Has Zagreb lost its spark? Locals debate how Croatia’s capital has changed

Zagreb

A post on Reddit by a Zagreb-born resident asking where the city he once loved had gone has sparked a lively discussion online, with residents sharing contrasting views about how life in the Croatian capital has changed.

As daily Večernji list writes, the resident, who said he was born and raised in Zagreb, recalled a time when he enjoyed trips to Sljeme, walks along Strossmayer Promenade, the Upper Town and the main square, as well as visits to Jarun, Šalata and Bundek.

“I had so much love, enthusiasm and desire for trips, hobbies and everything else,” he wrote. But he said his experience of the city today is very different.

He described daily journeys to work as a struggle with “endless traffic”, while public transport, he said, can take just as long because of congestion and transfers.

He also complained about crowded shops, inconsiderate behaviour by some shoppers and the difficulty of finding a parking space.

“After I get home, I can spend 15 minutes driving around looking for a space,” he wrote, adding that he had sometimes been fined €60 after parking partly outside the marked area.

Healthcare was another source of frustration, with the resident saying he felt the personal approach had been lost. He also pointed to neglected infrastructure, deteriorating façades, waste problems around Jakuševec and the increasing number of large cars on Zagreb’s streets.

Even the city’s popular Advent celebrations came in for criticism, with the resident arguing that they had become more about taking photographs with expensive food and drinks than enjoying the atmosphere.

Yet he ended his post by questioning whether the problem was Zagreb itself, or whether he had simply changed.

“Maybe it’s just me, old and grey. Zagreb is the same as ever… or is it?” he concluded.

His comments prompted responses from other residents.

A Zagreb-born tourist guide said that, when showing visitors around the city, she could still see its appeal and the “spark” created by its mix of Central, Southern and Eastern European influences.

However, she also described Zagreb as an increasingly difficult place to live, citing pollution, traffic and a sense of detachment.

In her view, the city has many of the disadvantages of a major city but fewer of the advantages in terms of infrastructure and cultural and social opportunities.

“It has really become a tough city to live in, it has no soul or vibe, people are extremely nervous, in London and Rome people are not so nervous, so it’s not about the size of the city and the crowds,” she wrote.

Others disagreed, pointing to good neighbourhoods, access to services, green spaces and public transport as reasons they remain satisfied with life in the capital.

“I work from home, and I live in a great neighbourhood where everything is close to me – a shopping centre, supermarkets, banks, a market, FINA, post offices, an ambulance, pharmacies, kindergartens, schools, even a gas station that works 0-24 hours. It’s green, you have places to walk, the cultural centre is ok, the playgrounds are ok. I don’t drive, so I don’t have to worry about parking. I only go to the ‘city’ when I want to, rarely because I need something. I make sure it’s outside of rush hour,” one said.

One Reddit user who had moved from Zagreb to a much smaller hometown said their quality of life had improved significantly.

“Unfortunately, it’s no longer what it used to be,” they wrote, while adding that “I have changed too, not just Zagreb”.

The discussion ultimately reflects the different ways residents experience Croatia’s capital, and raises a familiar question for any changing city: has Zagreb changed, or have the people living in it changed with it?