Perfect Few Hours in Zagreb

Since we were three, we booked a triple sleeper compartment on the ÖBB Nightjet (Sparschiene) from Salzburg to Zagreb. The last time I was on a sleeper train, I was ten years old and travelling from Berlin to Brussels. I don’t remember the compartment being this tiny. Through acrobatic feats though, we each changed for the night, took a bunk, and soon were fast asleep.

The Zagreb train station (Glavni Kododvor) used to be a stop on the Orient Express. Upon arrival we walked to the bus station (Autobusni Kolodvo Zagreb) where we bought our tickets for Plitvice and stored our luggage. Then we took the tram to city center.

After a hearty breakfast at Eggspress, we wandered about town. It was Sunday so we went to the centrally located Dolac open air farmer’s market were we bought grapes, plums, mini cucumbers, and carrots for later on. M’sa found herself an admirer, an older gentleman, but she didn’t appreciate my recording the moment for posterity. The old women and men with their fresh flowers, honey, fruit and vegetables reminded me of growing up in East Berlin.  They were friendly. It was nice to stroll around and feel the vibe. A procession of young men passed by on foot and on horses. I was experiencing a local flavour however I have no idea who they were. It was a nice atmosphere.

We decided we had time to visit one sight and I chose The Museum of Broken Relationships. We walked to the Upper Town where it’s located getting lost along the way. This is a rather unique museum. It is dedicated to failed love relationships, mostly romantic love but also features instances of broken family connections, including a heartbreaking suicide letter from somebody’s mother.

To live in this world you must be able to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.

Mary Oliver – IN BLACKWATER WOODS

The idea of the museum is to encourage reflection on the fragility of human relationships. It relies on people worldwide donating their sentimental mementos that have been left over at the end of a relationship. Each comes with a story attached and it’s the stories that are most poignant. The mundane becomes catharsis, a reminder that that lonely feeling of heart break is universal.

Nearby in Upper Town is the 13th century gothic St. Mark’s Church (Crkva sv. Marka) with its colourful tiled roof (from 1800s) showing the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia, and Slavonia on the left, and the emblem of Zagreb on the right. Very picturesque.

Also in Upper Town is the Jesuit church built in the 1600s in a baroque style and dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Crkva sv. Katarina). Its façade is quite simple but its interior is supposed to be stunning. Alas, we didn’t go in.