Neighbourhood guide · Zagreb, Croatia
Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
Austro-Hungarian Zagreb: Ban Jelačić Square, the Green Horseshoe of parks and squares, the Croatian National Theatre, museums and the Esplanade.
About Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
The Lower Town, Donji Grad, was laid out in the 19th century on a grid of grand streets. Its pride is the Green Horseshoe, a U-shaped chain of parks and squares, from Zrinjevac to the Botanical Garden, lined with museums and palaces.
It is the city’s centre for shopping, theatre and cafés, and in December the heart of Advent in Zagreb.
Where Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe is
Our 49 places in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
Restaurants in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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Croatian bites
Heritage
A tiny place on Petrinjska Street serving Croatian cheeses, cured meats and small plates from around the country.
Petrinjska ulica 14Explore View on map
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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
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Small plates
Mali Bar
A small, creative bistro on Vlaška Street, serving inventive small plates and seasonal dishes.
Vlaška ulica 63Explore View on map
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MICHELIN Star
Noel
Zagreb’s MICHELIN-starred restaurant, serving creative tasting menus built on Croatian ingredients.
Ulica popa Dukljanina 1Explore View on map
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Beside Dolac
Pod Zidom
A bistro and wine bar just below Dolac market, cooking with fresh market produce.
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Home-style cooking
Purger
A traditional restaurant on Petrinjska Street, serving home-style Zagreb and Croatian dishes.
Petrinjska ulica 33Explore View on map
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Zagreb’s burger favourite
Submarine Burger
A Zagreb burger chain using locally sourced ingredients, with several branches in the centre.
Frankopanska ulica 11Explore View on map
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Modern cooking
Theatrium by Filho
A modern restaurant in the Lower Town with creative seasonal plates and a stylish dining room.
Ulica Nikole Tesle 7Explore View on map
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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
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At the Esplanade
Zinfandel’s
The fine-dining restaurant of the historic Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, with refined menus and elegant service.
Mihanovićeva ulica 1Explore View on map
Cafés in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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Italian-style espresso
B041
A stylish espresso bar on Masarykova Street, in the heart of the Lower Town.
Masarykova ulica 25Explore View on map
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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
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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
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Serious espresso
Eli’s Caffe
A specialty coffee bar on Ilica, known for carefully roasted espresso.
Ilica 63Explore View on map
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Quick, good coffee
Express Bar
A small espresso bar on Petrinjska Street, popular for good coffee on the go.
Petrinjska ulica 4Explore View on map
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Neighbourhood specialty
Monocycle
A specialty coffee shop on Kneza Mislava Street, popular with locals for flat whites and filter coffee.
Ulica kneza Mislava 17Explore View on map
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Retro café-bar
Program
A relaxed café-bar on Martićeva Street with an eclectic, retro interior.
Martićeva ulica 14fExplore View on map
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Roasted on site
Quahwa
An independent coffee roastery and bar on Nikola Tesla Street, focused on single-origin coffee.
Ulica Nikole Tesle 9Explore View on map
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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 in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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A hidden garden
A Most Unusual Garden
A whimsical hidden garden bar in the centre of Zagreb, open in the warmer months.
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Live jazz
Bacchus Jazz Bar
A small jazz bar on King Tomislav Square, with a courtyard and live music.
Trg kralja Tomislava 16Explore View on map
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On the main square
Johann Franck
A big café and bar on Ban Jelačić Square, busy from morning coffee to late-night drinks.
Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 9Explore View on map
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Local brewery
Pivnica Medvedgrad
The pub of the Medvedgrad brewery on Ilica, with its own beers and hearty food.
Ilica 49Explore View on map
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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
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A big beer list
The Beertija
A beer bar on Pavla Hatza Street with a large courtyard and a long list of beers.
Ulica Pavla Hatza 16Explore View on map
Hotels in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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Central boutique
Amadria Park Hotel Capital
A stylish hotel on Jurišićeva Street, close to Ban Jelačić Square.
Jurišićeva ulica 22Explore View on map
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Design-led
Canopy by Hilton Zagreb City Centre
A design-led hotel close to the main railway station.
Ulica kneza Branimira 29Explore View on map
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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
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On the main square
Hotel Dubrovnik
A long-established hotel right on Ban Jelačić Square.
Gajeva ulica 1Explore View on map
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A historic hideaway
Hotel Jägerhorn
A small boutique hotel in a historic building just off Ilica, below the Upper Town.
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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
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Boutique and central
Le Premier Hotel
A boutique hotel and restaurant on Kralja Držislava Street, near the centre.
Ulica kralja Držislava 5Explore View on map
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Business and leisure
Sheraton Zagreb Hotel
A large international hotel a short walk from the centre.
Ulica kneza Borne 2Explore View on map
Sights in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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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
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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.
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A green oasis
Botanical Garden
The university’s botanical garden, opened in 1889, on the Green Horseshoe near the railway station.
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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
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Under the red umbrellas
Dolac Market
Zagreb’s main market since 1930, on a terrace above Ban Jelačić Square, with red umbrellas over stalls of fruit, vegetables, cheese and flowers.
Dolac 2Explore View on map
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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.
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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.
Culture in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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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.
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Croatian art
Modern Gallery
Croatia’s national collection of modern art, from the 19th and 20th centuries, on the Green Horseshoe.
Ulica Andrije Hebranga 1Explore View on map
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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
Shopping in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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Sunday antiques
British Square market
A neighbourhood market square west of the centre, with an antiques market on Sunday mornings.
Arnoldova ulica 2Explore View on map
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The original cravat
Croata
A shop of silk ties and scarves celebrating the Croatian origin of the cravat.
Ilica 5Explore View on map
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Zagreb’s main street
Ilica
Zagreb’s longest and busiest street, running west from Ban Jelačić Square, lined with shops and cafés.
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Croatian chocolate
Kraš choco&café
The café and shop of Kraš, Croatia’s best-known chocolate maker, on Ban Jelačić Square.
Trg bana Josipa Jelačića 5Explore View on map
Transport in Lower Town & the Green Horseshoe
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Glavni kolodvor
Zagreb main railway station
Zagreb’s grand main railway station on King Tomislav Square, with trains across Croatia and to neighbouring countries.
Trg kralja Tomislava 12Explore View on map
