Zagreb

If you’re going to call Dubrovnik the pearl of the Adriatic, then Zagreb is the gem of Croatia, and a great place for any digital nomad.

It boasts a constant stream of bars, restaurants, events, workshops all whilst being extremely close to some stunning nature. From the poshest to the cheapest places, Sri Lankan to Venezuelan food, and with many ways to get around, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

Coworking (Updated 2022)

Zagreb has multiple coworking spaces to bring every digital nomad in Zagreb something close in proximity or preferences:

BizKoshnica – really central to the hustle and bustle, just over from Britanski Trg. It’s a convenient space with various business related events and meetups. Mirela is a super host looking to welcome you to her hive!

Hub385 – a huge coworking space with ample space, extremely modern with a techie feel and a table tennis to help you procrastinate. Definitely worth checking out for it’s enormity!

SquareOne – an inclusive coworking space that looks to support female entrepreneurs specifically through their specialised coworking plans.

MyPlace – a bright and light coworking space with all the amenities you need, near a great bar for coffee or something stronger.

Wespa – another great workspace for work and meetings, right next to the bus station. Extremely modern with lots of events, workshops and good food too! What a motto too – Work Eat Socialize Play Anytime

Matrix Spaces hosts you in an impressive building in one of Zagreb’s business districts. It’s a modern, open and vast coworking space.

Canopy by Hilton is an alternative space where many nomads have come to work, a good relaxed vibe, not too loud and open pretty much all the time. Just have a seat, by a drink or two and occasionally stare out as the world passes by.

Community

Zagreb wasn’t really on the map before, but the community has taken off in recent years. There are constantly events happening, with some niche areas too like US taxes or winetasting, so check out the Facebook page to keep an eye on what’s around the corner.

Since Zagreb is the capital city, it has always boasted a large number of cafes where you can just drop into to work. Try Canopy, Monocycle, Broom 44, Cogito, Quaha, Kavkaz for your caffeine kick – or head to Velvet or Dežman in late afternoon with a drink to finish the day.

When the day is over you can perhaps head to a gym – both Orlando Fit (which has a sauna) or even the 24 hour gym GymsForYou feel like your typical gym. If you prefer to be outside then run along the Sava, hang out in Maximir or head to Jarun for some biking or boating.

When the weekend comes, you’ve got the mountain Sljeme right behind you, and you can get there so easily it would be ridiculous not to. The trails are great and there are restaurants up there to help you top up your energy.

If you’re staying in town then check out some of Zagreb’s quirky museums such as the one about Broken Relationships, one with crazy illusions (also found in Split), and an 80s museum too!

If you want to escape beyond the city, you might find some ideas on the Around Zagreb project website.

Our favourites are check out Samobor for its picturesque quaint vibe and krempita, or go and explore some castle funtimes at Trakošćan or Krapina. Perhaps visit one of the numerous local vineyards or drop us a message on Facebook if you’re short of ideas!

Living

Whether you’d prefer to live near a coworking space, or a bit further out, check what’s available on DNA Stay, our dedicated longer term rental website for digital nomads.

A pro tip for any digital nomad in Zagreb is not to stay in a street that has a tramway running on it, so check Google Maps before committing!

There are plenty of local markets for you to pick up your fruit and veg so explore your neighbourhood for your nearest. Kvatrić, Dolac or Trešnjevka are the larger fresh markets in town but this doesn’t mean you won’t find what you need locally. Biobio is a local chain that offers fresh organic food too, so check them out. If you don’t want to leave home then you just order some food through Glovo or Wolt!

Connectivity

Public transport is excellent for a digital nomad in Zagreb. Buy the monthly ZET card and take advantage of the superb (and very affrordable) tram and bus network. Uber is present in the city, but many people use Cammeo or Bolt instead. 

Zagreb is the main hub of Croatia so you can pretty much get anywhere from here. You can easily pop to Ljubljana and Budapest on public transport, as well as buses to anywhere within Croatia. If you’re looking to visit any of these places then check out what Flixbus has to offer.

Alternatively you can look at ride sharing by checking out BlaBlaCar.

Zagreb Airport is brand new, recently expanded to attract new international links. If you have lounge access, prepare to be impressed.

It now boasts flights far and wide, and Ryanair also operate out of here meaning you can grab some amazingly affordable deals.

Some interesting facts

• Despite being labelled as ‘Eastern’ Europe, Zagreb actually lies further West than Vienna. 
• It’s home to the world’s shortest funicular railway, 66m in 64 seconds. 
• It’s the only EU capital with its own ski resort.
• Finally it’s a land-locked city, but has its own riviera and beaches.

Festivals worth checking out:

• • Snow Queen Ski Trophy in January
  • Zagreb World Theatre Festival in May
  • INMusic Festival in June
  • Zagreb Film Festival in November
  • Advent in Zagreb in December

Useful links:

Zagreb in a Page – https://www.total-croatia.com/zagreb/

Zagreb Airport guide – https://www.total-croatia.com/zagreb-airport/