We traveled to Croatia with our almost 7 year old twins in June, 2017. Here’s what we did in Zagreb & Plitvice Lakes with kids:
Zagreb: General Thoughts
- Zagreb is the capital of Croatia
- It is about a two hour drive through hilly farmland to get from Zadar to Zagreb
- The city, IMHO, is old, covered in graffiti and not at all charming.
- The day we arrived was super quiet. Maybe it was a holiday?
- I thought it would be easier to get to the Lakes from Zagreb than from Zadar. It turns out that it would’ve been the same amount of time. Therefore, I think we did things backward. If I had to do this trip again, I would have booked two days in Zadar instead of traveling to Zagreb.
Where we stayed: Zagreb with kids
- Since the best hotel in town (The Esplanade) was booked solid, we stayed at the Sheraton Zagreb Hotel.
- It was what you would expect from a Sheraton…clean and basic.
- Our room was huge, which was nice.
Where we ate: Zagreb with kids
- I read in a blog that Bistro Fotic is delicious, so we tried it for dinner. IMHO, it was meh.
- Trip advisor gives high praise for Duksa Pizza. We agreed. The thin, crunchy crust pizza was good, and there were many topping options for the adventurous.
Plitvice Lakes
- This National Park has 16 lakes (with waterfalls!) surrounded by lush forest. It is just beautiful. Had we not been to Iguazu Falls in Argentina 6 months earlier, we would’ve appreciated it much more…
- We saw crystal clear turquois water and lots of fish
- Research informed me that it is best to stay nearby the night before or get there very early to beat the crowds. We went visited in early June, though, so the crowds weren’t so bad (we got there pretty late late in the day).
- It was about a 2 hour car ride from Zagreb to the lakes.
- Trail F was recommended for children, but it was not easy. I saw one family with a stroller and they were struggling: it is hilly with lots of stairs, and there is a pretty big hike up from the lakes to get the train back to the main area. There was lots of whining from my kids and other small children along the route.
