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Summer travel: why Zagreb has something for everyone

Lush green parks throughout the city center, imposing heritage buildings, real Central European cafe society, Mediterranean style hospitality. Welcome to Zagreb, Croatia’s stunning capital!

Summer travel: why Zagreb has something for everyone
Zagreb's Jarun Lake is a popular summer retreat. Photo: J Duval

Rich in culture including museums, theatres, galleries, authentic markets and a surprisingly buzzing nightlife, Zagreb has become a favourite for expat travellers looking to get some (reliable) sun.

Add a great gourmet scene from quirky bistros to fine dining, exciting events, a wide range of accommodation choices, easy access to Croatia’s famous coast,  plus some excellent shopping, and this is a place for the “must see” list.

Plus there are exciting events of all kinds happening all summer long…here are the top events you should check out, plus how to get there.

Enjoy!

The Zagreb Time Machine (April 24 – October 1)


Photo: Sanjin Kastelan

Step back in time as the streets fill with nostalgia and charm. Old traditions are revived, historical figures wander among the locals and tourists in costume, and there are street performers, promenade concerts and “kumice” (market ladies), all from a bygone era. Click here to learn more.

The Art Park (May 26 – September 30)

Located in the heart of the city, between Tomićeva Street, Ilica and the Strossmayer Promenade, from June until September, The Art Park is a venue the features various happenings and a diverse art programme. Don't miss this oasis of art!. More details available here.

Summer on Stross at the Strossmayer Promenade (May 18 – September 17)

Photo: Sanjin Kastelan

The spirit of Paris comes to Zagreb! Around every corner of the romantic Strossmayer Promenade, art colonies, musicians, installations, fashion shows, and open-air cinema events will make you feel as if you were in the famous Montmartre. Don’t forget ‘Half Year’s Eve’ with fireworks and ‘The Best Mutt Dog Awards’. Bonjour! Discover more details here.

Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival (June 29 – July 9)

After six successful editions, the Fantastic Zagreb Film Festival is back for a seventh time at the impressive Medvedgrad Fortress. The festival is popular among fans of science fiction and similar genres and will once again feature a very interesting programme this summer. Click here for more information.

Zagreb Rockfest, SRC Šalata (June 26 – 27)

File photo: IllaZilla/Wikimedia Commons

Legendary rock band The Cult, one of the greatest  bands of the 1980s and wildly popular in Croatia, will be playing at Šalata in Zagreb on 27 June this year.On 26th of June, one day before The Cult, the Prophets of Rage, House of Pain and Black Peaks will also be playing at Šalata. Get the full schedule here.

The Courtyards (July 14 – 23)


Photo: Sanjin Kastelan

‘Every courtyard has a story’ is the slogan of this amazing event which opens some of Zagreb’s most gorgeous Upper Town gardens and yards to visitors. Experience 10 unforgettable days of discovering beauty, history, and secrets of some of the most beautiful palaces and their yards in the very heart of the Upper Town! Lots of other surprises are in store, too!


Photo: Sanjin Kastelan

Duran Duran SRC Šalata (August 29)

File photo: Jelena Ivanović, EXIT Photo Team

Duran Duran, one of the greatest pop bands of all time, is coming back to Croatia, Zagreb after 16 years and their first and as yet only performance! Click here for ticket information.

Where to stay

Zagreb offers a wide range of accommodation possibilities to suit any budget or taste, from luxury five star hotels to accommodation suitable for visitors on a tighter budget. Whatever the type of accommodation you choose, you will find consistent standards and quality of service.

How to get there 

There are plenty of regular flights from Sweden to Zagreb – check out more info on which airlines fly to Zagreb here

Check out flights to Zagreb

Zagreb Card 

The Zagreb Card is your best companion when in Zagreb, entitling you to free public transport and free visits or discounts at over 50 different locations. You can find detailed information and a complete list of available discounts here

Get ready for the summer – find out more about Zagreb here

 


 

This article was sponsored by Zagreb Tourist Board.
 

For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Almost 800,000 fewer UK holidaymakers have visited Spain in 2023 when compared to 2019. What’s behind this big drop?

Why are fewer British tourists visiting Spain this year?

Spain welcomed 12.2 million UK tourists between January and July 2023, 6 percent less when compared to the same period in 2019, according to data released on Monday by Spanish tourism association Turespaña.

This represents a decrease of 793,260 British holidaymakers for Spain so far this year.

Conversely, the number of Italian (+8 percent), Irish (+15.3 percent), Portuguese (+24.8 percent), Dutch (+4 percent) and French tourists (+5 percent) visiting España in 2023 are all above the rates in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. 

German holidaymakers are together with their British counterparts the two main nationalities showing less interest in coming to Spanish shores.

Britons still represent the biggest tourist group that comes to Spain, but it’s undergoing a slump, with another recent study by Caixabank Research suggesting numbers fell particularly in June 2023 (-12.5 percent of the usual rate). 

READ ALSO: Spain fully booked for summer despite most expensive holiday prices ever

So are some Britons falling out of love with Spain? Are there clear reasons why a holiday on the Spanish coast is on fewer British holiday itineraries?

According to Caixabank Research’s report, the main reasons are “the poor macroeconomic performance of the United Kingdom, the sharp rise in rates and the weakness of the pound”.

This is evidenced in the results of a survey by British market research company Savanta, which found that one in six Britons are not going on a summer holiday this year due to the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

Practically everything, everywhere has become more expensive, and that includes holidays in Spain: hotel stays are up 44 percent, eating out is 13 percent pricier, and flights are 40 percent more on average. 

READ ALSO: How much more expensive is it to holiday in Spain this summer?

Caixabank stressed that another reason for the drop in British holidaymakers heading to Spain is that those who can afford a holiday abroad are choosing “more competitive markets” such as Turkey, Greece and Portugal. 

And there’s no doubt that the insufferably hot summer that Spain is having, with four heatwaves so far, has also dissuaded many holidaymakers from Blighty from overcooking in the Spanish sun. 

With headlines such as “This area of Spain could become too hot for tourists” or “tourists say it’s too hot to see any sights” featuring in the UK press, budding British holidaymakers are all too aware of the suffocating weather conditions Spain and other Mediterranean countries are enduring. 

Other UK outlets have urged travellers to try out the cooler Spanish north rather than the usual piping hot Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol destinations.

Another UK poll by InsureandGo found that 71 percent of the 2,000+ British respondents thought that parts of Europe such as Spain, Greece and Turkey will be too hot to visit over summer by 2027.

There’s further concern that the introduction in 2024 of the new (and delayed) ETIAS visa for non-EU visitors, which of course now also applies to UK nationals, could further compel British tourists to choose countries to holiday in rather than Spain.

READ MORE: Will British tourists need to pay for a visa waiver to enter Spain?

However, a drop in the number of British holidaymakers may not be all that bad for Spain, even though they did spend over €17 billion on their Spanish vacations in 2022. 

Towns, cities and islands across the country have been grappling with the problem of overtourism and the consequences it has on everything from quality of life for locals to rent prices. 

READ ALSO: ‘Beach closed’ – Fake signs put up in Spain’s Mallorca to dissuade tourists

The overcrowded nature of Spain’s beaches and most beautiful holiday hotspots appears to be one of the reasons why Germans are visiting Spain in far fewer numbers. A recent report in the country’s most read magazine Stern asked “if the dream is over” in their beloved Mallorca.

Spanish authorities are also seeking to overhaul the cheaper holiday package-driven model that dominates many resorts, which includes moving away from the boozy antics of young British and other European revellers.

Fewer tourists who spend more are what Spain is theoretically now looking for, and the rise in American, Japanese and European tourists other than Brits signify less of a dependence on the British market, one which tends to maintain the country’s tourism status quo for better or for worse.

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