On the Road Once Again: Zagreb

Zagreb has long been the commercial and cultural center of Croatia, but it wasn't until Croatia declared its independence in 1991 that it officially became the capital. Croatia was part of Yugoslavia -- formed after the end of World War I -- and before that a part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It has only been a sovereign nation for a few decades. Today, one in six Croats live in Zagreb.

World's Shortest Funicular

Zagreb was formed in 1850 by the merger of two hill towns, Gradec and Kaptol, and continued to grow and flourish when the railroad came through. Because of the topography and elevation change, central Zagreb is divided into Upper Town and Lower Town. A funicular train still transports people between Upper and Lower Town, just as it has since the late 19th century. It's billed as the shortest funicular in the world.

We spent the day walking and exploring the Upper Town area. We had hoped to go to the church service at the Cathedral, but it has been closed to the public since it was damaged in a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in March 2020. Significant damage is being repaired including the top of one of its spires that collapsed.

Our day in pictures:

St. Mark's Church has the crests of Croatia and Zagreb as part of its tile roof. It sits in the middle of St. Mark's square and is surrounded by the seat of the Croatian government, including the parliament building and the constitutional court.

The Gric Tunnel runs underneath a portion of the Upper Town. It was built as a bomb shelter in World War II. Now it's a great shortcut as well as a much cooler area to escape the heat.

On Sundays, there is a local flea market at Britanski Square. Definitely a locals' experience. Lots of great deals on books, many by American authors we knew except the book was translated in Croatian.

A "postcard" view of the Zagreb Cathedral. This was set up as a picture-taking spot at a local festival currently taking place.