Locals Measure Distance in Minutes, Not Kilometers
Locals Measure Distance in Minutes, Not Kilometers
The city is wonderfully walkable, and locals navigate by feel rather than maps. This is why Zagreb feels relaxed: no rush, no pressure, no obsession with distance.
In Zagreb, everything is “10 minutes away”—and most of the time, it’s true.
The City Runs on „Coffee“, Not on Rush
Coffee, widely consumed as the most popular drink, along with „Žuja“ (Ožujsko beer), is merely an excuse for socializing – Zagreb locals do it at any time and at any ocassion. Whether it be a casual meeting with a friend or a short business meeting, an invitation for Coffee stands by as the warmest of the local greetings. However, pay attention to these little details :“Let’s go for a coffee“ – this also means „it’s on me to pay“. Locals take their invitations seriously so the invite is a sincere one. If there is a bakery on the way, you will mostly be allowed to bring in something to nible – now this is unusual since in most of the countries coffee shops serve some food too – not the case in Croatia. However, if you see a cake shop, don’t bring the bakery stuff in it.
This one you might have read in some guide books – the locals are always in the cafes, scattered around the city center, numerous inviting terraces with super comfortable chairs await from morning to evening.
Everyone read Newspapers in the coffee shops
This can later be discussed with your pals (be aware, everybody become experts all of a sudden for all kinds of topics!). The older the locals, the more interesting the fight (not the real one but the debate can sounds as a heated conversation – especially if there is local liquer „Pelinkovac“ fueling the spirits.
It’s a question of tradition – when you sit down for a coffee, the Newspapers should be there so you quickly run through the titles and you get a quick update what’s going on.
Sunday Is Sacred (and Very Quiet)
The city slows down. Shops stay closed, streets are quieter, and there’s no sense of urgency anywhere. By early afternoon—usually between 1 and 2 p.m.—most families are already at home, sitting down for lunch together.<br />
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Before that, many locals make a short stop at Dolac Market. Not for a big shop—just a few fresh vegetables and maybe some fruits. It’s more about the ritual than the groceries. Dolac, one of the center scenes, is usually opened from 7:00 -13:00 hrs, so there is enough time for a leisurely morning.<br />
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From there, it’s time for coffee. Not a takeaway, not rushed. Just sitting, watching the city pass by, letting Sunday do what it does best—nothing in particular. Then it’s home for lunch.<br />
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For many Zagreb families, Sunday also includes a walk through Mirogoj Cemetery. It’s not sad or heavy. It’s quiet, beautiful, almost comforting. That’s a Zagreb Sunday. Simple, slow, and very much lived from the inside.
Sunday in Zagreb has its own rhythm, reglardles if you wake up on the sunny summer day or a gloomy winter day.
Shopping Secrets – (Some Things We Keep to Ourselves)
Hi travel lovers, here are few more insights into our dear Zagreb. As you know, every city has its little secrets, and in Zagreb, some of them are intentionally left unspoken. Especially when it comes to food. I am sure that foreigners (expats) who now live in Zagreb for several years know very well what it means to go on discovering special places…<br />
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Most locals have their places. A butcher they trust without question. Someone they’ve been buying from for years, sometimes decades. The same goes for fresh cottage cheese, sour cream, or eggs. These are not shops you’ll find on lists or maps. You come across them slowly, over time—and once you do, you tend to keep them to yourself.<br />
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In Zagreb, food shopping is about routine, familiarity, and loyalty as much as it is about quality. I think we are all very spoiled – the tomatos still taste as tomatos in Croatia!<br />
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Eventually, if you stay long enough, you develop your own favorites too. Until then, simply watching how locals shop—who they greet by name, where they stop without thinking—is part of getting to know the city from the inside.
Hi travel lovers, here are few more insights into our dear Zagreb.
