Croatia: Zagreb, Zadar
- KB Cook
- Sep 15
- 9 min read
Day 33 Zagreb
Probably due to my not pushing water, I slept poorly, but was up ahead of my alarm. Unsure that the reception desk would arrive to assist in getting my bag down, I managed to maneuver it out the door and down the tight spiral metal staircase. From the plaza it was then an easy walk to the Rijeka bus station. Early, and the 10am bus was late. Putting my bags underneath, there was a 2,60€charge. I was able to ride solo, but struck up a conversation with an Italian doctor.
Raining most of the way, still the countryside was brilliant, with the deep green – almost black – of the fir trees contrasting with the spring green of the newly leafing deciduous trees. We were about half an hour late into Zagreb, a bit after 1pm. I pulled out my slicker from my luggage, slipped it on, and began the 10-minute trek to the Hotel Slisko. Truly an efficiency room, it was barely wider than double the single mattress bed against the wall. The bathroom was compact, but had sufficient shelf space for my toiletries.
First thing on my list was to head to the cathedral. On a northwest diagonal that took me around a square in the Lower Town, the 2.3km walk was 30 minutes per Maps.
As I approached, the massive pair of spires were encased in dense scaffolding, some of which was wrapped with canvas depicting its original state. An earthquake in 2020 had seriously damaged the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Stephen and Ladislaus / Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja i sv. Stjepana i Ladislava, and construction barricades kept non-workers at a distance.
The Episcopal residence and offices sit to the north. A gift shop attendant advised me that there was no way to enter the cathedral, but nearby was a space operating as the bishop’s seat. Adjoining the residence, sitting back from the sidewalk is a low, single-story building which had been a youth center, and was now the acting but unofficial pro-cathedral, Worship Space Blessed Alojzija Stepinca. Through the door I was able to spot the cathedra, meaning I could count this building!
While my pre-trip research indicated only a single cathedral in the Croatian capital, I try to remember to check when feet are on the ground. Not too far away, there was a Greek Catholic co-cathedral. As I headed west, I came across a (closed) establishment bearing the label “Tolkien’s Hou
se”. Per Google, it’s a bar, Lord of the Ring themed. Seeing an Eastern-style church tower, I thought I’d found it, but the Greek-Catholic Co-Cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius - Grkokatolička konkatedrala sv. Ćirila i Metoda was mid-block, hemmed in by buildings on both sides, and closed.
[Hard for me to believe, but I was just down the street from the Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration, which I have in my spreadsheet of “Missed Cathedrals”, but hadn’t copied to the itinerary. Nor did it surface in my search while in Zagreb!]
I walked up the street to the Basilica of St Mark the Evangelist, an interesting building with a mosaic in the red, white, and blue tiles on its roof, similar to St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. While I was getting better taking pictures while holding the umbrella, the pictures all have that feeling of oppressive grayness. And, unfortunately, I’d reached another closed church.
Walking back past Sts Cyril and Methodius, I came to the Lotrščak Tower. Combined with a museum, I was able to climb to the top where a cannon fires daily. It offered panoramic views of Zagreb. These included some nice heads-on shots of the Zagreb Cathedral.
Back to street level, I began a descent from history to today. Street murals decorated walls, typically near public houses. The streets were one way, narrow, and slick with rain. The pub Valhalla intrigued me with a posting of 15 draft beers, and I stepped into a smoked-filled bar. A pint of Pulfer, a New Zealand hoppy-style pilsner, trying to chat with a few of the regulars.
Strolling back in the light rain, I took a few more pictures.
Back in the room, with a glass of tap water, I updated my journal, noting that I really hadn’t seen much in the four hours I’d been out and about. After doing some emails and Facebook, it was seven and I was hungry. Pizzeria Butler was in the lobby of the hotel, so I took the lazy man’s rainy-day option. In addition to their standard named pizza, they had a full page of extra toppings! So I started with a Cinque Formaggi. And added pepperoni, salami, garlic, prosciutto crudo and Calabria sausage. And it was fabulous, with a draft Zlatni medjved draft. The fellow at the next table, a Brit from Manchester, originally from Tanzania, and I struck up a conversation. Andrew and I covered a lot of British and religious history
Back to the room, I dealt with changing appointments for medical stuff when I returned to Florida. There was a message from Air Canda about flight changes for my October trip to Montreal and Ottawa. All taken care of, I crept into the slim bed.
Day 34 Zadar
Fortunately, I remembered to put the chain on the entry door to my room, as housekeeping attempted to barge in at 8:30, just as I was getting ready to get up. Since I hadn’t opened the bigger roller, I had little to pack up besides toiletries once I showered and dressed. After checking out, I sat in the lobby for a half hour waiting out the sprinkles before heading out back to the bus station.
However, I accidentally took a wrong turn (too early) and entered the police station. The woman officer there was polite and personable, directing me on; while the male was gruff and angry. (Who pee’d in his Cheerios?) Once I found the platform and handed over my bags (no fee this time), I headed to the entry stairs. Another passenger criticized me for not speaking “Croatian”, which is actually a dialect of Slavic. Something must have been in the air?
The front seat next to the driver was free, so I enjoyed the view the whole way to Zadar, including after the 15-minute break at 12:15. We’d left on time (10:30) and arrived on time too (1400). First off, I got my bag avoiding the grump, and after checking Maps, was able to stroll to the Guesthouse Villa Maggie. My email’d instructions were clear, however the procedure for locking and unlocking the gate, front door and room soon proved tedious. The room had a full bed occupying much of the floor space. The bathroom was big, the hot water heater in the corner over the toilet, but decent shelf space.
After lightly unpacking, I grabbed the Jameson windbreaker, string bag and my camera. Nearby was a maternity hospital (I’m guessing) as the murals showed storks and babies. I followed Maps as I headed into Zadar, walking along the old fortification wall. Coming through an arch, I found stairs to take me up to the lovely park beyond the walls. At another fortification, I encountered a tower and plaza, with archeological recoveries on display beyond a low stone wall. A straight shot down a pedestrian walkway would lead me to the cathedral.
However, numerous open churches beckoned. I stuck my head into a few. The city hall almost looked like a church, but lacked the crowning with a cross. Ahead the polished stone street led to the seven-story tall bell- and clock-tower. Coming to the open square before it, the circular Church of St. Donatus caught my attention.
The oldest pre-Romanesque church in Croatia, construction began in the ninth century. With a 3,50€ admission, I’d hoped for more, as the space inside was rather spare. A stairwell allowed mounting to the gallery, which offered good views of both the floor and the vault. Evidence of the reuse of Roman temple stones popped up here and there.
Outside, the broad plaza has sections walled off to display finds. I came around the block, finding the primary entrance to the Cathedral of Saint Anastasia/ Katedrala sv. Stošije (Anastazije) which faces a bit north of northwest.
Over the three arched doorways, columns line the façade, with two circular windows over the central archway. The archdiocese’s office walls off one side of the square in front of the cathedral. A café opposite to the offices has co-opted the square in front of the north side, filling it with tables, chairs and umbrellas.
Entering, I first looked down the side aisles, before snatching an unobstructed view of the center. The nave floor columns and arches, and the similarly adorned gallery are more oyster in color, while the walls with the clerestory windows are a clean ivory, also reflected in the presbytery. The side aisle walls have shallow altars and shrines, the paintings framed with dark marble columns, alabaster statues and decorative effects. Behind in the loft, modern chrome organ pipes blocked the view of the lone rose window.
In the apse, the walls are lined with intricately carved choir stalls, with small gold bas-relief depictions of martyrs. I did get up behind the altar, making a few attempts to get shots of the nave from behind the baldachin.
Down into the crypt, ivory columns supported the ceiling (floor) and a small altar table stands in the daylight. With a low ceiling and little on the walls or floors, it was a brief visit. The choir robing room, off the sacristy, has a large mosaic on the floor. There appeared to be two baptismal fonts – one possibly recycled from Roman times, the second larger and in a separate room, but still allowing for full immersion inside its inner octagonal stone barrel.
My 5€ gave me access to the stairs to climb the tower. With tight fits both at the bottom (stone walls) and top (metal steps and railings), the intermediate space on the first floor had informative displays. Up to the top, and the panoramic views were spectacular – the weather cooperated! Out to the west, across what could be called an intercoastal, the island of Ugljan provided the first barrier out to the Adriatic. From the top, looking down into the tower, the large cast bells hung awaiting a peal. BTW, it was interesting to find that atop the peak, a dragon is affixed.
Each time I came out onto the square in front of the cathedral, I took more pictures, hoping (against hope) that the ice cream-consuming tourist and ever-present Chinese hordes had moved on. Without the blessings of the city government, I suspect the plaza and its side street will never be empty.
Returning following the route I’d made to get to the cathedral, I passed the square again with the city hall. Saturday evening at 5pm, it seemed that things were starting to quiet down, as most were sitting at cafés and not wandering in and out of stores. Emblems and shields carved in stone and included in walls continued to catch my eye
A taxi rank filled a curve outside the wall. I inquired as to a cost for a trip to Nin, some 20km to the north. Quoted 45€, I felt it a good investment. Arriving there in about a half hour, the former cathedral stood a bit out of the main village square. A small narrow church, its campanile a church-width away, Crkva sv. Anselma drew me in.
After a few pictures and prayers, I continued to the adjoining building, which had a sign indicating it was actually the site of the first Croatian cathedral, for the early Croatian kings from the sixth to eighteenth centuries. Nadžupna Crkva sv. Anselma / archparish Church of St Anselm, was unfortunately closed. It has the reputation for being the smallest cathedral in the world.
As we drove back, off in a field on a rise was a structure with curved walls and a crenellated top. My driver offered to stop and wait as I hoofed it across the field and up the mound. Two cyclists had stopped for a rest. A medallion proved it to be a historic site, but no other markings were there. I learned it was Church of St. Nicholas/Crkva sv. Nikola. A local guide posted, “The only preserved example of the early Romanesque architecture in Dalmatia. It was built in XI-XII century.”
Once back to Zadar, I thanked and paid my driver as he dropped me close to my lodgings. After dropping my gear off and doing a little Facebook and email, I checked with Maps and found Kužina grill and pasta just a quarter kilometer down the street. Quaffing a draft Karlovačko, I supped on gnocchi with truffles, and medallions with gorgonzola sauce. The gnocchi were tender, melt in your mouth delicious, while the “cubed steak” didn’t merit a note. “Pancakes” (crepes) with walnuts for dessert.
Back to my room, I decided to rough it again and not open the big roller. I’d hoped for a quiet night, staying out of Zadar proper, but the water heater had a whistle, and I was unsuccessful. The room was cooler than I liked, but I decided to tough it out.
[The attentive to details will note that I've reused Day 33 - checking the whole trip report document, I found I had skipped using the Day 8 label during my transatlantic crossing narrative.]
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