb is the administrative, economic, cultural, and scientific center of Croatia. By its position, Zagreb belongs to the cities of Central Europe. Zagreb is situated in continental central Croatia, on the southern slopes of Medvednica and on the banks of the Sava River. Its favorable geographic position in the southwestern corner of the Pannonian Basin, between Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic, and Pannonian regions, the cause is the fact that Zagreb is the transport hub between Central and Southeastern Europe and the Adriatic Sea. Due to its history and significance, Zagreb is rich in monuments and architecture. The center of Zagreb are considered a historic district Upper Town and Kaptol, and Donji Grad, which has an exceptional diversity of architecture from Baroque to the present day. The center is surrounded on the north side with residential neighborhoods with higher levels of housing, and to the south of the former working-class neighborhoods that are experiencing strong reurbanisation. Appearance and arrangement, Zagreb is a typical Central European city.

Zagreb is the largest cultural center of Croatia. The town has several institutions that traditionally have great prestige. In music, it is the Lisinski Concert Hall, in the world of theater, ballet, and opera Croatian National Theatre, and among libraries National and University Library. Among many quality museums and galleries, the cultural echo exhibitions maybe the most prominent Klović Palace. Zagreb also hosts several significant festivals, such as Animafest - World Festival of Animated Film, which takes place every even year, INmusic - one of the largest open-air festivals in Croatia, International Folklore Festival, theater festival Eurokaz, and Festival of contemporary dance. Zagreb has a film festival, „Zagreb Film Festival“, and is particularly interesting, ZagrebDox, a documentary film festival.

From important exhibitions of recent visual expression, there is Zagreb Salon. From music festivals, there is Zagrebfest, one of the oldest events of Croatian pop music, an avant-garde music festival, then Music Biennale Zagreb every odd year, and the Festival of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 1996, the streets of downtown Zagreb maintains Cest is dBest, an international multimedia festival of street performers. In the summer, there are also open-air concerts, mostly in the Upper Town (Summer in the Upper Town).

The most famous and important monument, the starting and ending point of every tour of the city Pula - the Arena - the building where the gladiator fights. It was built in the first century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, at the same time with the greatest and most famous building of its kind - Coliseum in Rome. Arena is located outside the old city walls because of its size and geographical benefits, and to the city itself leads us to the road justified during Emperor Vespasian, after whom it was named - Via Flavia, which today is one of the city's major thoroughfares.

The other two significant and well-preserved ancient Roman structures are the triumphal arch, the Arch of the Sergi from the 1st century and the Temple of Rome and Augustus, also from the 1st century, which was built in the forum during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus. As a result of its rich political history, Pula is a city with a cultural mix of people and languages from the Mediterranean and Central Europe, ancient and contemporary. Pula's architecture reflects these layers of history. Residents are commonly fluent in foreign languages, especially Italian, and often German and English. In Pula there are two museums at this moment - the Archaeological Museum and Historical Museum of Istria. Other museum exhibitions can be found in the amphitheater, Temple of Augustus and Nesactium.

The natural beauty of Pula's surrounding areas and the turquoise blue Adriatic Sea made the city an internationally popular summer vacation destination. Nearby jewel are the national park Brijuni, which were visited by many world leaders when it was a summer residence of the elderly statesman Josip Broz. Roman villas and temples still lie buried among farm fields and along the coast of several surrounding fishing and farming villages. Coastal waters offer beaches, fishing, diving to the wreck of ancient Roman galleys and warships from the First World War, cruise to the pristine coves and islands, large and small. Pula's most famous beaches are Gortan Cove on Lungomare, Ambrela and Havajsko at Verudela, Sandy Bay and Valkane.

Located on the western coast of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia, Rovinj is one of the most charming and visited towns on the Adriatic Sea. With a population of around 14,000 residents and covering an area of approximately 72 square kilometers, Rovinj combines small town charm with rich cultural heritage.

The old town is situated on a peninsula, dominated by the Baroque Church of St. Euphemia, the city’s patron saint. From the church’s bell tower, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the blue sea, nearby islands, and rolling hills.

Rovinj is also known for its numerous galleries, art studios, and vibrant art scene that reflects a long-standing tradition of visual arts. Every summer, the town hosts Rovinj Photodays, an international photography festival attracting artists and photography enthusiasts.

Beyond cultural landmarks, the surroundings of Rovinj offer stunning natural attractions such as the Brijuni National Park, famous for its untouched nature and diverse wildlife, and the Golden Cape, a peninsula with walking and cycling trails perfect for active relaxation.

Rovinj is famous for its exceptional cuisine. Fresh seafood, local olive products, truffles, and Istrian wines provide a great quality taste experience.