Radovan Karadzic, Sarajevo is not your city, and you have no right to say that it is, just as you do not have the right to say in public, even if it’s in court, that someone has dug up bones around Bosnia and brought them to Srebrenica to make a fake graveyard. This is insulting.
Croatian Christmas Charm
Belgrade | 23 December 2009 | By Laura Wolfs
Zagreb is 400km away from Belgrade and easy to reach by car in around four hours. There is also a regular train service running between the two cities which costs €38 return and if you have a friend who would like to join you, there is a special offer available making the second ticket half price.
Those familiar with Balkan trains will know that the journey time is surprisingly long - it tends to take between six and seven hours. Since most of the services that travel to Zagreb continue their way into western Europe, there are restaurant cars on most trains and a trolley service of drinks and snacks.but if you want to take advantage of that, make sure that you have a few Kunas, Croatia’s national currency, with you.
There are also frequent buses, but although driving time is similar to that in a car, there are still occasional problems at the border and passengers have to get off the bus whilst police and customs check the luggage compartment. A return ticket costs around €47.
If you take the train you will arrive just 10 minutes walking distance away from the centre. The train station has ATMs as well as exchange offices which are available throughout the night.
Zagreb’s quest to be a ‘European’ city has had some immediately obvious results. As you exit the station your first breaths will be of clean sweet air, with none of the diesel laden tang we take for granted here in Belgrade.
There are clean, new trams, well maintained public spaces and litter bins and ash-cans all over the city, that people actually seem to use! So far, so good.
The central bus station is about a 10 minute tram or bus ride away from the city centre but the system is easy to comprehend and if you struggle to understand which tram to take, just ask.
Trams around town are efficient and for journeys outside of the free zone, tickets can be bought from one of the many kiosks or even by text message - text ZG to 8585. Taking a taxi in Zagreb can be a very expensive business as Radio Taksi Zagreb has a virtual monopoly. Call 970 for a taxi.
Christmas for me is associated with Christmas Markets, the smell of cooking sausages, Gluehwein, candied nuts and mandarins. That may just be my German heritage showing itself but I’m sure that nobody could fail to enjoy Zagreb’s Christmas market (open until the end of December), located in the city’s very compact centre on Bogoviceva Street and Bana Jelacic Square.
It’s a perfect place to have a little pre-dinner snack a hot drink or something a little more potent and is pretty as a postcard in the winter snow. Stop for a while and drink in the atmosphere before wandering around the city centre. The market is a good place to buy some original last-minute Christmas gifts. Local artists and producers sell their goods on the little wooden stalls and you can find anything from paintings to handmade childrens’ toys.
Trg bana Josipa Jelacica dates back to the Austro-Hungarian period and the quaint streets around it are packed with cafes and bars. Even in the middle of winter, the vast majority have tables outside with blankets and patio heaters – not, you understand, because the locals are ‘outdoorsy’ types but because they, like everyone else in the Balkans are heavy smokers and smoking is usually banned inside!
When the shopping gets too much for you and you’ve had your fill of coffee, stroll down Ilica and take a trip on one of the shortest Funicular railways in the world (www.zet.hr) for the bargain price of 4kn. The journey takes less than a minute and you arrive at the top of a hill, by the base of Lotrscak Tower, which offers some great views across the town.
Zagreb’s new Museum of Contemporary Art (www.msu.hr) had its grand opening earlier this month and its first major show has some great works. ‘From Klovic and Rembrandt to Warhol and Picelj’.runs until the end of the month.
Zagreb’s not a place for all night revelry and very few places stay open past 2am. The busiest bars are in the old town centre and one stand-out venue for nightlife is nearby - Medika ( http://pierottijeva11.org). The Medika Art Centre is only at night at the weekend but stays open for as long the party lasts. The music of choice rangesfrom alternative, to Punk to Dubstep. Mocvara (www.mochvara.hr)located near the Museum of Contemporary Art is another good choice. Its art bar with cartoon-style decor by the artist Igor Hofbauer is well worth a visit - even if you are not necessarily a fan of alternative music.
