"I return to you Zagreb, to you on the banks of the Sava, I return to you Zagreb, to you under the old walls..." More than fifty years have passed since Zdenka Kovačiček won the Zagreb festival with the song whose opening lines are these. Even half a century after the premiere, this song is still fresh, elegant... a true evergreen that fills with enthusiasm every intending traveler who comes to Zagreb. I come to Zagreb often, mostly on business, and then one simply does not have time to experience Zagreb in its fullness.

Combining the tourism fair Place2Go and visit exhibition of Ivan Meštrović in the Klovićevi dvori gallery, together with the team from Virovitica and Belgrade, at the end of January I spent three unforgettable days in Zagreb snooping around those corners of the metropolis where I had never been before, even though my total number of stays in Zagreb had exceeded three digits. But Zagreb is big and you need time for Zagreb.
Accommodation in Mesnička Street it turned out to be a complete hit because from this street you can visit all the main attractions in the old part of the city on foot. Markov square, Grič tunnel, Lotrščak tower, Stone gate... The street itself does not have classic asphalt but is paved with stone blocks, which gives the whole location a retro feeling. Numerous memorial plaques in this street speak of its rich history.

The first autorickshaw driver in Croatia drove in this street. A famous writer lived and died in the house next to our three-day stay in Zagreb. August Shenoa. During the foggy hours of the night, one has the impression that at any moment one will see Magda Paprenjarka, Grga Čokolin or one of the other characters of the novel Zlatarevo zlato passing by on the street.

Vjekoslav Majer, the author of "Dnevnika malog Perica" was born in the house in Mesnička Street, which is located at the intersection with Streljačka Street. In the immediate vicinity, in Basaričekova Street at house number 9, there is also a cult inn "Under the old roofs - To Žnidaršić" which is mentioned in the film of the same name, and the courtyard scenes in the film were filmed in the neighboring house. Poetry mornings have been held in the tavern "Pod starim krovovim" since 1964, every Saturday starting at 12 noon.

We spent two full days in that Upper Town idyllic time machine with only one small excursion across the Sava, to Novi Zagreb, where the tourism fair was held in the Zagreb arena. It was nice to meet old acquaintances from the tourist organization of the city of Sombor and enjoy the travelogues Vlade Šestan, Hrvoje Jurić and Aleksandar Stanković which was moderated by the always great Ida Prester. On the way out of the fair, we were greeted by a special surprise - a beer made from Indian bananas from the plantations in Zagorje, created in collaboration between the planter Ivan Šulog from Donja Stubica and the craft brewery Nova Runda from Zaboča.

Speaking of beer, what would a visit to Zagreb be like without stopping by one of Medvedgrad's pubs - restaurants for a draft beer & a beer bench? Medvedgrad Croatian craft was created twenty years before the Croatian craft revolution, and they have several locations in Zagreb. We decided on the one in Ilica, and in two days we visited it twice. Great Zagorje soup, boiled buncek with mashed potatoes and stewed cabbage or beer sausages give the right strength for wandering around the city, and beer classics such as the Greek witch and the Black Queen or the seasonal special called Christmas beer provide real refreshment.

The Black Queen, i.e. Barbara Celjska who lived in the Medvedgrad fortress above Zagreb in the middle of the 15th century is one of the characters talked about during the tourist tour Secret Zagreb through which she took us Iva Sila, dressed as a sorceress, with a lantern in her hand. It was a fantastic trip through local legends and lore, chronicles and archives that talk about witch hunting. Believe it or not, more than 200 women accused of witchcraft were killed in Zagreb alone.

We also passed by the oldest pharmacy in town called "To the Black Eagle", which once sold dragon's blood ointment, the old St. George's cemetery on the Đurđevčak hill, where there are graves with Masonic symbols, and we ended the tour in the Palainovka cafe, one of the oldest in the city.

Exhibition Ivan Meštrović in the Klovićevi dvori gallery, it was opened at the end of November last year and will last until the beginning of March this year, and it marks the 140th anniversary of his birth. After the monument to the unknown hero in Belgrade's Avala, which I visited in May last year, in the Croatian metropolis, I viewed his works in a closed, gallery space.



It is also a cult place Cafe Sunce at the Dolac Market in Zagreb. Small space, vintage atmosphere - as if you were thrown into a time machine, with the belly of the city in front of you. Another cute retro place is i restaurant Stari fiaker which is located in the basement, in Mesnička street. It used to be called Three Hunters, and it has had its current name since 1994, when it was renovated on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the city of Zagreb. There, the great bisque went well with the duck with mince pies, and the Zagorje soup was absolutely phenomenal.

>>>Read more stories by Mario Jukić<<<
Photo source: Mario Jukić