48 Hours in Zagreb, Croatia — A Chaotic Arrival & A Chill city

Arrival Day — A Comedy of Errors

Getting to Zagreb was an adventure all on its own.

I took an 8-hour train from Budapest that I almost missed because I went to the wrong train station. Realizing my mistake, I jumped on public transport without a ticket and had to dodge a fare inspector just to make it on time. Of course, the train was 30 minutes late anyway.

The train itself felt like something from another era—old, mostly empty, no AC—but with the windows down, I spent a good chunk of the ride with my head out the window, enjoying the breeze like a dog. Halfway through the trip, a ticket inspector informed us we had to switch coaches because the one I was on was being left behind. So I grabbed my bags and upgraded myself to an empty first-class coach for the final two hours.

There was no dining car, which meant I was starving by the time we pulled into Zagreb. I grabbed a Bolt (the European Uber) to my hostel, and let me tell you—that hostel was fantastic. It was just outside the city center, and I lucked out with a suite upstairs that had a private common area. I only shared it with two other people, making it by far the best hostel stay of this trip so far.

I grabbed a pizza that night and absolutely crashed. Travel days will do that to you.

The Hostel Hero: Igor & the Portland Connection

One of the highlights of Zagreb wasn’t a landmark—it was a person.

The owner of the hostel, Igor, was incredibly welcoming and laid-back. When he found out I was from Portland, Oregon, he absolutely lit up. Turns out, he’s a massive fan of the old TV show Grimm, which was filmed in Portland, and he started peppering me with questions about the city and Oregon in general.

We ended up chatting for a while about the Pacific Northwest—forests, rain, coffee shops, the whole deal. It was one of those random travel moments that just sticks with you: bonding with a stranger in another country over something as niche as a TV show filmed in your hometown. Igor said visiting Portland has been a dream of his for years.

That kind of connection makes the world feel a little smaller—and a lot more interesting.

Day 1 — Sightseeing, Street Photography & Camera Hunting

The next morning, I set off to explore Zagreb. A surprising number of the main sights were under renovation, so I couldn’t go inside most of them. Still, the city had a unique charm, and I managed to squeeze in some street photography while wandering through the older parts of town.

I also went to every camera store in the city hunting for a DJI 360 camera. No luck finding it, but it turned into a fun little side quest.

Later in the day, I tried some local chicken, which hit the spot after all the walking. The evening was spent back at the hostel playing card games and hanging out. Honestly, that place made it really easy to unwind.

Day 2 — Haircuts, Lakeside Lounging & Reverse Kangaroo

Day two was a slower one, but no less memorable.

It started with a bit of a gamble: I walked into a random barber shop and quickly realized the woman working there didn’t speak a word of English. And I definitely don’t speak Croatian.

So we did what any two people from different worlds do when scissors are involved—we mimed. I pointed, gestured, used a lot of thumbs up/thumbs down, and hoped for the best. Somehow, she totally nailed it. She not only gave me a great cut, but she also trimmed and lined up my beard perfectly. No idea how she understood what I was going for, but she crushed it. Honestly one of the best travel haircuts I’ve ever had.

With fresh hair and a sharper jawline, I headed out to a lake just outside of town with some fellow travelers. We spent most of the day relaxing by the water, soaking up the sun and chatting.

Later in the day, a summer storm rolled in. I got back to the hostel just as the sky opened up, so any hopes of going back out to shoot the city were scrapped.

But the rain brought something better.

An Australian girl at the hostel rallied a bunch of us together and taught us a card game she made up herself, called Reverse Kangaroo. We played it for nearly three hours, laughing, arguing about the rules (which kept changing), and getting way too competitive for a game no one had heard of before that night.

It was one of those classic hostel moments—strangers becoming temporary friends over shared shelter, bad weather, and a totally made-up game.

That night, I went to bed early to prep for a 6 AM train, but I fell asleep feeling full in a way food doesn’t cover.

Zagreb Recap

Zagreb wasn’t the most action-packed stop of my trip, but it had a ton of heart—chill days, hilarious moments, a great hostel, and some unexpected connections that I won’t forget anytime soon.

Next stop: Venice, Italy — and the beginning of my month-long adventure through Italy.