I have booked a 10-day yachting holiday along the Croatian coast this summer. Would it be worthwhile to visit Zagreb for a few days? There are many reasons to visit Zagreb - great hotels, stunning landmarks, historical monuments and a rich cultural heritage. A stroll through Zagreb will reveal a youthful and elegant balance of history and cutting-edge European modernity - so yes, it's well worth a couple of days of your holiday.
A great place to stay is the Regent Esplanade hotel (www.regenthotels.com/zagreb; 00385 1 45 66 666), a wonderfully evocative hotel which has been restored to its 1920s neoclassical and Art Deco glory. Ilica, the longest street in Zagreb, divides the older, romantic Upper Town and the busy, contemporary streets of Lower Town: begin your tour at Mimara Museum (www.mimara.mr; 00 385 1482 8100), which is housed in a neo-Renaissance palace in the Lower Town and showcases 3,750 pieces of art.
The Arts and Crafts Museum (www.muo.hr; 00 385 1455 4122) in the heart of the Lower Town has more than 100,000 artefacts dating back to the 14th century, the richest holdings in Croatia. Zagreb City Museum (www.mgz.hr; 00 385 1485 1361) was established in 1907 and occupies the former building of the Convent of the Poor Clares (1650) in Zagreb's Upper Town. There's plenty of nature and greenery to be enjoyed in the city centre: the city boasts a long park tradition and valuable natural heritage, with about 30 parks covering an area of more than 400,000 square metres. The Green Horseshoe, one of the biggest parks in the city, encircles one quarter of the Lower Town on three sides, and features an old promenade called Zrinjevac; landscaped squares; the Botanical Gardens, a sprawling park that features two large man-made lakes and an arboretum; and Lake Jarun, among other attractions.
Perhaps the best thing going for Zagreb, though, is the nightlife - two of the most popular discotheques are Aquarius (www.aquarius.hr;; 00 385 1364 0231), situated on Lake Jarun, and The Best (www.thebest.hr; 00 385 91 113 3221). There is also a staggering number of clubs and jazz bars (BP Jazz Club, www.bpclub.hr;), as well as lounges and restaurants that offer lots of entertainment. If an idea of a walking tour appeals to you, then there is plenty to choose from. Classic themed tours organised by the Zagreb Tourism Board (www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr; 00 385 985 93317), such as Zagreb's Past (5pm on Fridays, no pre-booking necessary), take visitors around the Upper Town, where significant historical monuments are located. Or learn Croatian on an interactive city tour (1pm on Saturdays). If you want to experience Zagreb on your own personal transporter, then try the Segway City Tour (www.segwaycitytourzagreb.com; 00 385 1301 0390). IBus (www.ibus.hr; 00 385 1369 4333) provides bus tours for a minimum of four people.
If you're planning to stop in Zagreb for a few days, it would be handy to buy a Zagreb Card (www.zagrebcard.fivestars.hr). Especially for tourists, the card provides benefits, savings and discounts that are valid in nearly all the city's museums, theatres, hotels and restaurants, including sports and medical services and car rentals. The best part is, having a Zagreb Card entitles you to free public transportation. It can be purchased at the airport, most hotels, shops and tourist centres.
To make life easier for tourists, the city has introduced tourist informants (www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr), dressed in special blue uniforms emblazoned with a capital "I". These multilingual guides walk around the city in pairs, helping visitors find their bearings and assisting with everything from finding hotels to recommending a classical music concert.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
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Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.