Seize the last days of the year in Zagreb

Here are several suggestions of things to visit in Zagreb in the upcoming days.

The Meštrović Atelier

An intimate exhibition space of the Meštrović Atelier in Zagreb is finally open for the public again! The space was severely damaged in the 2020 earthquake and has been closed ever since. The art is on display in the very house where one of the greatest Croatian artists, Ivan Meštrović, lived with his family for two decades. It has a deep memorial connection with the great sculptor himself. The new exhibition setup offers an insight into his artistic development.

The festive December gave the cultural audiences another reason to celebrate with the fantastic news that the museum was reopening. The best part is: the entrance is free until the end of the year! See you there!

Video description: Short movie: The Return of the Museum to Meštrović’s Home

Off the Wall

 At the moment, the Ethnographic Museum is displaying an exhibition called Off the Wall - from Embroidered to Virtually Shared Values, and it runs only until the 31st of December. It shows a custom of crafting a piece of cloth with an embroidered message. The cloth is known as zidnjak (zid meaning 'wall' in Croatian). Zidnjak is a sort of motivational poster that used to decorate walls in this part of Europe. The exhibition takes an interesting angle, comparing the walls in households one hundred years ago to the walls of contemporary social networks. Now you might think of all those poetic motivational quotes that pop up on your own Facebook wall. Indeed, there are such, there are religious ones, as well, very patriotic ones, but also memes, as you might call them. One of the most famous types of zidnjak is the one containing an embroidered caricature and a quote that could be translated as: "Less chatter when you cook if you don’t want your lunch to burn!"

 Photo description: Photo by Etnographic Museum Zagreb

Zidnjak often reflects stereotypical gender roles. Although they sometimes offer a word of advice to “proper” women, they usually do it in a charmingly ironic way that immediately paints a pretty rebellious attitude on the housewife who owns it.

The Museum of Lost Tales

This museum is an entrance to a world of folkloric enchantment every day of the year. During the festive season, it adds an extra layer of seasonal magic. On cold days, you might enjoy the warmth of their storytelling evenings. If that sounds inviting, mark the 27th of December in your calendar, as that’s when a storyteller will share tales of old Croatian Christmas traditions in English. If you don’t mind the cold and prefer enjoying the atmosphere in the streets of Zagreb, they have you covered. As a part of the Baš Naš festival at the main square, the Museum of Lost Tales and its lead artist, Zdenko Bašić, decorated several stalls. The beautiful art will steal your attention, and when you stop by, make sure to read the tales, too, and learn a bit about the curious customs of old.

Photo description: Photo by The Museum of Lost Tales

Christmassy Oktogon passage

A hidden Zagreb discovery is the Oktogon passage in Ilica Street - a luxurious shopping passage from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Inside, there are two artistic displays right now. Artist Saša Šekoranja recently presented his exhibition, The First Snow, inspired by a local song of the same name.

On the top floor, another exhibition offers insight into the life and work of early female designer Antonija Krasnik.

Even if you’re not particularly interested in exhibitions, these two are a perfect excuse to visit the historical palace of the first Croatian savings bank, turned into a gallery.

In the Beginning Was the Kingdom

There will be time to visit this exhibition in the Klovićevi Dvori gallery by February. But it makes so much sense to see it this December - it’s an extensive display commemorating 1100 years from the foundation of the medieval Croatian kingdom - it is believed this happened back in 925. It feels better to visit on the 1100th anniversary, then on the 1101st, doesn’t it?

Advent Zagreb

You are probably already aware of it if you’re visiting Zagreb around this time - Zagreb is the home to Advent Zagreb - award-winning, creative Christmas markets, made up of many smaller locations all around the city center. The picturesque spots, a skating rink with a baroque backdrop, imaginative food and drink offerings, concerts, music, and city vibes make Zagreb perfect, even if not your usual, end-of-the-year destination. If you didn’t know about it, don’t worry - you still have time till the 7th of January - most of the locations will be open until then, so hurry up and make your travel plans.

Photo description: Photo by S. Cerić Kovačević / Zagreb Tourist Board

Special Christmas Eve treat: the Midnight service at the Zagreb Cathedral

If you happen to be here on Christmas Eve, you could visit the Zagreb Cathedral. It has been closed to the public since the 2020 earthquake, and its renovation will take a while. For those of you who are thinking, “Why can’t they do the job faster?”, know that they seem to be doing their very best. In fact, this year, the Croatian team from the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Civil Engineering has earned a recognised international award for their work on the cathedral restoration. Indeed, some restoration phases are finished, and the Archbishop of Zagreb announced he will hold the Midnight service inside the cathedral.

Zagreb gives you plenty of options to seize the last days of 2025! And you know what they say - the last days of the year represent what your next year is going to look like. If you follow some of this advice, the year ahead might be marked by exploring and experiencing Zagreb! Who wouldn’t sign up for that!

Header image credit: M. Vrdoljak

Author: Iva Silla