They say love is the best feeling in the world. Those who said it never saw a Croat during Christmas time. To us, it is the most wonderful time of the year in the truest sense.
Our great food and traditions will be covered later, but this article is dedicated to my trip to the Christmas fair in Zagreb City. Being the capital of Croatia, it has the best fair in the country and I visit it every year.
Šibenik, Croatia
This is where my trip starts. My home town Šibenik is amazing. It's a small city down the coast, with castles and many events during the summer, as every city on the coast, but a little dull during wintertime.
So, every year, my best friend and I make a road trip to Zagreb to enjoy the Christmas fair. We did the same in 2019, pre-Covid, and before COVID stole Christmas.
December 3rd finally arrived and we decided to buy a bus ticket and get on the road. I enjoy traveling by bus there because I can enjoy all the beautiful mountains and roads.
And since we pass through the Lika area where it's usually very snowy, I feel safer watching the snow from a warm bus and at a safe distance. Never been a big fan of cold and snow.
Zagreb,Croatia
We finally arrived at the bus station. I was so happy and excited I couldn't wait to see the fair. The city was crowded with tourists, but I didn't mind. It was beautiful and filled with people, colors, and lights. Christmas in Zagreb always feels like a fairy tale you wish would never end. It is magical, and all your problems will melt away the moment you enter the city.
I was always fascinated with the Christmas fair in Zagreb, and I never fail to visit it. This time, my best friend and I went there to enjoy it together. As soon as we arrived, we went to the apartment we booked. Needless to say, we just left our bags in the apartment and headed right to the upper city to enjoy the fair.
Upper City, Zagreb
The first location we decided to visit was an upper city. The weather was cold, the upper city was crowded and you could smell delicious food at every step. Everything smelled of Christmas.
We walked a little bit to feel the atmosphere and see what was offered in the stands. There were toys, cooked wine, cakes, hot dogs, candies…. Anything you can imagine in Santa's workshop.
After walking a bit and enjoying the fitters with ruby chocolate dressing, I decided to take some pictures of the Christmas fair, and take some selfies at the famous Christmas fair selfie spot. I might be smiling in the pictures, but what the pictures don't show is that I was waiting in line for 45 minutes to take them. It was worth it.
City Center, Zagreb
After checking out the upper city, it was time to go down to the city center. We went downhill and enjoyed all the Christmas decorations. Zagreb is very beautiful in the wintertime.
It started to snow while I was walking to the city center, but I didn't mind. We don't have snow where I live and a few snowflakes never hurt anybody. After all, I was in a full Christmas mood.
As soon as I came to the city center, I was amazed at how beautiful it was; it was like a fairytale. Christmas trees on every corner, toys, nutcrackers in every color, anything you can imagine was there, but most importantly, I found the Kraš chocolate factory Christmas stand. I couldn't resist not going there and tasting new chocolates and beverages.
We walked, took selfies, and had the best time. It was a day I will never forget, filled with joy and memories. I soaked up every smell, view, and feeling I could get from that day as if I knew this was the last Christmas fair one could enjoy without fear of infection. Something inside told me to enjoy and have a blast. Today I know why.
Coffee Time In Zagreb
After walking around the whole afternoon and enjoying all the amazing food, warm drinks, music, and people, we decided to take a break. My friend and I sat in a beautiful coffee shop, full of Christmas decorations. Of course, when we entered the cafe, we started to laugh and dance because All I Want For Christmas was playing.
We sat and enjoyed the music and the hot tea that kept us warm. We spoke about everything we saw and agreed we will visit next year. Last year was not kind to us, but this year I am coming back to visit the fair and create new memories. This time I will take even more pictures and videos.
In my next article, I will cover more about food and traditions on Christmas. Croatia is a small country but very versatile. Every area has its traditions and traditional food. If you are curious about different foods and traditions please join me next time for a cultural and culinary journey to Christmas foods and traditions in Croatia.
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Thanks for sharing this story with us! I love learning the similarities and differences in holiday celebrations around the world.