Jan Bantic

Close to Zagreb’s pretty Zrinjevac park, Marelica Art Latte is a new venture providing something a little different from what you might expect from the average cafe in the capital. Croatia’s coffee culture is a core part of the day-to-day experience – locals sit for hours chatting while a serious business meeting might be taking place at the next table. But in most cases, these locales aren’t the place to go for a midday meal, and if you’re after quality tea, you’d best look elsewhere. Marelica Art Latte bridges the gap. It’s a cafe with a head chef, with books and potted plants on each table, and a black-and-white chequerboard floor tiling that brings to mind somewhere casual and inviting. Marelica Art Latte As well as the careful decor – note the charming wall-mounted lamps, light pastel-coloured kitchenware and nature scene tastefully adorning the walls – it’s the menu that impresses most. In order to stand out in the city renowned for its coffee, their artisanal blends come from Guatemala, Ethiopia, Colombia, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico, while their organic tea list has an equally impressive global reach, hailing from key Asian points of provenance such as China, South Korea, India and Japan. There is care for the preparation, too, not just the origin, with attention paid to precise timekeeping for each cup. Those looking for a bite can enjoy high-quality eggs Benedict or an avocado toast breakfast. For the sweeter tooth, an offering of tiramisu or an apricot tart are

The tenth edition of Vinart Grand Tasting is taking place at the Lauba gallery across two days, February 28 and March 1. Croatia's leading wine fair is billed as an industry event, connecting 150 Croatian wineries with service and hospitality professionals, although anyone willing to part with €40 can get their hands on a ticket and the chance to sample a mouth-watering range of high-quality vino. The event runs from noon to 7pm on both days, with individual day tickets available for purchase online here and here. The price of admission includes a complimentary €5 voucher that can be used at the on-site pop-up outlet. The fair is run by Vinart, an organisation that aims to recognise and promote the best wines Croatia has to offer and raise the country’s status on the world stage. Clearly, they’ve done a good job as Croatian wines are increasingly gaining recognition and snapping up prestigious awards.Where: Lauba, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 23AWhen: February 28 and March 1, noon-7pmAdmission: €40 per day

Avant-garde performance artist Tomislav Gotovac and revered sculptor Ivan Meštrović have each earned their place in the pantheon of Croatian artistic greats, but both did so in wildly different ways. Ivan Meštrović is a MoMA-featured sculptor whose works are on public display throughout former Yugoslavia as well as in far-flung parts of the world, including a prominent and politically bold piece exhibited in Chicago. An entire retrospective of his career was held in Zagreb in 2024. Gotovac was a risk-taker, his performance art pushing personal and political boundaries. This was best exemplified in his legendary work Zagreb, I Love You, for which he walked for 20 seconds entirely nude to the city’s main square. At the Gallery AMZ, attached to the Archaeological Museum, a new exhibition explores his admiration for the respectable sculptor, positing that this seemingly incongruous pair of artists were intimately connected. Themes of the body, historical memory and narratives are compared, finding both drastic divergences and moments of deep similarity. Where: Gallery AMZ, Pavla Hatza 6When: Until March 13. Tue-Fri noon-6pm; Sat 10am-1pmAdmission: FREE 

Tonight, Wednesday, February 19, American trombonist Luis Bonilla is once more teaming up with the Croatian Radiotelevision Jazz Orchestra after their successful Jazz Cycle of 2019. The location is an unusual one, the Gorgona Hall at the Museum of Contemporary Art, for the performance titled ‘New York – Impressions in Latin Jazz’. Bonilla is no stranger to Croatia. Alongside his many shows, Bonilla also leads the Croatian Music Youth Summer Jazz School in Grožnjan. Back home in the US, Bonilla has taught at many great institutions including the Manhattan School of Music and the New England Conservatory. Since 2018, he's been a professor at the jazz department at the University of Graz. Tickets are available here or at the venue from two hours before the performance. Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, Avenija Dubrovnik 17When: February 19, 8pmAdmission: €10

Active since 2002, experimental rock outfit Xiu Xiu have an impressive discography currently totalling 17 studio albums, EPs and a live album, too. Over time, the band has gone from discordant, dark and cranky to more pop-friendly records such as their 2017 release, Forget, though their experimental characteristics are dyed in the wool. This Sunday, February 16, Xiu Xiu take the stage at one of Zagreb’s favourite alternative cultural institutions, Močvara, supported by Canadian avant-pop, glitch experimentalist Kee Avil. The line-up has the makings of a special night of alternative music, the venue the perfect setting. Xiu Xiu last ventured to the Croatian capital in 2023 when they played at Vintage Industrial, following their debut performance at KSET way back in 2004.Where: Klub Močvara, Trnjanska struga 34When: February 16; doors 8pm, concert 9pmAdmission: €15 pre-sale, €20 on the door

The day for celebrating love and romance is upon us and Zagreb has enticing options to offer happy couples. Here are four we’ve hand-picked to cover a range of vibes, from exclusive romantic dinners to live reggae in an alternative club. Cable-car ride City transport authority ZET is running a deal until February 16 with four exciting packages for couples. For €32, lovers can take an exclusive cable car – specially decorated for the occasion – up to Sljeme, the peak of Zagreb’s Medvednica mountains, with a complimentary glass of champagne and a photo opportunity at the journey’s end. At the next level up (for €80), you’ll also get a dinner for two at the Tomislavov Dom hotel restaurant atop the mountain. For €170, the package includes a half-board stay at the hotel (dinner and breakfast), while the €280 package includes two half-board stays (two nights, two dinner and breakfast meals included). The cable car to the top of the mountain was renovated and reopened in 2022, and the journey offers stunning views of the city from above, as well as a bird’s-eye view of the forest below. For every package other than the basic €32 option, reservations are required by emailing marketing@zet.hr or calling the number listed on the website – space is limited at Tomislavov Dom. Exclusive dinner at OIV tower on Sljeme Also on Medvednica, this dinner package bills itself as an "exclusive evening at Zagreb’s most unique location". The restaurant atop this tower can credibly call itself the ci

The capital’s most dedicated rock venue offers two days of high-energy tribute acts celebrating four iconic bands. Hard Place is known for its uncompromising devotion to heavy rock, living proof that the genre is alive and well and living in Zagreb. This year’s Rock Massacre festival, begins tonight, February 7, and continues on Saturday evening. Friday sees performances by Sucker Train Blues and Old Flame entertaining crowds with hits from Guns N’ Roses and Thin Lizzy, while Saturday brings covers of perennial hits from Metallica and Motörhead as imagined by Inciter and Legacy Of. For both nights, the cost of entry is €10 on the door or €14 for a two-day pass, both also available online here. Doors open at 8pm with live sounds from around 10pm. Where: Ulica Hrvatske bratske zajednice 4When: February 7-8, from 8pmAdmission: €10 on the door; €14 for 2-day pass

After a successful inaugural run last summer, the Melin Jazz Festival returns for five days of quality performances. Held at Zagreb’s revered Grof Melin bar, the event aims to unite audiences with top musicians from the region, in a casual atmosphere which rejects the idea that the genre can only be enjoyed in a stuffy high-brow context. Starting tonight, Tuesday, February 4, with the Sandra Halužan Quartet, the festival schedules one show a day, giving audiences the chance to experience a cross-section of Central Europe's modern jazz scene. After tonight’s curtain-raisers, acts from Croatia and Austria tread the boards, with doors opening at 8pm and musicians taking to the stage at 9pm. The price of admission differs, but the most a night of live music will cost guests will be €10. The final day will see a concert plus a closing party, admission €5, tickets on the door. For a full line-up and day-specific admission information, check the festival’s event page. Where: Grof Melin bar, Kožarska 19When: Feb 4-8. Doors open 8pm, concerts 9pmAdmission: €5-€10 (day-specific)

There are many ways to enjoy the natural beauty of Croatia, including cable-car rides, mountain hikes and sailing trips. But perhaps the most spectacular view comes courtesy of the Balon klub Zagreb, who give visitors the chance to take a romantic ride in the sky in a hot-air balloon. Usually taking off from the Jarunski or Krapinsko Zagorski airfield (depending on wind conditions), the flight takes guests over the gorgeous Zagorje region in northern Croatia, separated from Zagreb by the Medvednica mountains. A typical experience lasts three to four hours all told – an hour of flight followed by a glass of champagne on the ground during a balloon baptism ceremony when all participants gain a membership certificate. Private flights for two are also on offer, complete with a glass of bubbly at 1,000 metres up. The standard price is €250 per person for a ride in a four-to-six person balloon, reduced to €240 if you’re in a group of two or more. Children under 12 can board for €180 (as long as they’re above 120cm tall), while the exclusive flight for two package runs at €800. For booking information, check out the club’s website Croatian-language website for phone contact details or fill out this simple reservation form. 

The Lisinski, Zagreb’s famous concert hall, is hosting a benefit concert aimed at helping Ukrainian children forced to move to Croatia as a result of the ongoing conflict. The event will be headlined by the Ščedryk ensemble and backed by AnnaDel, a Ukrainian singer based in Zagreb, with further performances by representatives of contemporary dance school Ana Maletić, and students from the Elly Bašić music school rounding out the programme. The benefit is being organised by the Ukrainian Society of the City of Zagreb with support from the Ukrainian Embassy and the City of Zagreb. Tickets, with proceeds going to the aid of children, are available here for €20. Where: Lisinski Small Hall, Trg Stjepana Radića 4When: January 31, 7.30pmAdmission: €20

A showcase of Marko Marulić, considered by some as the father of Croatian literature has opened on Zagreb’s central square of Europski trg. Running until February 2, the exhibition explores the intertwined histories of Marulić and his hometown of Split. Visitors will be introduced to some of his greatest and most famous works, including Judita, Institucija and Davidijada, as well as lesser-known facts such as the notion that he was one of the first people to coin the term ‘psychology’. Panels also show how Marulić’s works reached influential figures around the world, and how some of his artistic output was listed among the banned books of the era. The exhibition was conceived and designed by the Museum of the City of Split in co-operation with the National and University Library in Zagreb, and is accompanied by illustrations by Croat artist, illustrator and animator Milan Trenc. By no means miss this great opportunity to pay homage to this literary giant, whose works are still inspiring five centuries later. Where: Europski trg, ZagrebWhen: Until February 2Admission: FREE

Sljeme – the highest peak of Zagreb’s Medvednica mountain range – is always worth a visit, be it for the hikes, the views or the cable-car journey. During winter, though, it’s also a popular spot for snow sports. The Sljeme skiing season has officially opened, and enthusiasts and newcomers alike will be flocking to the heights to stay active and entertained as winter bites. Ski passes are completely free of charge, meaning that simply showing up is enough to get to enjoy the classic seasonal activity. Daily from 9am to 4pm, visitors can enjoy in Sljeme’s White and Green slopes while having time to catch the last cable car back down to the city (open 8am to 5pm on weekdays, until 6pm at weekends). If snowboarding is more your style, Sljeme can offer that, too. On the down side, due to previous storm damage the Red Slope is unavailable as it awaits reconstruction, with a specific timeframe yet to be announced. Tobogganers can get in on the action, just as long as they make sure to stick to the designated area for sledges at Činovnička livada to make sure that any accidental clashes are avoided. The ski season is typically open until early to mid-March, depending on weather conditions. Fear not, though – what nature doesn’t provide, artificial snow does, ensuring that no trip with snowboard or skis in hand is in vain.