Left Split at 8:33 AM by train and arrived at Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, at about 3:00 PM. Got settled as quickly as possible in a little apartment not far from the train station and hit the sightseeing trail a bit before 4:00. Being a holiday, the hustle and bustle of locals wasn’t there—it seems it was mainly tourists. Curiously, I noticed lots of Asian tourists (China and Hong Cong)—easy to spot and they’re extremely courteous. Although Zagreb lacks the historical flair of Split, their history goes back just as far—there’s just no Diocletian’s Palace to draw you in.
Here are some of my impressions, starting with two evening shots in Split from last night (the lighting gave it a special aura):
My quest followed the app called VisitACity— highly recommended: first was the Zagreb Cathedral and the sarcophagus behind the altar of Cardinal Stepinac who was tried under the communist regime and sentenced to 16 years, but only served 5 followed by house arrest; there’s a picture of the altar; then there’s St Mark’s with the tiled roof depicting the coat of arms of Zagreb (white castle on red background); then the stone gate entrance where people prayed before they entered the city; and finally, a statue of a serpent slayer amidst a bed of black tulips.
