Wednesday, 2 August 2006
As the train entered from Slovenia into Croatia at the Dobova border station, I got more stamps into my passport.
When the train pulled into Zagreb after winding through the beautiful countryside, it was already about 16:15. Right in front of the train station was the Tomi-Slavov Trg, a wide, green space with a statue in the middle. Everything about this square, and the two ensuing it northwards, was quite symmetrical.
Passing by the Archaeoloical Museum, I arrived in Trg Bana Jelacica, another square flanked on the south side by various tram routes, the north side by coffee shops and restaurants, and the west and east sides open. To the right and uphill, I entered the region of Kaptol, dominated mostly by the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace (the former was under renovation but accessible and by that time the latter was already closed).
Coming out from the Cathedral, I automatically entered into the Dolac Market. In the afternoon, it seemed rather deserted--except for some street cleaners spraying jets of water onto the ground, cleaning the leftovers of the frenzy and activities that overwhelmed this place in the morning.
The Dolac Market passed just about the Trg Bana Jelacica, and led the way into another district of Zagreb--Gradec. Most of the roads in this area ran north-south, and going north (further away from the train station) meant uphill. Various coffee shops, beer halls, and interesting statues or houses dotted the Radiceva, but I crossed over to Opaticka by the Kamenita Vrata. I walked along it, until I reached the Museum of Zagreb, with some look-out points of the Kaptol section of Zagreb.
Coming down, I took a different route and passed by places such as the Croatian Parliament, St. Mark's Church, Gallery of Naive Art (note: not Native), and the Kula Lotrscak, where I could see a very nice view of Zagreb to the south and east.
Coming back to the Trg Bana Jelacica, I had dinner (still burek), then walked along the Preradoviceva, past the Preradovicev Trg, arriving at the Trg Marsala Tita that surrounded the National Theatre. Further on were the Ethnographic Museum and the Botanic Gardens.
Thus I slowly headed south, approaching the train station. I finished my tour of Zagreb by about 20:00--still 3 hours to go until my train would depart. But I was quite tired from the entire day's excursion--so tired that I fell asleep waiting for the train.