February the 6th, 2025 – There’s a quirky Zagreb, a Strange Zagreb, a Foodie Zagreb, and more. In fact, the Croatian capital city wears many different coats (and very well). Did you also know there’s a romantic Zagreb that you just have to meet?
Valentine’s Day is the day that reminds us to show and express our love for our significant others, but it has recently evolved to be more inclusive. It now regards good friends, family members, and others we hold dear and are perhaps a bit too awkward to show our feelings for unless a day has been designated for it. Be it teddy bears and chocolates, cards and flowers, or a nice meal in a restaurant that you wouldn’t normally visit, there are countless ways to mark that mid-February day.
Romantic Zagreb is a proverbial outfit the Croatian capital dons in each year’s second month, and it looks good wearing it. There’s nothing quite like taking a stroll up into Gornji Grad (Upper Town), along to Dolac, the Gradac plateau, and then looking over the twinkling lights of the city down below. It’s the city’s peaceful heart, and belongs to a part of Zagreb that has been there for centuries, outliving regimes and countless mortal lives.
get to know the old romantic soul of zagreb through its vistas
If you’re not up for the stroll, this view can also be accessed by strolling from Trg Bana Josipa Jelačića (the main square) to Tomićeva Ulica (Tomić Street) and taking one of the world’s oldest, shortest, and yet steepest funiculars. Called an “uspinjača” in Croatian, this short but sweet ride provides a unique view of sprawling Zagreb, characterised by a charming mixture of glam Austro-Hungarian architecture, much older buildings, socialist brutalism and modern giants.
The beauty of Gornji Grad is that is quite suddenly transports you back into the past. The lamps are reminiscent of the old gas ones that once lined the streets of 19th century European cities across the continent. The soft, warm glow they provide against the old buildings that have seen regimes and in Croatia’s case – entire states – come and go throughout the centuries are the perfect “time machine”.
Couples and families have walked these streets in the thousands, and nowhere could be more perfect for a steady stroll and being in the moment with someone you hold dear to your own heart.
What could be a better introduction to the romantic side of Zagreb than a leisurely stroll through the city streets of an evening. Sitting and watching as the sky turns into an burnt orange and purple tinted watercolour canvas above the city is a special experience. It’s made even better when it is shared with a loved one.
zagreb’s booming restaurant scene will cater to all tastes and fancies
Alright, I’ll admit that going out for dinner at a nice restaurant with someone you love is hardly creative, but it’s nothing new because it works! Luckily, Zagreb has had a restaurant boom over the last decade or so, and it seems as if it isn’t set to slow down anytime soon. Once a city known for some award winning local restaurants such as Dubravkin Put, it has expanded to include all kinds of international options.
Indian, Lebanese, Turkish, Latin, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Sri Lankan, American, Nepalese… the list goes on (and then on a bit more). You’re guaranteed to find something that takes your fancy on Valentine’s Day, and I can guarantee the ambience will be up your street, too.
Talking of streets, you can combine that romantic walk and some excellent food from almost anywhere in the world by taking a wander down the famous Tkalčićeva Ulica. This pedestrianised old street lies in the very heart of Zagreb’s centre and is lined with bars, restaurants and more. Charming old buildings mix in perfectly with the much more modern array of delicacies that can be sampled there, and you’ll rarely find anywhere else where a spicy Sri Lankan dish can be helped down the hatchet with some strong Croatian rakija.
Tkalčićeva can be accessed either by descending up from the main square, or by wandering through the Grič tunnel.
sunsets and views on sljeme
Sunsets are always a perfect way to stoke the romance, and while Zagreb isn’t on the coast and therefore spoiled with those famous sunsets over the Adriatic Sea, the city does have a fantastic, quiet sunset “viewing point” that will speak to all souls.
Head up the winding road to the mighty Medvednica, the heavily forested mountain that towers over the city. It’s locally known as Sljeme, which translates to “summit” in Kajkavian, the dialect of Croatian spoken in and around Zagreb. This natural paradise will instantly make you feel as if you’re nowhere near a bustling metropolis, but instead in some beautiful rural hamlet somewhere on the other side of it (which is actually Zagorje!).
A drive up Sljeme will often treat you to snow despite the city below being free of it, and the sunsets from the multiple romantic seating and picnic areas are absolutely beautiful. As the city lights twinkle like stars below, it’s the perfect place to relax, take a deep breath of fresh mountain air and enjoy the company of the one you love.
If you want to impress, take the Sljeme cable car up the mountain instead for a romantic journey up above Zagreb into a natural paradise.
zagreb – the city of flowers
I always like to joke about how Zagreb has an incredibly abundant number of hair salons. You can’t get down most streets without the words frizerski salon jumping out at you. The same can be said for florists and flower shops/stalls. What could be more perfect for Valentine’s Day in the Croatian capital than being surrounded by endless floral options?
No matter where you wander through the city, you’ll undoubtedly come upon flower shops, stalls, florists and arrangements of all kinds being sold. There’s even a Flower Square! (Cvjetni trg). This huge amount of petals and pollen is not ideal for the hayfever sufferer, of course, but it’s perfect if you’re wanting to be romantic in Zagreb and need a last minute rose-coloured idea.
jewellery is never hard to come by in zagreb
Alongside being the city of flowers, there are also countless jewellery options dotted all over the city. Some are famous Croatian brands which work with classic designs that are quintessential Zagreb. Could anything ever be more thoughtful than the much loved licitar heart made in a tiny gold or silver version in a necklace, bracelet or earrings?
Nothing quite says “I love you” and bears Zagreb’s signature as well as your own like licitar hearts, and jewellery stores across the city typically sell some variation of these beautiful and timeless sentiments.
being romantic in zagreb is effortless
Valentine’s Day is all above love. That might be romantic love, platonic love, or familial love. The day represents a firming of bonds and the expression of appreciation and care for those who mean the most to us. Flowers are always beautiful, chocolates are welcome, teddy bears will never stop being cute and jewellery is timeless, but it’s about more than those things.
The atmosphere, the thought and being present are things that cannot be paid for, and cannot be underestimated. I’ll be honest, when it comes to being romantic, Zagreb does all the work for you. You just need to show up.
