Zagreb

One of the best views in town – across red-tile roofs towards the cathedral – is from this square behind the Jesuit Church of St Catherine. It's the perfect spot to begin or end an Upper Town wander. The square is also home to Zagreb's most famous street art; the Whale, gracing the facade of the abandoned Galerija Gradec building, is a 3D work by French artist Etien.

A 10-minute ride north of the city centre (or a 30-minute walk through leafy streets) takes you to one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe, sited at the base of Mt Medvednica. It was designed in 1876 by Austrian-born architect Herman Bollé, who created numerous buildings around Zagreb. The majestic arcade, topped by a string of cupolas, looks like a fortress from the outside, but feels calm and graceful on the inside.

Right in the heart of the city, Zagreb’s bustling fruit and vegetable market has been trader-central since the 1930s when the city authorities set up a market space on the 'border' between the Upper and Lower Towns. Sellers from all over Croatia descend here daily to hawk fresh produce.

From romances that withered to broken family connections, this wonderfully quirky museum explores the mementos left over after a relationship ends. Displayed amid a string of all-white rooms are donations from around the globe, each with a story attached. Exhibits range from the hilarious (the toaster someone nicked so their ex could never make toast again) to the heartbreaking (the suicide note from somebody's mother). In turns funny, poignant and moving, it's a perfect summing-up of the human condition.

A feast for fans of Croatia’s naive art (a form that was highly fashionable locally and worldwide during the 1960s and ’70s and has declined somewhat since), this small museum displays 80 artworks (a smidgen of the museum's total 1900 holdings) that illustrate the full range of colourful, and often dreamlike, styles within the genre. The discipline’s most important artists, such as Generalić, Mraz, Rabuzin and Smajić, are all displayed here.

In the Upper Town, Tkalčićeva is throbbing with bars and cafes. With half a dozen bars and sidewalk cafes between Trg Petra Preradovića (known locally as Cvjetni trg) and Bogovićeva in the Lower Town, the scene on summer nights resembles a vast outdoor party. Things wind down by midnight, though, and get quieter from mid-July through late August.

Zagreb's craft beer scene is heating up with several places now devoted to both local and global craft brews. For an easy bar-hop, head to Opatovina. This street is home to a whole clutch of bars that serve a fine range of craft beer brands.

Some of our favourite bars in town for getting stuck into the scene are:

Craft Room The central Opatovina location plus the solid range of craft beer (local on tap, with plenty of global offerings too) make this the number one stop for getting acquainted with Croatia's brews.

Garden Brewery In Zagreb's industrial east, this boutique brewery and bar offers up their own craft beer. Try the Kettle Sour for its fruity flavours or the Session Ale with floral overtones. On Saturdays there's live music and Sundays are family-friendly.

Hop Inn It's all about local craft beer at this small, laid-back bar on the edge of the central city (a two-minute walk from the bus station). Get stuck into Zagreb labels such as Nova Runda, Zmajsko and the Garden Brewery.

Pivnica Medvedgrad There's five house beers to try, including a classic weizenbier and a hoppy lager at this bustling bar. Their sister pub Pivnica Mali Medo is in prime position, along the main Tkalčićeva pedestrian strip and serves up the same beer menu.