For those looking to take a cultural vacation, Zagreb is home to many worthwhile events. Use this event guide to inspire your next trip to Croatia. Have a favorite Zagreb experience of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
Zagreb Chocofest
From February 9-14, the 2nd annual Zagreb Chocofest will take place in the city’s Ban Josip Jelačić central square. Expect sweet treats, tasty delicacies made by local and international chocolatiers. Last year, more than 3,000 people enjoyed sampling chocolates, indulging in wine and chocolate pairing, learning about special ingredients, taking part in cooking demonstrations and listening to educational lectures on the nutritional value of chocolate (no more guilt!). For a dose of creativity, visitors will also be able to enjoy ornate chocolate sculptures created by students of Zagreb’s Academy of Fine Arts.
The Largest Pablo Picasso Exhibit Ever Shown In Europe
As of March 23rd, the Klovićevi Dvori Gallery will feature the largest exhibition of representative works by Pablo Picasso ever shown in this part of Europe.The exhibition will consist of masterpieces from the Picasso Museum, which is currently undergoing renovations, and its holdings have been touring the world for three years now. After Europe, the United States, China, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, Australia and Hong Kong, the exhibition is arriving in Zagreb where it will remain on show until July 7th. Even visitors from neighboring countries are expected to attend the exhibition, and they will have the opportunity to enjoy 56 of Picasso’s paintings and sculptures, as well as around 40 photographs, which are a large part of the impressive opus left by the greatest artist of the 20th century. Along with paintings and sculptures, numerous documents regarding Pablo Picasso’s work will also be exhibited, dating from his earliest works to the ones he created toward the end of his life. The tourism board is predicting
this event will put Zagreb on the world map as one of the most desirable cultural destinations during this winter and spring.
World Art Games
If you are an aficionado of art, make sure to be in Croatia between June 29th and July 10th, because Croatia will then be host to the premiere edition of the World Art Games. The “Art Olympics” will be hosted by four Croatian cities – Zagreb, Vukovar, Ludbreg and Umag. Some 1,000 artists from approximately 50 countries worldwide are expected to participate. Since this will be the Art Games’ premiere edition, this year’s event in Croatia will not be competitive as the participating authors exhibit their works in 17 different disciplines. The large cultural event will bring together all forms of art – painting, sculpting, ceramics, photography, film, theatre, music, fashion, design and even culinary art, and numerous famous names from all over the world will present their oeuvre in those disciplines.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
