The back story
-
The back story
The Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe: the back story
Squares, parks and palaces laid out in a U-shape in the 19th century: how Zagreb built a grand new city below the old.
Neighbourhood guide · Donji Grad
Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe: Our Favourites
Zagreb’s grand 19th-century city: the Green Horseshoe of parks and museums, the National Theatre, the café terraces of the špica, and the best places to eat, drink and stay.
What's onThis week in Zagreb
What to see
-
The heart of the city
Ban Jelačić Square
Zagreb’s great central square, with the equestrian statue of Ban Josip Jelačić, trams, cafés and the Manduševac fountain.
-
The music pavilion
Zrinjevac Park
The first link of the Green Horseshoe, a leafy square of plane trees with a 19th-century music pavilion, fountains and the Advent market in winter.
-
Art Nouveau gem
Art Pavilion
A yellow Art Nouveau exhibition hall facing King Tomislav Square, first built for an exhibition in Budapest in 1896 and brought to Zagreb.
Trg kralja Tomislava 22Explore View on map
-
Gateway to the city
King Tomislav Square
A grand lawn and square in front of the main railway station, with the statue of King Tomislav and the Art Pavilion.
-
A green oasis
Botanical Garden
The university’s botanical garden, opened in 1889, on the Green Horseshoe near the railway station.
-
Opera and ballet
Croatian National Theatre
A neo-Baroque yellow theatre of 1895, home of Croatian opera, ballet and drama, with the Well of Life sculpture by Ivan Meštrović in front.
Trg Republike Hrvatske 15Explore View on map
-
A great private collection
Mimara Museum
A large museum of art and antiquities donated by the collector Ante Topić Mimara, in a grand building on the Green Horseshoe.
-
Design through the centuries
Museum of Arts and Crafts
Furniture, glass, textiles, clocks and design from the Middle Ages to today, opposite the Croatian National Theatre.
Trg Republike Hrvatske 10Explore View on map
-
Vučedol Dove and the Zagreb mummy
Archaeological Museum
A palace on Zrinjevac holding Croatia’s great archaeological collections, from the Vučedol Dove to an Egyptian mummy wrapped in Etruscan text.
Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 19Explore View on map
-
Costumes and crafts
Ethnographic Museum
Croatia’s folk costumes, lace, jewellery and crafts, in a domed Secession building.
Trg Ivana, Antuna i Vladimira Mažuranića 14Explore View on map
Where to eat
-
MICHELIN Star
Noel
Zagreb’s MICHELIN-starred restaurant, serving creative tasting menus built on Croatian ingredients.
Ulica popa Dukljanina 1Explore View on map
-
Bib Gourmand
Beštija
A small, lively bistro in a courtyard off Masarykova, with a short seasonal menu and natural wines; a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.
Masarykova ulica 11/1Explore View on map
-
A Zagreb institution
Vinodol
A long-established restaurant in the Lower Town, known for continental Croatian cooking and dishes baked under the peka.
Ulica Nikole Tesle 10Explore View on map
-
Famous štrukli
Le Bistro Esplanade
The Esplanade’s brasserie, famous for its baked štrukli, Zagreb’s favourite dish of pastry filled with fresh cheese.
Mihanovićeva ulica 1Explore View on map
-
Dalmatian fish
Restoran Korčula
A classic fish restaurant on Nikola Tesla Street, cooking the way they do on the coast.
Ulica Nikole Tesle 17Explore View on map
-
Bib Gourmand
Nuré
A tiny Korean bistro run by a family just off Ilica, new to the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand list in 2026.
Ilica 33Explore View on map
Cafés
-
Opposite the National Theatre
Kavkaz
A historic café facing the Croatian National Theatre, for coffee before or after a performance.
Trg Republike Hrvatske 1Explore View on map
-
A specialty pioneer
Cogito Coffee
The pioneer of specialty coffee in Croatia, with a calm courtyard café on Varšavska Street.
Varšavska ulica 11Explore View on map
-
Books and coffee
Booksa
A literary club and café on Martićeva Street, with readings, books and a creative crowd.
Martićeva ulica 14DExplore View on map
-
Cakes and ice cream
Vincek
A much-loved cake shop on Ilica, famous for its cakes and its ice cream in summer.
Ilica 18Explore View on map
-
Elegant café
Velvet
An elegant café on Dežmanova Street, just off Ilica, open from morning to late evening.
Dežmanova ulica 9Explore View on map
Bars
-
Wine and tapas
La Bodega
A busy wine bar on Bogovićeva, with Croatian wines by the glass and small plates.
Bogovićeva ulica 5Explore View on map
-
Art Deco cocktails
Esplanade 1925 Lounge & Cocktail Bar
The elegant lounge and cocktail bar of the Esplanade hotel, for a classic cocktail in grand surroundings.
Mihanovićeva ulica 1Explore View on map
-
Lively garden bar
Swanky Bar
A lively bar at the Swanky Monkey hostel on Ilica, with a garden terrace and DJ nights.
Ilica 50Explore View on map
-
Local brewery
Pivnica Medvedgrad
The pub of the Medvedgrad brewery on Ilica, with its own beers and hearty food.
Ilica 49Explore View on map
-
A rooftop over the city
Pen22
The rooftop bar of the Met Boutique Hotel, with views over the Lower Town rooftops.
Praška ulica 4Explore View on map
Where to stay
-
Built for the Orient Express
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
Zagreb’s grandest hotel, built in 1925 for passengers of the Orient Express, beside the main railway station.
Mihanovićeva ulica 1Explore View on map
-
A historic palace
Hotel Palace Zagreb
A historic hotel in an elegant building on the Green Horseshoe, facing Strossmayer Square.
Trg Josipa Jurja Strossmayera 10Explore View on map
-
With a rooftop bar
Met Boutique Hotel
A boutique hotel on Praška, steps from the main square, with the Pen22 rooftop bar and a rooftop restaurant.
Praška ulica 4Explore View on map
-
Art and design
art’otel zagreb
An art-filled hotel on Petrinjska in the Lower Town, a few minutes from Ban Jelačić Square.
Petrinjska ulica 7Explore View on map
-
A historic hideaway
Hotel Jägerhorn
A small boutique hotel in a historic building just off Ilica, below the Upper Town.
Share your Lower Town tips
Favourite café, museum or corner of the Lower Town? Share it with other visitors.
- Loading the conversation…