The route, stop by stop
This is the route as we filmed it in September 2025, when the Dolac terrace was still open. To walk it today, go round the terrace: from the cathedral, Kaptol and Ulica Tome Bakača lead down to Ban Jelačić Square in about five minutes, the stalls are on Pod zidom just below the market, and Radićeva starts the first climb from the north side of the square. The film opens with a short trailer, and the walk itself begins on Vlaška at 1:50. From there we go to the cathedral and down into Dolac Market, out to Ban Jelačić Square and back through the flower stalls, then up the stairways and cobbles to the Stone Gate. We drop down to Tkalčićeva for its long row of terraces, climb back into the Upper Town past St Catherine’s to the Strossmayer Promenade and St Mark’s, and come down through the Stone Gate a second time, past Dolac and back to Vlaška.
- VlaškaThe walk starts on Vlaška, a wide cobbled street, straight after the trailer.▶ 1:50
- Zagreb CathedralIn front stands a column of the Virgin Mary with golden angels, and the cathedral towers behind it were in scaffolding in September 2025.▶ 7:10
- Dolac MarketThe open-air market, set out under rows of red parasols. The tables held peaches, plums, grapes, figs, potatoes and cabbages. This upper terrace has been closed since November 2025; the indoor hall below reopened that December.▶ 11:40
- The market womanA bronze market woman with a basket on her head, standing at the top landing of the Dolac steps.▶ 14:48
- Ban Jelačić SquareThe city’s main square, with Ban Jelačić on horseback in the middle and blue trams along its edge.▶ 17:40
- Manduševac FountainThe fountain is set low in the paving of the square. We pass it before heading back toward the market.▶ 21:30
- The flower stallsBuckets and vases of sunflowers, roses and mixed cut flowers, then concrete stairs back up to the market terrace.▶ 25:01
- Stube Kralja LadislavaA flight of steps off the market, marked with a red and white nameplate.▶ 30:45
- Radićeva, uphillFrom the corner of Krvavi most, a cobbled street climbs past gift shops and a board offering olive oil and truffle tastings.▶ 33:22
- Statue of St GeorgeSt George on horseback above the defeated dragon, on a plinth ringed by flower beds and railings.▶ 36:36
- The Stone GateThe gate holds a candlelit shrine of the Mother of God.▶ 38:20
- Down the stepsWe come back down by a flight of steps beside a railed flower bed.▶ 41:00
- A terrace with a big screenAn open terrace of café tables with a big screen and a bronze bust on a pedestal.▶ 44:35
- TkalčićevaCafé and bar terraces all the way along, until the street starts to climb again.▶ 45:00
- Church of St CatherineThe church stood behind yellow fencing when we filmed, and the old monastery beside it now holds the Klovićevi dvori gallery. The Latin over the door reads DOMVS DEI ET PORTA COELI, house of God and gate of heaven.▶ 59:15
- Strossmayer PromenadeSouvenir stalls along the edge of the Upper Town, with the red roofs of the lower town below.▶ 1:01:30
- The funicular’s upper stationWe pass the ZET building at the top of the line, beside Lotrščak Tower. ZET says the track is 66 metres long and the ride takes 64 seconds.▶ 1:02:40
- Antun Gustav MatošA seated bronze of the writer on a bench.▶ 1:03:44
- The love locksAn ivy-covered railing hung with hundreds of padlocks, and beyond it the skyline with the cathedral spires.▶ 1:04:53
- Lotrščak TowerWe pass the foot of the tower and its visitor signs.▶ 1:07:50
- The Museum of Broken RelationshipsIts banner hangs on the corner of the street up to St Mark’s.▶ 1:08:21
- St Mark’s ChurchThe tiled roof carries the coats of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia and of the City of Zagreb, over a cobbled square.▶ 1:09:30
- Back through the Stone GateA second pass past the shrine, then down the cobbled streets and through the lower level of Dolac, under the arcade lettered TRŽNICA.▶ 1:13:18
- August ŠenoaThe walk ends back on Vlaška at the bronze of the writer leaning on an advertising pillar, with cafés beside it.▶ 1:24:10
Open this route in Google MapsWalking directions from Statue of August Šenoa through the main landmarks. Our film takes a few extra turns.
Dolac and the square below it
Zagreb’s market has stood on a terrace above the main square since 1930, and our walk keeps coming back to it: across the terrace, down to the square, up again past the flower sellers, and through its lower level at the very end. Under the red umbrellas that September the tables were heavy with late-summer produce, peaches, plums, grapes and figs, with potatoes and cabbages alongside. ▶ watch at 13:00
Dolac under its red umbrellas. From our film, September 2025.
The flowers were the other colour of the market: buckets of sunflowers and roses at the foot of the stairs back up to the terrace. ▶ watch at 25:01
The Manduševac Fountain, on a later visit, July 2026.
Two climbs to the Upper Town
The two climbs add up to about 70 metres, on cobbles and stairways, and Tkalčićeva sits between them: about 12 minutes of café and bar terraces, the longest stretch of the film and the natural place to stop. ▶ watch at 45:00 On the first climb St George sits on horseback above the defeated dragon, ringed by flower beds, just below the Stone Gate. ▶ watch at 36:36
At the top of the second climb the Strossmayer Promenade looks back over the red roofs to the cathedral, and from the railing of love locks you can see the same scaffolding on its spires that we walked past at the start. ▶ watch at 1:04:53
The love locks on the Strossmayer Promenade. From our film, September 2025.
The coats of arms on St Mark’s roof. From our film, September 2025.
The walk ends where it began, on Vlaška, beside August Šenoa, who stands in bronze in front of the house where he was born. ▶ watch at 1:24:10
What the camera doesn’t tell you
What stayed with us from Zagreb was Dolac: the red umbrellas, the colourful fruit and vegetable stalls, the flowers, and the everyday life going on around them. A city’s traditional market shows you its daily routine rather than one more sight to tick off, and Dolac is where we got a glimpse of the people, the food and the traditions that give Zagreb its character. If you go, make time for it earlier in the day, while the market is busy, and wander among the stalls instead of rushing through.
We didn’t know it then, but we were filming the terrace in its final months. That autumn, inspections found the upper level unsafe, and on 3 November 2025 the open-air stalls moved out, first to European Square and, later that month, to streets nearby. When we came back to Zagreb in July 2026, we went to Dolac again. The terrace was shut, which was a shame, and the market felt less crowded than the one in our film. In September 2026 the terrace was still closed, with no date set for the stalls to go back. So the film shows a Dolac you can’t walk into right now: the red umbrellas up on their terrace, just before it closed.
The other moment that stayed with us was in the Stone Gate. The walk goes through it twice, once on the way up ▶ watch at 38:39 and once on the way down. ▶ watch at 1:13:41
Candles in the Stone Gate. From our film, September 2025.
Inside the old gate, candles burn in front of the shrine of the Mother of God, and the walls around them are lined with small plaques, many of them saying HVALA, thank you.
A few things to plan around
- Go to the market early in the day.Zagreb’s tourist board says the market runs mainly in the morning and suggests going before 1 pm. The terrace in our film is closed, so head for the open-air stalls at their temporary spots, which the City of Zagreb lists as Pod zidom, Tkalčićeva, Splavnica and the west side of Ban Jelačić Square, and for the indoor hall, which is open. Check the spots before you go, as they may change during the renovation.
- Ride the funicular if your legs need a break.ZET runs the funicular up to the Strossmayer Promenade for €0.66 a ride, daily from 6:30 am to 9:50 pm, and says it has been back in service since 19 May 2026 after a renovation of more than a year.
- Leave the museum for the evening.The Museum of Broken Relationships stays open until 10 pm from June to September and 9 pm the rest of the year, with last entry half an hour before closing, so it fits after the walk rather than in the middle of it.
- Expect building work.When we filmed, the cathedral towers were in scaffolding and St Catherine’s was fenced off. Work like this moves on, so they may look different when you go.
What it costs
| The markets, the squares and the Upper Town streets | Free |
|---|---|
| Zagreb funicular, one ride | €0.66 |
| Museum of Broken Relationships, if you go in | €9 (€7 reduced) |
| Our apartment in central Zagreb, one night (base rate) | $60.95 |
The fare is ZET’s and the museum prices are the museum’s own, as listed in October 2026. Reduced museum tickets are for pupils, full-time students with ID, people with disabilities and those 65 and over. We didn’t ride the funicular, and the film doesn’t go into the museum or Lotrščak Tower.
Where to stay for this walk
We spent one night in an apartment in central Zagreb, a few minutes from Ban Jelačić Square, for $60.95 a night (base rate), and walked to the start. Either of these works for this route:
The museum and the funicular
- Museum of Broken RelationshipsIts banner is on the route, a short walk from St Mark’s. €9, €7 reduced, open daily except a few holidays.Official site ↗
- Zagreb funicularThe short ride between the lower town and the Strossmayer Promenade. €0.66 a ride.Official site ↗
Questions people ask
Where does this Zagreb walk start and finish?
It starts on Vlaška at 1:50, after a short trailer, and finishes back on Vlaška beside the statue of August Šenoa at 1:24:10. Tkalčićeva is the longest stretch, about 12 minutes from 45:00.
Can you still visit Dolac Market?
Yes, but not as it looks in our film. The upper terrace with the red umbrellas closed in November 2025, after inspections found it unsafe. Its open-air stalls moved to European Square on 3 November 2025, and from 21 November to Pod zidom, Tkalčićeva, Splavnica and the west side of Ban Jelačić Square, where the City of Zagreb said in January 2026 they would stay during the renovation. The indoor hall below the terrace, closed for emergency repairs that autumn, reopened in December 2025, and the fish market and dairy section are open. In September 2026 the terrace was still closed, with no reopening date.
Is the Zagreb funicular running?
Yes. ZET, which runs it, says it has been back in service since 19 May 2026 after more than a year of renovation. A ride is €0.66 and takes 64 seconds. You can see the upper station in the film at 1:02:40.
How much is the Museum of Broken Relationships?
€9, or €7 for pupils, full-time students with ID, people with disabilities and those 65 and over, as listed in October 2026. Its banner appears in the film at 1:08:21.
How do you get from Dolac up to the Upper Town on foot?
By steps and cobbles. In the film we leave the market terrace by Stube Kralja Ladislava and climb Radićeva to the Stone Gate. With the terrace closed, start from Ban Jelačić Square instead: Radićeva leads up from its north side to the Stone Gate in about 500 metres.
How long is this walk, and is it hard?
About 3.3 km through the main landmarks by Google Maps, with two climbs into the Upper Town that add up to about 70 metres, on cobbles and stairways. It takes about 50 minutes without stops; the film walks for 1 hour 23 minutes, and with stops for the market, the Stone Gate and a café we would allow 2 to 3 hours.
Facts and prices checked October 2026. Opening hours and ticket prices change, so check official sites before you go.
