The Magic of Advent in Zagreb Set to Start

Advent in Zagreb, one of the highlights of the Zagreb tourism calender, will be held this year from 28 November to 10 January…

Advent in Zagreb, which helped the Croatian capital this year earn a nomination for the ‘Best Christmas Market in Europe’, will feature a host of Christmas and New Year festivities over the next 6 weeks.

Organised by the Zagreb Tourist Board, this year’s Advent in Zagreb will run longer than usual due to the increase in the number of tourists to Zagreb over the festive period.

“Advent in Zagreb this year will bring together close to 3,000 participants from various public, city and private companies and organisations and we expect the number of visitors to be higher than last year because the European Best Destination portal has already put us on a list of the most attractive Advent events in Europe, and the list will be voted on from 1 to 10 December,” said Zagreb Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld.

The first Advent candle will be lit in Zagreb’s main square on 28 November to mark the beginning of the event, and in the evening Christmas lights will be turned on in the nearby Zrinjevac park, where an entertainment programme will be staged, including events for children.

King Tomislav Square will once again turn into the country’s largest ice-skating rink, whilst a number of Christmas fairs will be staged at a number of locations in downtown Zagreb offering souvenirs, food and other products to visitors. A concert by Croatian pop singer Nina Badrić will be staged in the central square on New Year’s Eve.

Zagreb, which has recorded over 1.5 million overnight stays so far this year, will gift Sarajevo a Christmas tree after previously gifting Rome, Berlin, Vienna and other cities over the last few years.

Check out the Advent in Zagreb programme here.

(photo credit/adventinzagreb)