“Meet me at the Square!” is a sentence that you are guaranteed to hear during your stay in Zagreb. Whether it’s at the clock, at the statue of Josip Ban Jelačić or at Manduševac fountain, meeting at Ban Jelačić Square is part of the everyday life of Zagreb residents, as well as tourists and visitors. The Square is the definition of the city center, from where all our diurnal and nocturnal adventures start, because any direction you take, in just a few hundred meters, you will hit a jackpot.
Let’s start: on the right side of the Square, towards the East, you will find the beautiful Zagreb Cathedral and Kaptol. Nearby, there are the European square and the Ribnjak Park, which currently hosts Art Park, a favorite place for casual evenings of younger Zagrebians. Above the square, if you head North, you will come to Zagreb’s most beautiful market “Dolac”, which is full of life every morning and especially on weekends. Radićeva and Tkalčićeva streets also open there, with many bars, patisseries, restaurants and clubs.
They are the perfect places to have a drink, grab a bite, properly eat, talk, dance and have fun with your friends or solo. A short walk more up North leads you to the Upper Town, which holds history, culture and entertainment, like promenades, museums and historic buildings, in every corner. West of the Square is Ilica, the longest street in Zagreb, a kind of Champs-Élysées of Zagreb (only massively cheaper). South of the Square is the location of the so-called Flower square, also a popular spot for having a drink with friends. Nearby is Zrinjevac, an oasis of greenery in the middle of the city that is often the site of various street festivals and concerts.
These are just some of the reasons why the Square is such an important place in the lives of Zagrebians. In the morning, afternoon, evening or into the wee hours of the night, it is the starting point of all our stories that include food, drinks, culture, friends, partying, shopping or simply aimless strolling. There, everything is at your fingertips, which is why we love it so much.