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Visiting Croatian wine country: Getting there
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The city of Zagreb
No matter where you go in the world, wine country is usually off the beaten path. Wine is an agricultural product and grapes are generally grown in rural areas.
You should expect to fly into a major city and drive a few hours, or change planes to reach a regional city and drive at least an hour. That, of course, is the irony of visiting wine regions – lots of driving. If you can afford it, hire a car and driver. Otherwise, you may want to share responsibility for driving with your travel buddies. DWI laws throughout Europe are tougher than in the US.
To visit the wineries in north central Croatia, I flew into the capital city of Zagreb. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an airline that flies direct so I had to change planes in Paris. This meant going through security again (wear shoes that are easily removable).
If you’re flying into a country with which you are unfamiliar, it makes sense to spend a day or two in the major city to soak up the local flavor. Young urbanites tend to have better English-language skills than their rural counterparts. Think of it as soaking up history while you dip your toe in the cultural waters.
The city of Zagreb dates back to the 12th Century. Like most very old cities, the center is the most historic. The city grew in concentric circles, and on the outermost you’ll find the ugly kind of 1950s architecture that nods to Bauhaus but would inspire Meis van der Roh to despair.
I spent an evening in Zagreb and took some photos before heading out to dinner in a restaurant about a half hour away from “downtown” that’s not worth mention. Your best bet would be to find a cute outdoor café or hip restaurant in the central part of the city. Just stick your head in and check out the crowd. You’ll get a sense if you want to stay or not.
The next day we headed out to the Plesivica wine road to visit three wineries to the southwest of Zagreb. Stay tuned for more on that…
Please check out my "Evening in Zagreb" photos on the attached slideshow.
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