Zagreb

Kaptol, Gradec and Lenuci's Horseshoe in one day on foot

Central Zagreb is walkable in a day. Start at Ban Jelačić Square around 8 am, climb to Dolac market, see Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol, pass through the Stone Gate to St Mark's Church and the Lotrščak Tower in Gradec, then ride the funicular down and walk Lenuci's Horseshoe of parks and museums in the Lower Town.

Start at Ban Jelačić Square around 8 am and climb the steps to Dolac market while the stalls are still full. Walk across to Kaptol to see the cathedral from outside, then head up through the Stone Gate, where candles burn before a painting of the Virgin that survived a fire in 1731. Reach St Mark's Church and then the Lotrščak Tower in time for the noon cannon.

After lunch, give an hour to the Museum of Broken Relationships, then ride the funicular down and walk the Lower Town to Flower Square for coffee. Spend the evening on Tkalčićeva, or on the Strossmayer promenade if it is summer.

On day two, follow Lenuci's Horseshoe of parks past the Art Pavilion to the Botanical Garden, then climb back to the Upper Town for the small Croatian Museum of Naive Art. Take bus 106 up to Mirogoj in the afternoon and walk the arcades slowly. Finish with a long dinner in Kaptol, or ride a tram east to Maksimir Park for a last walk under the oaks.

Štrukli, purica s mlincima and the Saturday špica

Zagreb's food comes from the farms of the Zagorje hills more than the sea. Order štrukli, pastry rolled around fresh cheese and boiled or baked with cream, and purica s mlincima, roast turkey on pan-soaked flatbread. Shop at Dolac market in the morning and join the Saturday špica, the late-morning coffee ritual in the centre.

Food in Zagreb leans north, toward the farms of the Zagorje hills. Purica s mlincima, roast turkey served on torn flatbread soaked in the pan juices, is the Sunday lunch of the region, and sir i vrhnje, fresh cheese with sour cream, is what the farm women at Dolac sell from the upper terrace. The covered hall below the umbrellas handles meat and fish.

For a sit-down meal of local cooking, Nocturno on Skalinska, the stepped lane between Tkalčićeva and the cathedral, is a reliable choice. Bakeries cover breakfast: Dubravica is the local favourite, and burek and pastries are sold on almost every block of the Lower Town.

Coffee is the real ritual. On Saturday mornings the city turns out for the špica, a slow coffee on the terraces around Flower Square and Preradovićeva, dressed up and in no hurry. Join it. At night the bars move to Tkalčićeva, Radićeva and Bogovićeva, and Booksa on Martićeva is the bookish café where students linger.

Jarun concerts, Advent and Zagreb's continental seasons

Visit Zagreb from May to September for warm weather and outdoor events, or in December for Advent. The climate is continental: January averages 5°C by day with nights below freezing, May reaches 22°C, and July and August sit around 28°C. September and October are the wettest months.

The climate is continental, so the seasons are sharper than on the coast. January averages a high of 5°C with nights below freezing, and snow is likely at some point each winter. Rain is spread through the year, though September and October are the wettest months, with roughly 90 to 100 mm each, so pack a light jacket for autumn walks.

Spring and early autumn are the easiest times to walk the hills and sit outside. June brings INmusic, a large open-air music festival on the shores of Lake Jarun in the south-west of the city. Through July and August the Strossmayer promenade hosts a programme of evening concerts and stalls above the Lower Town, while many locals leave for the coast and some family restaurants close for a few weeks.

Advent is the city's big season. From late November to early January the parks of the Lower Town, Zrinjevac above all, fill with stalls selling mulled wine and sausages, and the Upper Town is strung with lights. Weekend rooms go fast, so book early and visit the markets on weekday evenings.