Dolac: the belly of Zagreb

About Dolac: the belly of Zagreb

By the ULTIMATE Zagreb Editorial Team

Dolac, the open-air market just above Ban Jelačić Square, has been the city’s pantry since 1930. Under its famous red umbrellas, farmers from the hills around Zagreb sell fruit, vegetables, cheese and flowers every morning.

A market on the hill

Dolac opened in 1930 on a terrace between the Lower Town and Kaptol, where an old neighbourhood of small houses was cleared to make room. It quickly became the city’s main market, and its upper square, the open-air part, is still packed every morning.

The red umbrellas

The stalls are shaded by red umbrellas with white stripes, echoing the traditional šestinski kišobran, the red umbrella carried by people of Šestine, a village on the slopes of Medvednica. Seen from the steps above, the sea of red is one of the classic images of Zagreb.

Under the red umbrellas, Dolac sells the countryside to the city every morning.

The kumice

For generations, the market women from the villages around Zagreb, the kumice, have come to Dolac with baskets of fresh cheese and cream, eggs and vegetables. A statue of a kumica with her basket stands at the top of the market steps.

What to buy

Upstairs you will find fruit, vegetables, flowers and dried figs; down in the covered hall are the butchers, the dairy counters with fresh cheese and cream (sir i vrhnje, a Zagreb classic), and the fish market. In autumn look out for chestnuts, mushrooms and pumpkins; in early summer, cherries and strawberries from the hills.

Our advice: go early, between 7:00 and 10:00, when the market is at its liveliest; Dolac winds down around early afternoon. Buy fresh cheese and cream and some fruit for a picnic, then climb the steps to the cathedral, or have coffee on Tkalčićeva just below.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Dolac: the belly of Zagreb before you go.