Balkans Road Trip: Day 11 – Medvedgrad and Zagreb

May 06, 2023

We started our day by buying breakfast and dinner at a supermarket in Banja Luka. Lacking in invention, we bought what we have been consuming for the vast majority of our breakfast meals on our trip: bread, cheese, a milk-based drink, and fruit. The purchase brought our supply of Bosnian Marks low but not to zero. Thus, we decided to get some gas before crossing the border to the EU. We were pleasantly surprised when, upon arriving at the gas station, we were helped with our purchase by an employee who simply typed in the desired amount and refilled our tank for 30 BM worth of gas.

I did not make plans for the last day of our trip. In part, I had trouble believing we would make it this far, but I also figured we might like to see a bit more of Zagreb after having spent only half a day there. Nevertheless, we were making great time and expected to have about five hours to kill before returning our car. Somewhat on a last-minute whim, therefore, I proposed visiting Medvedgrad, a castle just north of Zagreb. I found the ride there quite fun, by which I mean unnervingly winding and narrow.

Medvedgrad is a nice place to visit, though perhaps not in the hit-and-run way to which we have become accustomed on this trip. If the walk through the forest is anything like the drive, it must be very pleasant; the castle itself is not much to look at, but it is well-curated and offers good views of the surrounding forests and hills.

After Medvedgrad, we drove into Zagreb for lunch. Being away from the coast, I no longer felt in the mood for shellfish and had an asparagus risotto, but Yang finally tried her long-desired octopus salad. At around that time we realised we still had over three hours to kill and no places left on our to-see list. The main sights of the city were still covered in scaffolding, the Church of Saint Mark remained closed, and even the threat of boredom could not make the city tunnels more attractive to us.

Therefore, we decided to simply wander south of the historic centre. The streets of Zagreb seemed quite nice and liveable, and they conveniently led us to the botanical gardens. With entry tickets priced at a mere two euros, we spent almost an hour there. The most memorable plant from our visit was the handkerchief tree, whose white leaves interspersed among green ones to magical effect.

The rest of the day passed by very smoothly. We picked up our dear tangerine-coloured Volkswagen from the parking lot and parted with it at the car rental. During the 2100 kilometres we spent inside, it treated us well, perhaps except for its over-sensitive alarm system and its terrifying tendency to slide back when started on an incline. We, in turn, requited its services by not damaging it and generally refraining from blaming it for my bad driving. From the car rental, we received a ride to the airport, and we patiently ate our pre-packed sandwich dinner while waiting for boarding.