Zagreb City Day

How the day at the gate works

The Stone Gate chapel is the centre of the day. The painting of the Mother of God that survived the fire of 1731 is the object of the devotion, and 31 May is her feast as patroness of Zagreb. Mass is celebrated at the gate on the feast day each year, and from the morning the narrow passage fills with people carrying candles and flowers. The passage stays open, but movement through it is slow. In 2027 the day falls on a Monday. City Day is a holiday of the city only, so shops in the Lower Town open as usual. National public holiday rules apply on Statehood Day, Sunday 30 May, when most shops stay closed.

Getting to Zagreb and up the hill

Zagreb Airport lies about 15 km south-east of the centre, near Velika Gorica. A shuttle bus runs from the terminal to the main bus station, and from there trams reach Ban Jelačić Square in about 15 minutes. Trains from Ljubljana, Vienna, Budapest and the Croatian coast arrive at the Main Station at the southern end of the green horseshoe, a 15-minute walk from the square. If you drive, use the garages under Importanne Centar by the station or under Kaptol Centar on Nova Ves: the Upper Town is pedestrian and street parking in the centre is zoned and scarce on a holiday weekend. From Ban Jelačić Square the Stone Gate is a 5-minute climb up Radićeva street. The funicular from Ilica is the other way up, and its ticket also covers the tram.

Where to stay

Book early. Statehood Day and City Day bring Croatian visitors to the capital, and the few small hotels and apartments of the Upper Town fill first. Staying on Kaptol, on Tkalčićeva or on the streets around Ban Jelačić Square puts you within 10 minutes on foot of the Stone Gate and keeps the walk home short after an evening on the terraces. The Lower Town blocks between Ilica and the Main Station hold most of the larger hotels, among them the Esplanade beside the station, and every tram line passes through this area. Novi Zagreb, across the Sava, is cheaper and 15 minutes from the centre by tram, but you give up the evening stroll through the old streets.

The Upper Town around the gate

Everything on the hill is within a few minutes of the Stone Gate, and the day is a good reason to see it on foot. The street through the gate leads to St Mark's Square, where the tiled roof of St Mark's Church, the Parliament and the government palace stand side by side. The Museum of Broken Relationships and the Meštrović Atelier are on the same lanes. At 12:00 the Grič cannon fires from the Lotrščak Tower, a custom kept since 1877, and the top of the tower is the best viewpoint over the roofs. The terrace in front of St Catherine's Church beside it gives a similar view without a ticket.

Where to eat nearby

Trilogija sits right by the Stone Gate, with seasonal cooking and one of the better Croatian wine lists, and it is the place on the hill to book for the evening. Tkalčićeva, at the foot of the hill, has terraces from lunch until late: Mali Medo pours its own beer with plates of grilled meat at a fair price. Dolac market works until the early afternoon, and the choice is best before 09:00. Amfora by the fish hall serves fried small fish at canteen prices, and Bistro Pod Zidom beneath the market wall cooks what the chef bought that morning, so reserve. Cogito on Varšavska is the coffee stop on the way back into the Lower Town.

Practical notes

Croatia uses the euro and cards work almost everywhere, but carry coins for candles at the chapel and for the market stalls. Late May in Zagreb is warm, with daytime temperatures often above 20 degrees and a chance of an afternoon storm, so bring a light rain layer. The Upper Town is cobbled and steep in places, so wear comfortable shoes. The chapel is a working place of prayer: keep your voice down, do not photograph people at the altar and step aside for those who have come to pray. For families, the noon cannon, the Grič Tunnel and the Museum of Illusions fill a morning, and the zoo in Maksimir Park is a tram ride away for the Sunday.