A 90 Minute Dash Around Zagreb
Trip Over to Croatia
After arriving in Zagreb and checking into the super luxe Esplanade Hotel on a cloudy, but warm, spring day, we immediately set off to explore. In keeping with my plan of slow travel, and knowing we had 3 days, on day one we had a look around the area of our hotel, up through Josipa Jura Strossmayera Park to the main square. The park forms the eastern side of what is known as the ‘Green Horseshoe’ a U-shaped section of parks all beautifully looked after by Zagreb City.
The next day, again under cloudy skies, we set off walking further afield, then the rain set in, it rained all night and most of the next day, but still we persevered, with me whingeing and whining about the dismal white/grey sky ruining my photos.
I woke up on our last day in Zagreb, and looked out the window, of course – beautiful blue skies, the building opposite that houses the offices for the Croatian Railway was bathed in sunlight – it was a cool crisp morning and we weren’t being picked up until 2.30pm for the drive to Ljubljana in Slovenia. After breakfast I set off, at speed, to re-take all the photos I had taken the previous few days, and get back to the hotel in time to check out at mid-day, and of course, have a delicious lunch in Le Bistro……….
I had a plan to do a huge lap of Zagreb taking in everything I could, while keeping an eye on the time. Starting at the Botanical Gardens just up the road from the hotel, the rather drab pond now sparkled in the sunlight. The little bridge was reflected in the pond, the grass was all green and long after so much rain and all the blossoms were out. I raced on through the Gardens, coming out on the far corner near the State Archives building, a very interesting looking building with huge owls on the corners of the roof. This set me up to walk up the left side of the U-Shape of the Green Horseshoe or parks and gardens. Sitting in a park outside the front of the Archives building is an enormous sculpture of Marko Marulić, a Croatian poet at Renaissance humanist who lived from 1450 to 1524. Behind Marko, you can look across to the Museum of Arts and Crafts, which is actually far more interesting than the name implies, a great place to visit on a rainy day. Then in even more beautifully manicured gardens is the Academy of Drama and the Croatian National Theatre.
At the top of the Green Horse Shoe, in the gardens opposite the front of the National Theatre is a lovely sculpture by Croatian artist and architect Ivan Meštrović. The Well of Life, a bronze sculpture created in 1905, depicting the various stages of human life.
Now it was time to head up into the upper city. From the Well of Life walk towards the city and turn left into Gunduliceva Ul, when you reach the end of this street, turn right into the main shopping street and cross of the road, just along here is the shortest funicular in the word. It might not cover a great distance but it is a life saver. Desperately hoping I hadn’t just missed one, they run every 10 minutes, but today I didn’t have 10 minutes to wait – I would have had to walk up the steps as we did the day before, it’s a killer! Fortunately I got there just as one was ready to leave and leapt on………..at the top of the funicular is a 13th century tower, Lotrščak Tower, built to protect the city. Everyday at noon a cannon is fired to allow all the clocks in the city to be synchronised.
I wanted to get a few more photos on Strossmartre, but it was break time at the high school there and all the students were out enjoying the sunshine. I will write more stories about Zagreb showing photos in this area. I went straight up to St Marks Square dominated by the much photographed Church of St Mark, built in the 13th and 14th centuries with the Coat of Arms of Zagreb and Croatia inlaid in the roof tiles.
From here I ran down to the Stone Gate, one of the original city gates dating back to the 1200s, destroyed many times by fire, still covered in soot from the last fire in 1731, it is now a very tiny church after a painting of the Virgin Mary survived the fire. You can walk through as it is the main pathway through to Radiciva Street, there will often be people lighting candles and praying.
Emerging from the Stone Gate you come to the statue of St George on his horse standing over the slayed dragon. After the slaying St George has his head bowed and helmet in hand, while his horse looks down at the dragon.
There are lots of small interesting shops on Radiciva St on the way down the hill back to the lower city, I passed a tour guide telling her group about an astronomically priced tie bought there by Barrack Obama, apparently everyone now wants one……!?!
At the end of this street you come to Jelačić Square, the main square in Zagreb, often full of market stalls. There is an impressive statue of General Josip Jelačić remembered for his military campaigns during the Revolutions of 1848. I turned to take a photo looking back into the square, in the background is the hideous modern building with an observation deck on the top, I did go to the top on a dismal day, on a clear day with more time that I had now, the view would be quite impressive. I think there must have been a special deal on hair dye worn by the two ladies in the foreground, I saw a lot of ladies sporting this coloured hair!!
Now it was time to race down through the other side of the Green Horseshoe and back in the direction of the Esplanade Hotel. At the top of Petrinjska St is a statue of a rather portly gentleman, in a very Churchill type stance, Stjepan Radic was an important Croatian politician in the early 1900s, founder of the Croatian People’s Peasant Party. Continue to walk down this street, then turn right and you will be at Zrinjevac Park.
Zrinjevac Park is yet another example of Zagreb’s beautiful flower beds, the park is set out with benches to sit and chat with friends, or read in the sun, a few statues, fountains and gazebos, the National Art Gallery is at the end of the park, and across the road is the main railway station. The Esplanade Hotel was built for guests travelling on the Orient Express though to Istanbul. We visited the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul a few years earlier, and loved it. This is what gave us the idea to stay at the Esplanade in Zagreb – we were not disappointed, it is magnificent.
I arrived back to the Esplanade Hotel with 20 minutes to spare, so I could quickly pack up in time to check out. Then relax over a lovely lunch before being picked up for the drive to Ljubljana in Slovenia.
Itinerary for Trip Over to Croatia and Slovenia
Qantas flight (Emirates code share) to Zagreb from Sydney via Dubai
Stayed in Zagreb for 3 nights at the super luxe Hotel Esplanade
Private Driver from Zagreb to Ljubljana in Slovenia
Stayed in Ljubljana for 10 days in an Airbnb
Private Driver from Ljubljana to Split, via Plitvice Lakes National Park.
3 night boat cruise from Split to Dubrovnik.
2 nights in Dubrovnik staying at the Pucic Palace Hotel
Fast ferry from Dubrovnik back to Split for a couple more nights in our Airbnb
Private Driver from Split to Zagreb, via Zadar
Qantas flight (Emirates code share) to Sydney via Dubai
Beautiful day to have another amble around the gardens at Schonbrunn Palace after exploring the Imperial Apartments, in another month these gardens will be in full bloom☀️☀️☀️
#schönbrunnpalace #schönbrunnschloss #palacegardens #solotrip
The best part of the day trip from Vienna to Bratislava was the boat trip back to Vienna on the Danube!! The hydofoiling catamaran was fast, about 90 minutes, the crew were great. It was freezing cold and windy outside, but I couldn`t help myself, I just had to keep going out to take photos, then running back in to sip my wine 🥂!!!
Great for solo travelers, I met so many other travellers onboard.
#cruisingonthedanube #twinliner #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
.....further to my previous post. I walked past Hochstrahlbrunne, a fountain built in 1873 to celebrate the opening of Vienna`s high pressure water system. Then once I arrived at Schloss Belvedere, I found that this was not the place to be at Easter. There was one long queue to buy a ticket to stand in one of 3 other long queues to get in!!! Even one of the staff on crowd control said he had never seen it like this - I`ll go back after the Easter weekend crowds have left.
#vienna #viennaeaster #soloteavel #changeofplans
Having mastered the very efficient bus system in Malta, after visiting Lower Barraka Gardens and the War Rooms in the tunnels under Valletta, I headed off out to Tarxien to the pre-historic temples, then out to the east coast to the beautiful fishing village of Marsaxlokk to see the traditional fishing boats.
To read about my 10 day solo adventure in Malta, click the link to my website in the bio.
#solotravelinmalta #solotravelwoman #malta #traveltheworldwithme #tripovertomalta
Chilly morning in Vienna today, but apparently its going to warm up big time tomorrow! First stop Naschmarkt, then strolling past Karlskirche on my way to Schloss Belvedere.......
#naschmarkt #karlskirche #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
The largest synagogue in Europe, built in the 1850s, has been witness to unmentionable horrors during WWII including being bombed. It borders the ghetto where the Jews were left to die. In the garden cemetery there are tens of thousands of nameless bodies and a few that could be identified.
There us a very powerful museum housed here too.
#dohanystreetsynagogue #budapestarchitecture #budapest #soloadventure
The Design Museum over in South Kensington, the `Malta` paving stone was front and centre!!
#londondesignmuseum #southkensington #seeeverythingdoeverything #londonlife
Getting out for a walk after sitting on a plane for 24 hours✨️ I did a lap of Piccadilly and St James`s to see the Christmas lights. All rugged up in a coat, scarf, hat and gloves, I was loving the bracing 3 degree temperature❄️❄️❄️ Then back to @royaloverseaslondon for mulled wine and mince pies💖🎄☃️
#londonatchristmastime #christmaslights #piccadillyarcade #burlingtonarcade #jermynstreet
In search of somewhere to have lunch, I walked down from Piazza del Duomo in the heart of Cefalu, there were many restaurants to choose from. I settled into a lovely place with a deck surrounded by the waves crashing over the rocks and a delicious meal, before continuing to explore the lovely town of Cefalu.
#cefalu #cefalucathedral #cefalusicily #piazzadelduomo #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #tableforone #visitcefalu #crashingwaves #exploretheworld #solotravelinsicily #SoloTravelMagic
A crowd gathers every hour to watch the Astronomical Clock in Prague put on a show 😂 Then some people clap and cheer, and some people laugh in an `is that it` kind of way.
#prague #astronomicalclockprague🏰 #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
The beautiful streets of Valletta, some of the hills and steps are not for the faint hearted!! But it is such an interesting place you just press on regardless.
✨️To read more about my solo adventure to Malta, click the link to my website in the bio - happy travels!
#solotravelinmalta #valletta #malta #soloadventures #sreetsofvalletta
Exploring Prague with lots of walking and lots of tram rides! Walking across Charles Bridge, up to the castle, through Lesser Town, into New Town, and historic Old Town.
#prague #praguelife #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #seeeverythingdoeverything
It was a lovely sunny London day to walk through Kensington Gardens from South Kensington to Baystwater Rd. Kensington Palace was all locked up for the Christmas break.
#kensingtonpalace #kensingtongardenslondon #london #solotravelinlondon #traveltheworldwithme
Started off this morning heading to a market, but as I was passing St Stephen`s Basilica, the bells were ringing to signal a service was about to start. I figured that would be the way to get in without paying the hefty admission charge ✨️I took a few quick photos before things got underway! Then realised I was the only person there who didn`t know the words, or the actions, so when everyone stood up as part of their routine, as I was in the back row, I just backed out completely.....
#ststephensbasilica #budapest #solotravel #sundayinbudapest
The streets of Valletta, Malta. Endless hours of exploring this amazing place. A wonderful place for solo travellers, easy to get around and very safe. Something for everyone, especially for history buffs!!
#solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravelinmalta
Vienna is magnificent to just wander around aimlessly, the buildings, the parks, everything, just perfect.
#vienna #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
From its lofty position in the hills behind Palermo, Sicily, Monreale boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean. I loved having the town to myself as everyone was at the cathedral service ✨️💖
#monreale #viewfromthetop #blueskyandsunshine #solotravelinsicily #palermo
After visiting Monreale Cathedral and marveling at all the gold✨️ I enjoyed a serene walk around town. With most people still attending the service, I had the place almost to myself.
#monreale #monrealecathedral #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring
Aimlessly wandering around the streets of Prague - beautiful💖
#prague #praguelife #solotrip #praguearchitecture
On my solo adventure in Palermo, Quattro Canti became a familiar spot I visited almost daily ✨️ This iconic intersection of Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the center of the city`s historic quarters - Kalsa, Seralcadi, Albergaria, and Castellammare all meet here.
In the evenings, it`s the perfect spot to soak up the atmosphere and plan a night out at one of the many restaurants on Via Maqueda.
#solotravelinsicily #palermo #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip #quattrocantipalermo
Another short bus trip from Palermo in Sicily, up the coast to Mondello Beach✨️ lovely to walk along the promenade, but I have never had so many Indian market stall holders trying to sell me a sarong, and this was a quiet day in early spring, peak summer must be horrendous!!! I was hoping to have lunch at Alle Terrazze, a beautiful castle like restaurant just off the beach, but sadly they were closed for a private event, but further along I found a lovely seafood restaurant🥂
#solotravelinsicily #journeywoman #traveltheworldwithme #mondellobeach #sicily
Had lunch in one of London`s oldest pubs yesterday, on Fleet St, not far from St Paul`s. Re-built in 1667 after the original Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese pub went up in flames in the great fire of London the previous year🔥
I`ve had better fish and chips in older London pubs - The Prospect of Whitby and The Mayflower - but still very nice to sit by the fire, then explore the rabbit warren of areas in this pub, knowing people have been drinking here for nearly 400 years.
#yeoldecheshirecheese #londonpublunch #historiclondon #solotravelinlondon #londonlife
Popped into Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly yesterday evening ✨️ mainly to have a look at the new double helix staircase built up the middle of the store. Disappointed that they had no feature decorations hanging down the centre of it!!
The lower floors were absolutely packed with people, if one person moved, they all had to. I took a few pics and made a run for it!!
#fortnums #shoppinginlondon #doublehelixstaicase #londonlife #solotravel
Delicious Christmas lunch🎄 @royaloverseaslondon ✨️
We started with a few glasses of bubbles, and a variety of finger foods 🥂while making new friends.
Then moved on to a celeric and truffle foam amuse bouche (that I forgot to photograph!!). Follwed by smoked salmon, roast turkey and Christmas pudding.
I won`t need to eat for a week 💖
#christmaslunch🎄 #christmastimeinlondon #perfectday❤️ #londonlife #londoneats
Perched atop a hill in western Sicily lies the medieval city of Erice ✨️. Most of the current structures, including churches, castles, and the main entrance, date back to the 1100s. And yes, the ice cream is a more modern delight, made fresh that very day!!
#ericesicily #sicily #solotravelinsicily #medievalsicily #sicilianicecream
Cefalu`s Duomo, a masterpiece that took 100 years to build and opened its doors in 1240 ✨️. The exterior belies the intricate interior design, with delicate carvings and stunning mosaics everywhere.
#Sicily #cefalù #cefalusicily #duomodicefalù #cefalucathedral #solotrip #solotravelinsicily #soloadventureinsicily #traveltheworldworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #historicsicily
As promised, a beautiful sunny Easter Sunday in Vienna ☀️☀️☀️ After being in Palermo last Easter, where it was underwhelming, Vienna really knows how to take Easter to the extreme!!!
#easterinvienna #eastermarkets #soloadventure #vienna
Sicily`s hidden gem! Strolling through Cefalu`s ancient rock arches, where the Mediterranean waves crash against the rocks on one side and calm awaits for a swim on the other.
#cefalu #cefalú #cefalubeach #cefalusicily #Sicily #sicilylife #historicsicily #soloadventure #solotrip #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #exploretheworld
Dinner at the Parisi Passage, a historic gem from the 1800s inspired by Parisian arcades, it withstood bombing raids but faced neglect post-war, now revived as a stunning hotel with an incredible restaurant and bar.
#solotravel #parisipassage #parisipassagebudapest #párisipassagecaféandbrasserie
At this time every year Sydney Harbour is filled with light for Vivid Sydney.
#vividsydney #sydneyoperahouse #sydneyharbour #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
As usual, when it cones to museums, I usually find the building more interesting than the exhibits!! Vienna Natural History Museum was no exception!!
#viennanaturalhistorymuseum #vienna #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Walking from Bratislava train station to the town centre takes 15 minutes, passing through a park and by the parliament buildings before reaching the historic cobblestone streets.
This is where the touristification of the town kicks in, every shop is a restaurant or souvenier shop.
Even the castle is a remake of what they think tourists want to see....we actually want to see the original castle!!
#bratislava #streetsofbratislava #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
It`s a museum kind of day in Vienna, 2 to 5 degrees, we`ve had a bit of snow, a bit of sleet, a bit of rain and a lot of cold ❄️❄️❄️
The Furniture Museum is a collection of furnture and other items from the Imperial Palaces, including a display of the toilets from the day.
The museum holds huge stores of furniture that they lend out for movies, plays and other events needing furnishings from that era.
#viennafurnituremuseum #coldday❄️ #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme
More from my ambling around exploring the medieval city of Erice in Sicily, more than 700mtrs above sea level and somehow, back in the 1100s they were able to get all this rock up there to build a castle and so many churches, not to mention a few shops and places to live!!
#ericesicily #medievalsicily #solotravelinsicily #traveltheworldwithme #exploresicily
Hofburg Palace, the Habsburgs` stunning Vienna residence until 1918. Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi) indulged in royal luxury here and spent summers at Schonbrunn Palace. What a life!
#hofburgvienna #sisimuseum #soloadventure #vienna
Cesky Krumlov, a quaint medieval town in the south of the Czech Republic, a simple day trip by train from Prague....then lots and lots of walking on cobble stone paths!!
#ceskykrumlov #daytripfromprague #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Discovering Segesta`s Doric Temple, built in 420BC ✨️, and the adjacent Greek Theatre on a hillside. On this Palermo daytrip, we covered Segesta, Trapani, and Erice (previous posts have more). Apparently, some believe the temple remained unfinished, evident from the unfluted columns and remaining construction blocks.
#segestatemple #daytripfrompalermo #sicily #solotravelinsicily #sicilianhistory
On a chilly Budapest morning, but the blue sky was a nice touch ✨️. I was planning to visit the Hungarian Parliament Building today... but Saturday crowds got the best of me! The exterior of this building is stunning, can`t wait to explore the inside.
#solotravel #hungarianparliamentbuilding #budapest #budapestarchitecture
I spent 10 fantastic days exploring Malta 💖 A great place for solo travellers who love history and endless exploring.
✨️ Read about the places I visited by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
1. St Ursula St, Valletta
2. Victoria Gate, Valletta.
3. Upper Barraka Gardens, Valletta
4. The view from my hotel over The Grand Harbour
5. Victoria Gate, Valletta
6. Valletta street scene
#malta #solotravelinmalta #solotravelwoman #valletta #historylovers neverstopexploring
Just a short hop from Palermo, the markets in Monreale were getting ready for the day, filled with traditional Sicilian Moor`s Heads, or Testa di Moro.
#moorsheads #testadimoro #monreale #solotravelinsicily
Caught the train from Vienna to Bratislava for a day trip. Walking up the hill to visit the castle is not for the faint hearted!! And the walk back down 🥴 brutal on the dodgy knee!!! But I made it 😃!!!
#bratislava #daytripfromvienna #daytripfromviennatobratislava #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel
More sculptures in the streets, and I found another one of the minitures that are dotted all over the city. It`s hard to tell what it is, but perched on the wall near the castle, the little guy in the last photo is looking through his telecope at the city below!!
#streetsculptures #budapest #artinthe streets #solotravel
On the south coast of Sicily, near Agrigento, lies Scala dei Turchi, a stunning limestone formation named after Turkish and Arab pirates who took shelter there in the 16th century. We stopped by after exploring the Valley of the Temples on our day trip from Palermo.
#scaladeiturchi #daytripfrompalermo #solotravelinsicily #sicilytravel
The Hungarian Parliament Building from across the Danube at night ❄️ It was a freezing cold evening, but a quick trip under the Danube on the Metro to get a few photos is just what needs to he done!
#hungarianparliamentbuilding #budapest #soloteavel #traveltheworldwithme
After visiting the Easter Markets at Schonbrunn Palace , I went for a walk up through the gardens, all the way up to the `Gloriette` at the top of the hill way off in the distance.
The Gloriette was built in 1775 for no other reason than the view - when the Habsburgs were sitting on the balcony of their summer Schloss, they wanted something nice to look at, so they had the Gloriette built along with a few ponds and fountains. The world became a better place!!
#schönbrunnpalace #schönbrunnschloss #solotravel #habsburgfamilyresidence #vienna
Memorial to the Jews who were rounded up during WWII, they were lined up on the edge of the Danube, forced to remove their shoes, then they were shot in the back and their bodies fell into the river.......
#shoesonthedanube #solotravel #busapest #traveltheworldwithme
St Matthias Church in the Castle District near Fisherman`s Bastion. Climb the steep stone spiral staircase for a stunning view into the main church and explore the artifacts on display. This historic church dates back to the 11th century.
#solotrip #stmatthiaschurch #budapestcastledistrict
Budapest Central Market Hall built in the late 1800s, extensively damaged in WWll, left in ruins until the late 1900s when it was returned to it`s former glory.....only to now be mainly selling tourist trash.
#budapestcentralmarket #budapest #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel
Just blew the days food budget on Sacher Torte and Coffee at the Sacher Hotel because......why not??? Priorities, priorities!!
#sachertorte #sacherhotel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
