A walk through the city we call home…
City of Zagreb has places we return to without really thinking about why. Some come for its cafés, museums and historic streets. Others are drawn to its parks, markets or the atmosphere that fills the city throughout the year. For all of us at J2Collection, Zagreb has always been home. It is the city we have grown up in and walked through countless times.
Yet even today, it continues to surprise us in unexpected ways. Some of our favourite places in Zagreb can all be found within a short walk through the Lower Town. They are places we return to because of the stories they hold, the memories they carry and the way they continue to shape how we see our city. This is one of those walks.
The story begins with the Sun
Just a few steps from Ban Jelacic Square, in Mirka Bogovica Street, stands one of Zagreb’s most unexpected landmarks. At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a bronze sphere. In reality, it is The Grounded Sun, a public art installation by Croatian sculptor Ivan Kozaric that has stood here since 1994.
But the story does not end there. Ten years later, artist Davor Preis expanded the idea by placing every planet of the Solar System throughout Zagreb. Each one was positioned according to its real distance from the Sun and recreated in proportional size, transforming the city into a walkable model of the universe.
There is no map pointing you from one planet to the next. That is part of what makes it so special. You might set out in search of Mercury, only to find yourself following the Solar System through parts of Zagreb you had never explored before. Along the way, you will discover streets, courtyards and corners of the city you may never have noticed otherwise.
The dog who never left
There is another reason we always stop in Mirka Bogovica Street. Just outside the Oktogon, on the façade of the former First Croatian Savings Bank, you will find a small memorial dedicated to Pluto, a stray dog who wandered onto the building’s construction site in 1898.
The workers took him in, gave him food and, before long, he became part of the team. The chief architect, Josip Vancas, named him Pluto, and from that moment on he guarded the site every day. Shortly before construction was completed, Pluto lost his life. It is believed he was protecting the site from illegal clay diggers who crossed the area during the night.
The workers were so deeply moved by the loss of their loyal companion that they decided Pluto deserved to be remembered. More than a century later, his memorial still tells one of Zagreb’s most touching stories. Today, his legacy lives on through PluTrka, a charity dog race held during Zagreb’s popular Cest is d’Best street festival, where dogs and their owners come together in his honour.
Stepping into Oktogon
Leaving Pluto behind, we continue towards the end of the street before turning into one of Zagreb’s most beautiful passages. The Oktogon has connected Zagreb’s lively Ilica, one of the city’s main shopping streets, with Petar Preradovic Square, better known to locals as Flower Square, for more than a century.
Today, it remains one of Zagreb’s most distinctive passages and one we never walk past without stepping inside. Look up and you will see why. Above the passage, a striking glass dome fills the space with natural light, while stained-glass windows and elegant architectural details make it easy to forget the busy streets just outside.
There is almost always music here. Most days, the sound comes from a violinist whose melodies drift beneath the glass dome, quietly accompanying everyone who passes through. We’ve stopped to listen more times than we can count. Over time, those melodies led us to a conversation—and to another story we’ll be sharing soon. Before long, we realised the Oktogon wasn’t simply one of our favourite places. It was also home to one of Zagreb’s most remarkable stories.
One story always leads to another
Perhaps that is what we love most about Zagreb. A walk that begins at the Grounded Sun soon becomes much more than a walk through the Solar System.
Along the way, you will come across stories like Pluto’s, places like the Oktogon, and countless details that make you look at the city differently. The truth is, there are far more reasons why we love Zagreb than could ever fit into a single story.
Some are found in places, others in the people who shape them, and many in the stories that connect them all. This is simply one of the walks we love sharing with others.
This time, we stopped at the Sun. Next time, another story may be waiting just around the corner.
