I've been offered a trip to review a festival in Zagreb. Not a bad bill so far (Billy Idol and LCD Soundsystem for starters). I'll only be there for 3 days or so, and probably won't get to leave Zagreb itself.

My main impressions of Croatia are "full of tablecloth-waving neo-Nazis", "probably some cool Roman ruins", and "a bit like Italy, only cheaper". I guess I might re-read the relevant chapters in Andrew Mueller's books to brush up.

Any recommendations/unrecommendations?

full of tablecloth-waving neo-Nazis",

People are seriously very nice, apart from a few dickhead footy fans, obviously.

"probably some cool Roman ruins", and "a bit like Italy, only cheaper".

Largely true, though this applies to the coast and not really to Zagreb. The best ruins are supposedly in the North West, particularly Pula. I've only been to Zagreb and Dalmatia, the latter being lovely.

My biggest recommendation for Zagreb would be the City Museum, which chronicles its history all the way from Roman times up to and including the civil war, and pretty much everything in between. I spent an hour and a half there (on a day when it was dead) and it was very good, with lots of stuff in English as well.

The Cathedral's very pretty as well and there's a few other museums and galleries etc. Don't go on a Monday, as that's the day most stuff shuts.

I only spent a day there and then caught a night train to Sarajevo (a less than salubrious experience) so couldn't tell you anything about the nightlife but it's a capital city, there must be something going on I guess.

Spearmint Rhino wrote:
Not a bad bill ... Billy Idol ...

These words look funny together. Is he undergoing some kind of redemption/revival at the moment?

Sorry I've nothing to add about Zagreb.

Like a checkered flag to a PPV.

Worn Old Motorbike wrote:
Spearmint Rhino wrote:
Not a bad bill ... Billy Idol ...

These words look funny together. Is he undergoing some kind of redemption/revival at the moment?

Sorry I've nothing to add about Zagreb.

I like Billy Idol. "Eyes Without A Face" is one of my favourite songs by anyone ever.

Oh, I don't dislike him. I just didn't equate him with festival lineups in 2010. I wondered whether he was on some kind of resurrection tour at the moment. You know, small clubs...build credibility, etc.

There's the daily cow milking contest by the central train station

Go to Ban Jelacic square and watch the only Serb allowed in town as he sits in his cage, starved and fed cockroaches by kids 7-10yrs

Any café will be brilliant on Wednesdays as the name for that day in Croatian translates "Nazi salute day", with people eating bakery while saluting every bite with a Nazi greeting

Worn Old Motorbike wrote:
Oh, I don't dislike him. I just didn't equate him with festival lineups in 2010. I wondered whether he was on some kind of resurrection tour at the moment. You know, small clubs...build credibility, etc.

He's been a regular at heavy rock festivals for a few years now (the sort that mix current metal acts with creaking old dinosaurs like Alice Cooper and Aerosmith), so it's not that surprising. However, in the context of this particular bill it's a little surprising. I mean, Massive Attack are playing.

Pietro Paolo Virdis wrote:
There's the daily cow milking contest by the central train station

Go to Ban Jelacic square and watch the only Serb allowed in town as he sits in his cage, starved and fed cockroaches by kids 7-10yrs

Any café will be brilliant on Wednesdays as the name for that day in Croatian translates "Nazi salute day", with people eating bakery while saluting every bite with a Nazi greeting

Thanks! This is exactly what I'm looking for.

I take it you've never been to Zagreb.

If I was to spend three days in a city and the main purpose of the trip was not tourism, but business, what I've always done is to not go where the tourists go, but just sort of try to find spots where I can "inhale" the local atmosphere.

My favorite spot in Zagreb is this little place right in front of the tram station at the Ban Jelacic square, the main square. It looks like a simple café but there's a Casino downstairs. I love to sit there, look through the panorama window early morning and watch as people make their way to work.

Up north-east you'll have the cathedral, if you make it to the cathedral then make a turn towards west, you'll hit the vegggie, fruit and flower market on early Sundays, an old fashioned market in the midst of the city, the kind I love, and continue south, get back to the Ban Jelacic square, then west from there you'll find a narrow passage leading upwards towards the north-west, which is the main café and pub street in Zagreb.

I'm sure this hasn't been too helpful. But I stand by it. You have three days to spend with a lot of work to be done, I wouldn't spend it on criss-crossing a city, or try to see the landmarks, I'd find somewhere I could truly get a feel of the city.
Ban Jelacic square, then explore from there.

I can recommend hotel Dubrovnik, it's right there.

Not far from Jelacic Ban, you have an aerial lift that will take you to a great view of the city.

Can't help you with veggie food, but do try to find a place which serves Burek, which would be more of a Fish'n'Chip style establishment than a restaurant, it's Bosnian style of fast food, and try the Burek with cottage cheese. Just tell them "Burek with cheeese", most people do understand English.

Cheers. I'll bear all that in mind. No, I've never been to Croatia before. In fact, this may turn out to be the farthest east I've ever travelled. I'll have to check on a map.

(Nah, only the third.)