CONTENT
NATO/EU membership will solidify Croatia's historic
links with the West
President
Stjepan Mesic:
Signaling a maturation of Croatian democracy
Zagreb
as a destination:
Croatia's capital should not be overlooked
A
nation resolved to overcomeits tough heritage
Privatized
tourism industry will become engine of growth for Croatia
Croatia's
best lobbyist: its US Ambassador
Croatia's
resilient economy continues to grow
Ron
Brown credited for introducing US business to Croatia
Chemical
warfare conventions changed over fertilizer plant attacks
Film
and television producer Vladimir Kraljevic symbolizes worldwide success
of Croatian-Americans
What's
it like to visit Croatia?
State
of Minnesota develops close relationship with Croatia
Esplanade
hotel captures history and spirit of Zagreb
Spread
the word:
Croatia is an extraordinarily safe place to visit
Mega-Yachts:
the biggest status symbols in the world
Croatia
Airlines:
Creating a national identity during war and peace
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Zagreb as a destination: Croatia’s capital should not be overlooked
More than anything
else, what the city of Zagreb needs from the West, at least from a tourism
perspective, is for people to be able to differentiate it from the gloomy
gray cinder block- type of metropolitan areas that exist throughout much
of East Europe. Zagreb should instead be regarded as a Central European
capital possessing a far greater resemblance to the magnificence of Prague.
It’s not as if Zagreb has sprung up from out of no where, for it recently celebrated the nine hundredth anniversary of its foundation. For most people in the United States, however, the city remains a vague concept- a far-flung place that, once upon a time, existed along the edges of the Cold War.
Although residents
of Zagreb regard themselves as Central European, the city, nonetheless,
retains certain qualities that distinguish it from Austria and Germany.
"We have a wonderful mixture here- Middle European combined with
a Mediterranean style of life," said Drazen Hochecker, Director of
the Zagreb Convention Bureau.
Whereas the city
centers of Austria and Germany are essentially closed down after 6 p.m.
downtown Zagreb becomes a focal point of activity. One can clearly see
this Mediterranean influence while exploring the city during the evening
hours.
Very much a walking
city in its design, Zagreb is arranged around a number of large- open
squares that are interconnected by long pedestrian-only thoroughfares.
Radiating out from Trg Jelacica square, the spiritual heart of the city,
ancient cobblestone streets arch their way towards the upper town, alongside
them are dozens of cafes, bars, and restaurants, their outdoor tables
filled with people, talking the night away.
"Whoever
comes to Zagreb discovers an almost forgotten feeling- people communicating
with each other," says Director Hochecker, whose Convention and Visitors
Bureau plays a big role in getting people to consider Zagreb as a travel
destination. Hochecker’s eyes light up when he gets the opportunity
to describe how surprised business travelers often are with the atmosphere
of Zagreb- its hospitality, the restaurants, coffee shops, theaters and
galleries.
One very simple reason as to why the restaurants are so popular with tourists is that the food tastes great. "We have been influenced by the German cuisine, as well by the Hungarians and Italians," says the Director.
The fact that Croatians
balk at the use of genetically modified foods is another oft-sited explanation
as to why their cuisine tastes so delicious. "We are a very lucky
country because most of our food is still grown the old fashioned way,"
says Hochecker. "Mostly what we are using here is food from small
gardens. It’s diffcult for a restaurant in Zagreb to start to serve
frozen food, because he will be out of business in two or three weeks."
"We are famous here for our fish restaurants as well. Every morning fresh fish is coming in from the Adriatic."
Unfortunately, to
many Western travelers, Zagreb is little more that an airline stop on
the way to the Croatian coast. Zelimir Kramaric, President of the Hotel
Opera in Zagreb, believes that in order to for this to change Zagreb must
mirror the efforts of Prague and Budapest in their destination management.
For one thing, Zagreb should start packaging their city in partnership
with those of coastal destinations such as Dubrovnik.
Another facet to
Zagreb that should help to turn it into a tourist destination is that
this capital city also serves as the cultural center for Croatia. "We
have three concert halls and forty seven galleries and museums in Zagreb,"
says Hochecker. Designed by a famous Croatian architect, the National
Opera building, officially opened by Emperor Franz Joseph in the nineteenth
century, has two exact copies- one in Turin, the other in Oslo.
"Whoever comes
to Zagreb can also spend a few days traveling around outside the city
and he will see wonderful things," says Hochecker. Within an hour
drive one can visit numerous castles, picturesque villages, vineyards
and spas. Also within easy reach are the famous Plitvice Lakes- a UNESCO
protected Croatian National Park containing 92 waterfalls and 16 geologically
unique lakes.
The world can expect
to see Zagreb play host to an ever- increasing number of conventions.
Already associations from all over the world are coming here for their
meetings. According to Mr. Hochecker, even though Zagreb is a relatively
small city (about 800,000 people) it stages about 120 events per year.
"In August we had the World Conference of Esperanto speakers,"
Hochecker says. "The city is also seeing a dramatic increase in the
number of medical conferences."
Most of the participants
in these conferences will have never before visited this city or country.
They will be pleasantly surprised with what they find. Perhaps nowhere
will this be more apparent than in the feeling of overall safety that
Zagreb provides. It is one of the safest capital cities anywhere in the
world.
"The Americans are always astonished when they come here and discover how safe it is," says the Director. "People come here with their teenage children and at first are reluctant to let their kids go out by themselves. But already by the second evening they feel the atmosphere of this town and let the kids go."
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