Summer tourism in Zagreb.
Blue, green, polka-dot, plaid and classic black umbrellas have covered the streets of downtown Zagreb on the first rainy and cool day after nearly a month and a half of dry and extremely hot weather. However, despite temperatures which were up to 15 degrees lower than just a few days earlier, citizens and tourists alike were not ready to jump into long sleeves, reports Vecernji List on August 18, 2015.
It seemed that the citizens could not agree how to dress for the colder weather. They were completely uncoordinated, some with rubber boots and warm sweaters, and others with short sleeves and summer shoes.
Citizens of Zagreb, whom the rain and unstable weather have forced to come back to the city from the coast, filled the streets of their city. However, waiters, sellers of popcorn and postcards and museum employees claim that there are still more tourists than regular citizens.
Many of them have gathered in the Upper Town, with the focus on the Museum of Broken Relationships, an ideal shelter from the rain. “We have even more tourists during these cold days, especially on Mondays, when the national museums are not opened, while we work until 22.30”, said museum employees Mia Tepša and Ivana Hrgovčić.
However, those who spend their time in the open wished that the temperatures were still high. “We hope it will not rain”, said Chris Barnes, Peter Wingham and Serhat Ozkanli from the United Kingdom. Girls from Switzerland had the same wish. “We do not want to give in to cold weather. We have sandals despite the rain”, said Andrea Perković and Beatrice Rüegg.
Although Zagreb had 400,000 tourist arrivals from the beginning of the year to June, tourists do not spend much, according to restaurateurs and artisans who eagerly await the return of the citizens of Zagreb to their city. “Local people spend more money. In addition to everything, the sudden drop in temperature has a bad influence on my blood pressure”, said Ibraimi Hakik who has been selling popcorn and corn on the Flower Square since 1972. Florists are also having trouble. When it rains, they cannot hide in their little street shops because the roofs leak. The city is still not nearly as full as during the year”, said a waiter in the Bulldog pub. However, summer is nearing its end and people are beginning to return to Zagreb, as was evident by yesterday’s road traffic – lines in front of the Lučko toll plaza were about three kilometres long.
