Secret Zagreb’s year at Love Zagreb – 2025 edition
Can’t believe it’s already been five years since we’ve started writing for the Love Zagreb blog with stories from Zagreb locals. The blog is managed by Zagreb Tourism Board. This is an ongoing collaboration, and so far, we’ve contributed with dozens of articles, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration in 2026. You can find all of our articles in the Untold Stories section. Right now, we’re bringing you an overview of what we wrote about this year. Click on the article title or the photo caption to read the full story of each article. The most recent ones come first, and the last one will take you to the beginning of the year.
Carol of the Zagreb Bells
One of the bells of the Zagreb Cathedral, crafted back in 1707, weighed more than 5 tons! Lifting such heavy weights and playing with fire! Sounds like a man’s job. Well, say that to Anna Maria Foresti, who crafted 80 bells herself. She took over her deceased husband’s business in 1735 – and delivered! She wasn’t the only woman bell maker in Zagreb. In fact, it became quite customary for women to take over their husbands’ workshops.
Seize the Last Days of the Year in Zagreb
2025 is coming to a close, and many people are already shutting down for the year, even culturally. If you are one of them, let us stop you right there, as there are still so many things left to see. Some are only available before 2026
Here are several suggestions of things to visit in Zagreb in the upcoming days.
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Bringing Vintage Zagreb Winters to Life
The first snowfall came early this year! Zagreb woke up covered in a white layer of snow as early as November. Just in time, as the entire city prepares for Advent Zagreb. The Christmas festivities take place from 29 November to 7 January.
Will there be snow during that time? We can’t tell, but we’re sure longing for more magical snowy days. The winter scenery brought a sense of nostalgia. Why not dive straight into the winters of old by bringing some old photos to life? At the same time, the animated images make a lovely bucket list of the places in Zagreb that look best under the fluffy white cover.
Mo Bros of Zagreb
November is here! Or better yet, Movember. Movember is a movement that changes the face of men’s health by changing the face of men themselves.
To raise awareness, all you have to do is grow your best moustache. Some famous men in the city’s history were ahead of their time. When you walk around Zagreb, you will likely run into some historical Mo Bros. In your opinion, which one of them wears their moustache best?
Sculpture Gardens
Why don’t we visit some of the “sculpture gardens” of Zagreb together? Whether you’re an art enthusiast or you adore city discoveries, this article might add some spots to your Zagreb bucket list.
Spiralling through Dugave
It took only a few years to build the special neighbourhood that would become home to around 11,000 people at the south end of the city in the early 1980s. And what a neighbourhood! It finds inspiration in the old town through buildings that feature secluded green spaces. However, the Dugave buildings, more like horseshoes than blocks, are entirely original compared to the rest of the city. The blocks are not perfectly rectangular and are often opening up towards the fields in the south, with “their backs” turned to the older parts of the city. The spaces within are true arboretums, home to a variety of green residents.
The 16th Meridian
What do Norway, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Libya, Cameroon, Congo, and Croatia have in common? An invisible thread connects them, a line that stretches from the Arctic Ocean to the Queen Maud Land on Antarctica: it’s the 16th meridian east of Greenwich.
10 Zagreb Curiosities
If you love pursuing records, trivia and oddities – welcome to Zagreb! There are so many peculiarities that it was hard to make a list of only 10.
Comfort road for mountain biking
If you like to take your bike on an off-road adventure, Zagreb and its surroundings have plenty of options. There are so many that it’s hard to select. That’s why some people have their comfort trails – trails that always work for them.
Trotting through Zagreb like a king
Can you imagine Croatia existed in the Middle Ages? It is a widely accepted notion that the first Croatian king was crowned in 925. This makes the year 2025 a monumental anniversary—1,100 years of Croatian medieval kingdom. Where was Zagreb at the time?
Carnival season in Zagreb
The Carnival has always been an opportunity to mock societal problems and hypocrisy. Also, it is an ideal time to make fun of the authorities, the politics, and the untouchables. If we travelled back through time to the early 20th century, we would find ourselves in a vast carnival parade alongside the main square and down the Ilica street in Zagreb. The carnival groups would make us laugh with their criticism of all the things wrong. It was a time of fun and lightheartedness, where everyone let loose and enjoyed the festivities. The tradition of street parades never recovered after the WWI.
Conquering the Upper Town
The adorable Upper Town is the historical heart of the city. The serene area amazes us with beautiful views from its hilltop during the day and the lingering lights of the gas lamps in the evening. The sense of place is tangible, so why would you even think of skipping the area?
And that’s it for 2025. Take a look at lovezagreb.hr and enjoy all the stories written by Zagreb locals. You can find Secret Zagreb contributions in the Untold Stories section. We’ll continue writing in 2026!
