So you came to Zagreb but want to explore a bit more of Croatia along the way? How much time do you have? All of Croatia is beautiful if you ask us, but to make your choices a bit easier, we have selected some of our favourite day trips from Zagreb.
Samobor
We’ll start by the one closest to Zagreb, and that’s the picture perfect town of Samobor. This one is for the gourmets among you that want to enjoy traditional disehs of veal or game. And after the main course, be sure to order the famous Samoborska kremšnita (it’s pronounced something like cramschneetta if you want them to understand you), a traditional local cream cake – best enjoyed after hiking the nearby hills, slopes and lakes.
Plitvice lakes
Speaking of lakes, you must have heard of Plitvice lakes, right? A two-hour drive from Zagreb, Plitvice is Croatia’s biggest and most popular national park and home to 16 of the most beautiful lakes in Croatia. Walk among the cascading crystal-clear waters and enjoy the best nature has to offer.
Varaždin
If ”baroque” is your style, then Varaždin is your dream town. Full of churches, palaces and even castles, the architecture is the main attraction. But when these ornate buildings are home to cultural and music festivals, that’s when you can see Varaždin in it’s full glory and have one of the most culturally rich day trips from Zagreb.
Trakošćan
If you were most intrigued by the word castle in the previous section, then this next day trip from Zagreb is for you. The fairy-tale Castle Trakošćan was the seat of the high-ranking Drašković family from the 16th century and was tourned into a Romanticist manor house in 3 centuries later. The garden surrounding it is almost as beautiful as Castle Trakošćan itself and makes this a day trip to remember.
Sljeme
Ok, so Samobor isn’t actually the closest day trip we will suggest, it’s Sljeme! And to go there, you don’t even have to leave the city lines of public transport! Sljeme features an international-class ski centre (home to famous Janica and Ivica Kostelić), but is also visited year-round by hikers that just want to experience the climb to Sljeme, and the gastro offer when you reach the rest stops. Come in winter to ski or through the rest of the year to experience pristine nature, either way, you won’t regret it.