Zagreb
The very first fact when it comes to Zagreb is that it's the capital city of the Republic of Croatia with over a million inhabitants including the population of the smaller cities in its surroundings. But Zagreb itself appears to have around 800,800 inhabitants.
Zagreb is a huge administrative, cultural, and educational center situated inland, in the middle of Croatia. Its position makes a good connection between the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe. The legends of how it got its name are still popular. But the most popular one is that a lady was reaching for water from the lake and people that were standing nearby started shouting: Zagreb, Mando, zagreb! Meaning, Take it!
Zagreb's climate conditions vary as the seasons change. Typically continental. Summers are hot, winters are snowy.
The cities inland are different from the ones situated by the sea. Coming to Zagreb, you will experience a spirit of the baroque, a spirit of a medieval city. You will not see thousands of houses crowded together with red roof tops as their trademarks, you will experience a rapid pace of life.
Zagreb is divided into two parts — Stari Zagreb that refers to its old part, and Novi Zagreb that signifies new buildings, the real constructive boom after World War 2 south of the river Sava.
Zagreb represents a huge cultural and sports center. Its cultural meaning is reflected in numerous museums. For instance, the Archaeological Museum with a variety of exhibits from the earliest ages, Egyptian culture, to these days. Along with the Archaeological Museum, there is a variety of other museums — Ethnographic, Technical, Croatian Natural History Museum, Arts and Crafts Museum... since we have touched the cultural and historical soul of the city, we can mention The Croatian National Theater, holding the plays at any time of the year. The most famous concert hall is the one named Vatroslav Lisinski.
If you wind up in Zagreb at any time of the year, your days will not be empty. On the contrary, you will be running around all nervous trying to see everything. Some of the events are the World Festival of Animated Films called Animafest, International Festival of Avant Garde Music, Croatian pop music festival called Zagrebfest, festival of contemporary theater called Eurokaz... If you like movies or are craving to see a new motion picture, Zagreb's cinemas are a must.
If you are a fan of nature, Sljeme, the highest peak of Medvednica, the mountain in Zagreb's background, is a good surface for hiking and skiing during the winter. Zagreb is the host of the Ski World Cup Race known as the Snow Queen Trophy that takes place on Sljeme. Even though it is situated inland, far away from the sea, Zagreb has its own sea — Jarun Lake. It is a good recreation spot as well as a cozy beach to rest on during the summer days. The very center of Zagreb, Ban Jelačić Square, the streets and spots nearby give a good history insight.
It is also a sports center with lots of recreation centers and halls. You can play basketball, tennis, volleyball, you can swim, practice handball, do the new football tricks, try horseback riding and hockey.