Must Visit Place: Zagreb 360

I remember last year I tried to start a little series of posts about must-visit spots in Zagreb. In the first one (that you can find here) I talked about Dolac market. Today I want to share with you another place you can't miss if you are going to this city and continue with this series. 
The place I'm referring to is called Zagreb 360 and it's the right spot to go if you want to get the best views of the city. 

The people from Zagreb 360 say that you haven't been to Zagreb if you haven't visited this observation deck and I can say I totally agree with this statement. The first time I went to this city, I didn't have the chance to go there and I felt like I was missing something.

 

Because the typical postcard view of Zagreb you can see when you google this city, with the Main Square and the Cathedral just behind it, for example, you can only get it from the observation deck of Zagreb 360. But not only that, as their name indicates, you can get a full 360 view of the city and see all the most iconic building, so it's the perfect place to go and take thousands of pictures. 

In addition, the place has a nice coffee shop inside so you can also enjoy a delicious cup of cappuccino or another drink while you get lost in the incredible views at the same time. 

What I loved the most about this place is that your entrance ticket is valid for the entire day which means that you can go there as many times as you want during that day so you can get the best views and pictures with all the light changes. That is exactly what I did when I visited Zagreb 360, I went there the first time around midday, and then I went back for the sunset. I took a lot of pictures and then I drank a coffee while I was waiting for the night to come because I also wanted to get some night shots. 

So, if you go I highly recommend that you do the same, and go at different times of the day so you can appreciate the city with different lighting as I did. 

Anyway, I hope you like this post and you find it useful in case you are planning to visit the capital of Croatia. I would also love to know if you like to visit this kind of places when you are traveling?

Why it is OK to go back to a place you already visited

With summer just around the corner for many of you who are in the northern hemisphere, I can imagine that you are already thinking about your next vacations and when planning this trip you may be faced with this question: Do I visit a new place or maybe I could go back to that city that I have enjoyed so much last year?

We are currently living in a society that is always looking for completing tasks on a list and sometimes looks like traveling has become one more task, in which we need to tick all the places in our bucket list but it doesn't have to be that way. That's why in today's post I would like to talk about the reasons why it is OK to go back to a place that you have already visited in the past and I'm going to share with you a little bit about my personal experience visiting Split for the second time last year. 

One may think that visiting the same place again it's pointless with so many beautiful spots on this planet but it doesn't actually mean that you are loosing of everything else just because you chose a city you already know. It could be a great opportunity to explore and discover more of a place you already love! That leads me to the first reason:

1- You can discover new things of that place

When I went to Split for the second time, I had the chance to explore a lot more because I have already visited the main touristic places (you can read everything about my first trip here) so, this time I went to a new beach, I tried different coffee places and restaurants and I even went up to the bell tower which was something I didn't do before and it was totally amazing. I also had the chance to take more pictures and to explore more of the area than during my first visit. That was the main reason why I wanted to go back to Split because I wanted to visit the islands that were close by (for example, Brač island and the amazing Zlatni Rat beach) and that allowed me to have a completely different experience while staying in the same city.

The beautiful Split Riviera 

2- You will experience a nice sense of familiarity

I know it's great to go to a place for the very first time and feel completely surprised by all the new things your eyes are seeing but when you visit a city that you already know you will get a nice sense of familiarity with the place. You will recall all the amazing moments you had there in the past and you will also feel super comfortable moving around there because you already know the place! So that's great!
In my case, when I was in Split again I remembered all the fun moments along with the great people I met there and that instantly put me in a great mood during those days. What's even better is that in the second visit I also had so much fun just like in the first time ;)

3- You can relax a lot more

This point is not so obvious but I think that is key. When you are visiting a place for the first time you are likely trying to visit all the main spots and do all the important activities in a few days, before moving to the next destination, which can make you feel a little bit stressful and in a constant rush. But, when you go back to a place you have already visited you can just relax and enjoy it because you already did all the main touristic things, you don't have to worry about how to move around the city, or about getting lost, you already know where everything is located. You are a little bit like a local there and that is a great sensation ;)

In this second visit to Split, I finally touched the feet of the Gregory of Nin Statue, people say it brings you good luck 

One of the gates to the Diocletian's Palace 

The incredible bell tower of Split's Cathedral

The Peristyle

So the point of this post is to show you that if you feel like you want to go to a place that you already visited last year and that you loved it, that's completely fine! If it makes you happy, just go and don't worry about missing the opportunity of going somewhere else. You will have plenty of opportunities to visit many incredible places, the important thing is to enjoy and do what feels right for you! 

I even feel like I loved Split more after I went the second time because I was able to establish a different connection with the city. In the first time, the days went by so quickly with all the activities I wanted to do that when I went there the second time, I felt like there was a lot I didn't saw because I was in a rush.  Therefore, I totally feel it's OK to go back to a place for the second time if you want to! In my experience it was great!

The amazing view from the bell tower 

But now I would like to know your thoughts on this topic, do you always go to a new place or have you visited a city more than once? How did you feel? I would love to know your experience ;) 

How to take advantage of long layovers?

When you are traveling to a new destination there are times when it would be necessary to have a long layover in a different city than the one you want to visit. This could sound like such an inconvenience but I have found that long layovers can be a great opportunity to explore a new city instead of just staying at the airport. So, the idea of this post is to share some of my tips and experiences with long layovers and how I took advantage of them.

1- Make sure that you have enough time to go exploring

When you are selecting your flight make sure that you pick the option that gives you enough time to go to the city and explore. A layover of 4-5 hours it's too short because you always have to return to the airport with a few hours before your boarding time so try to choose layovers of 9-10 or even more hours if you are planning to visit a few places. 

A couple of images from the new Zagreb Airport

2- Find out if the airline offers any kind of tour service

Some airlines like Turkish Airlines or Emirates normally have some super long layovers in Istanbul or Dubai because that's where their base is located, but they offer some special services so that the layover in those cities is not an inconvenience for you. In my particular case, I have traveled with Turkish Airlines a few times and they offer a Hotel Service, in case you are having a layover of more than 9 hours at night you can stay at a hotel provided by the airline and also they take care of the transfer to the hotel and back to the airport, at no extra charge. Or if you are having a long layover of more than 6 hours but during the daytime, they offer you a city tour, at no extra cost! So, in case you are flying with any of these airlines make sure you take advantage of these benefits. Also, if you want to know more about my 20-hour layover in Istanbul you can read my post here ;)

Enjoying a bus tour in Istanbul during my layover

3- Do some research on how to get to the city

Most of the airports are located a little bit far away from the city center so in case you are considering to explore a little bit while you are having your layover, make sure to check out how to get to the center. If it's easy and accessible then go ahead and book that flight option! 

The Main train station in Frankfurt is very easy to reach from the airport

4- Choose the places you would like to visit in advance

As you are not going to have a lot of time to visit everything that city has to offer, make sure you already have chosen all the main spots you would like to cover. Don't go too crazy on this one because remember you are probably tired from your trip so you want to focus on 2 or 3 main spots or activities. This would be like a nice first impression of the city and in case you feel like there is more to see there, remember you can always go back ;)

The Blue Mosque was very high on my Must-Visit places in Istanbul

5- Check if there is an option to leave your hand luggage at the airport

This is a lesson I have learned from my last two long layovers (you can read everything about my day in Zürich and also how I have spent my 10 hours in Frankfurt), I didn't manage to leave my backpack at the airport or train station and I totally regret it because I got super tired of carrying it around the city. Most of the airports or train stations offer this kind of service where you can leave your luggage and it's very convenient. So, keep this in mind when you are planning your layover and if you can't do this, try to pack as light as possible so you can explore more comfortably. 

So, these would be all my tips when it comes to making the most out of your long layover, it's a great way to visit an extra city when planning another trip. I hope you find this post useful and please let me know if you have had a long layover in the past and what did you do in those hours?