Milan Orožen Adamič, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of Croatia
Five Stars Zagreb Issue 23 — December 01, 2007.

Travel has always been, as it is today, a nerve-racking change, an adventure, a new experience, an opportunity to meet new people, and a memory worth having. I believe my first trip to Zagreb took place back in 1960, during my school days, when I had the opportunity to travel from Ljubljana by train.

The trip lasted only a few hours and I vividly remember the Velesajam (trade fair), where I encountered crowds of people, the Croatian language being spoken, and a pavilion where various countries were represented, China being the most exotic.

At that time, our countries had lived together in a united republic for quite a while. The memories from my school days still lingered in my head when, after a long period of time, I returned to Zagreb. No longer a chance visitor, I now live with my wife and work in Zagreb. Much has changed since my first visit, especially now with both Croatia and Slovenia being independent countries. Many old contacts, acquaintances, and known networks of families and friends have stayed the same, but people's lifestyles have changed a great deal and they must certainly include many more conflicting relationships, understandable for two countries that have been united for so long. This history of ours may be felt at every street corner and language barriers amongst younger generations appears to be a bigger problem than it ever was.

As one travels towards Zagreb, about 20 to 30 km before they are actually able to see the city, they are welcomed by Medvednica, a stocky mountain whose name pays tribute to the bears that once lived and occupied the northern part of the city. Medvedgrad is also located there, as is Sljeme, up on the mountain's peak. Sljeme means 'ridge' and it is the mountain's highest peak (1032 m), the place where Medvednica crosses over to its rocky, north side. Medvednica and its forests looks much larger than it truly is and the pathway leading to it takes us through crowded city streets where traffic generally flows in an east-west direction and back. Medvednica is situated in a similar direction. The center of the city is filled with one-way streets and problems generally arise when one tries to intersect them and travel in a north-south direction. In the southern part of the city, many large signs regulate the Sava River. Vast swamps once surrounded the river, but there are no traces of them today. Some riverboats may be seen floating down Sava along a path that once, connected the vast lowlands of surrounding areas to the southern part of the city that was strategically and carefully laid out.

Zagreb was always a safe city, a place where many people throughout the centuries, and not just Croatians, could find refuge - people fleeing from the Turks, for example. Because of this, it is understandable that Zagreb is the undisputed heart of Croatia. While strolling down the streets of Zagreb, it is possible to run into people in the city who call themselves purgeri, native "Zagrebers" who are very proud of their city, as opposed to those who have immigrated to it. Yes, I too have immigrated to Zagreb, temporarily of course, but I can say that I have never felt like a stranger here. It seems that Zagreb is quite open to new inhabitants and their new and peculiar ways. "Zagrebers" actually appear proud to have people immigrate to their city, even if only for a short period of time, which creates a pleasant social environment for new citizens.

Walking my dog Lujo, a Bernese mountain dog, through the parks of Zagreb has become a ritual for me, although I must admit that more often than not, it is Lujo who walks me! And during these walks, if at all possible I, use the time to contemplate and conduct some silent "conversations" with myself. After a while however, all park pathways seemed to lead to the same place and I noticed that I was running into the same people. And eventually, I became acquainted with some dogs and their owners. I still haven't had a conversation about ‘who is who' with any of these people, or about the weather. The main topic of conversation is usually our furry friends - something you could talk about in almost any city in the world. In Zagreb, conversations about pet dogs are filled with love, indicating the relationship ‘Zagrebers' have with man's best friend. It took me some time to notice this and I couldn't help but notice the similarity of the feeling involved to those evoked when I heard the saying: "He who sings, thinks no evil". Perhaps this pleasant feeling is one of the reasons why it is so nice to live in Zagreb.