Zagreb Warnings Or Dangers

Do not drive your car when snowing in Zagreb, this is how it looks just a foot from the Main Square.
When snowing in Zagreb it is a kinda of natural catasprophy, in that circumstances use the public transportation which is very well organized, or go by foot.

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There are many parks in the city area, therefore Zagreb is considering as a green town. There are many flower arrangment all over the town, but do not try to pick up the flowers coz the citizens of Zagreb are very fond of it and you may be warned in unpleasent way not to do that.

Well, this is a rather delicate subject!
We are talking about your nose, dear traveler. Once you decide to visit the zoo in Zagreb and should for any reason find the urgent need to see the WC, please consider this: You shouldn't be too picky, for the sanitary installations and maintenance aren't really what you might expect.

You'll find that out already while approaching the facilities when your nose is recommending the near bush for your small operation, because the odour isn't really from this world...

the pic is dated summer 79, my uncle and me in the depicted zoo

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After the bloody secession that broke up Yugoslavia, the former enemies Croatia and Serbia, have normalised official relations. There are train and bus connections between both countries. There is also a main and good motorway down from Greece through the former Yugoslavian countries up to Italy. I used this four lane motorway to come back from Bulgaria to Italy. It’s quite easy to go across, despite the waiting time in the borders that broke the then-Yugoslavia into 7 different countries. Before, there was no borders here.
Traveling through the region is quite safe. The war ended many years ago.

Nevertheless, beware of the following:
Croatia has its own currency, the kuna, while Serbia still uses the dinar. Slovenia, as a EU country and euro member, uses now the euro.

As of last year (2008) the Croatian law forbid the use of euros in commerce. One coming from Slovenia to Croatia, had to get Croatian currency because it was not legal to pay with euros. If you aim to travel farther into Serbia, save your remaining euros then. Serbian shops are allowed to accept euros, but do not accept Croatian kunas.

Try to spend your Croatian money before going to Serbia as it will be difficult to change it in Serbia. I could also not get Serbian dinars in Croatia. Exchange offices in Zagreb do not have Serbian currency. The train between Zagreb and Belgrade allows payment in both currencies, but you must use the Croatian currency before crossing the border. That’s why I had lunch on the train. I ate a dish from Southern Serbia (the train staff told me) paid with Croatian kunas before crossing the Croatian-Serbian border.

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When you hear a loud BANG at noon while walking around the city don't panic. It's only the cannon of Lotrscak Tower. For over 100 years it has been telling the people of Zagreb that it's noon.

I waited for the cannon at noon one day so that I can take a picture of the firing cannon. Because of the very loud noise I was too shocked to press the release button of my camera though. And so were the other two guys who were waiting with their cameras.

So all you can see on my 2nd picture is a little smoke. I thought for my next try I would need four hands - two to close my ears and two for the camera - but I succeeded eventually in 2007, as you can see on the 1st pic.

If you are coloured, asian, black etc etc do not visit zagreb it is the most racist place i have visited in europe - on top of that the country is over priced and the night life is rubbish - you can go to a hip hop club listen to black music with black people on the TV Screens but everyone in there is white and only white people are allowed in the VIP area upstairs - it was blatantly told to us that we were not allowed upstairs because we were coloured - didnt matter how much money we offered

Cab drivers are lunatics - always pissed up

Strip clubs will rob your money

Over all the worst holiday ever wouldnt recomend even pissing on this country

When I asked for a travel guide of Croatia, I made the terrible blunder to mention this "language ". The man in the bookshop became very angry and rejected the term as a colonial Serbian invention , since the two languages are very different!
I believe that he exagerated , but I took care not to mention this still delicate matter afterwards.

The parking in front of the National Theatre is a time-limited area. The tickets for various intervals are not at hand, so you have to ask the locals ( preferable in German ).
When we came back within a 10 - 15 minutes delay, the fine was already there ! The payement must be done at the local post office, in cash or in some accepted CC ( and VISA Electron is NOT one of them !)