 What a stunning couple of weeks is Zagreb in December, leading up to Christmas …. Advent in Zagreb, or Božični Sajam (Christmas Fair). You must experience it. People use the hackneyed description that Zagreb is converted into a fairyland. All that I can say is that at that time of the year, Zagreb is a fairyland! Don’t miss it! Until recent years, Zagreb did not rank as a tourist destination compared with the coastal cities of Dubrovnik, Split, and Opatija, for example, in summertime. Well the authorities in Zagreb have seen a winter opportunity, and made the most of it. For three years in succession, Zagreb has been voted by travellers as the best Christmas fair in Europe. Am I surprised? In the first half of December, it is the place to be, and with tourists from all over Europe create dynamic city. What a gorgeous mix of lights, snow, music, singing, food, drink, performances, and fun! It seems that there are at least a thousand stalls spread around Zagreb from the Glavni Kolodvor to Gornji Grad. Intermingled with stages for singers and musicians, they’ll provide you with a whole host of foods and drinks. The most popular items seem to be kobasice (sausages in a bread roll, with your choice of a dozen sauces), toplo kuhano vino (mulled wine), and (I can’t even say the word without my taste juices flowing madly) fritule. Other people probably see the fare through different stomachs. Oh, what memories are conjured up of the fritule that my mother made for every occasion. And it didn’t take much to define “occasion”: Sunday was an occasion, and so was Thursday night, and …. any time? Dancing, or even tapping your feet to the singing and dancing of the energetic Lado Ensemble keeps your feet warm. Your heart, too.
My teacher, Mateja, helping me to learn Croatian culture. A divno je na Trgu Bana Josipa Jelačića bilo kad, ali posebno tijekom Božičneg Sajma ..... See the official website at ... https://croatia.hr/en-GB/Activities-and-attractions/Events/NewEvents/advent-zagreb And from the 2018 Advent ... Photos courtesy of Petra Majpruz and Mateja Horvat
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