Zagreb's art scene today
Zagreb has the richest collection of museums and galleries in Croatia, from old masters and naive painting to contemporary installations and street murals. Before planning, it helps to know one thing: the earthquakes of 2020 badly damaged many buildings in the historic centre, and several major museums closed for long renovations. Some have reopened, some are reopening in stages and some are still shut. Check each museum's website before you go, and don't rely on older guides. Prices are in euros; any guide quoting entry fees in kuna is out of date.
Museum of Contemporary Art
The Museum of Contemporary Art (Muzej suvremene umjetnosti, MSU) is in Novi Zagreb, south of the Sava, at Avenija Dubrovnik 17. Its large modern building opened in 2009 and is easy to reach by tram. The permanent display covers Croatian and international art from the 1950s onwards, including conceptual and new media work, and the museum runs a busy programme of temporary exhibitions, film and talks. A highlight for many visitors is Carsten Höller's Double Slide, a pair of steel slides running between floors. Allow at least two hours.
Klovićevi dvori and the Upper Town
Klovićevi dvori Gallery occupies a former Jesuit monastery on Jesuit Square (Jezuitski trg) in the Upper Town. It has no permanent collection but hosts some of the city's largest temporary exhibitions, from Croatian modernists to international shows. It is worth checking its programme as soon as you know your dates.
A short walk away, the Atelier Meštrović at Mletačka 8 is the house and studio where Ivan Meštrović, Croatia's best-known sculptor, lived and worked in the 1920s and 1930s. After being closed for years following earthquake damage, it reopened in December 2025 with a new permanent display that keeps the feel of his home and workshop. It is small, quiet and one of the most rewarding art stops in the city.
The Museum of Broken Relationships
Also in the Upper Town, on Ćirilometodska Street, the Museum of Broken Relationships began as a touring art project by two Zagreb artists after their own break-up and became a permanent museum in 2010. It displays objects donated by people around the world, each with a short story about a relationship that ended. It is part art installation, part social history and often very moving. It is open daily and is one of the most visited museums in Zagreb.
Naive art and the bigger collections
Croatia is known internationally for its naive art, particularly the painters of the Hlebine school, such as Ivan Generalić, who painted rural scenes on glass. The Croatian Museum of Naive Art in the Upper Town holds the main collection; it has been working on a new permanent display, so check what is currently on view.
Some of the city's largest collections were among the institutions closed after the earthquakes, including the Mimara Museum, with its eclectic collection of old masters and antiquities, and the Museum of Arts and Crafts, which has opened an interim gallery space while its main building is renovated. The Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters on Zrinjevac was also affected. Their reopening dates have shifted more than once, so check their official sites for the latest news.
Street art
Zagreb's best-known street art wall is along Branimirova Street, beside the railway, which has carried murals since 1987 and was repainted by dozens of artists in 2010. Part of it was demolished in 2015, but sections remain. Murals commissioned in the early 2010s brightened the residential districts of Dugave and Siget in Novi Zagreb, and the street artist OKO has painted large works on cultural buildings, including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Modern Gallery. Street art changes constantly, so look up recent maps before setting out.
Planning an art day
A good day starts in the Upper Town with the Atelier Meštrović, the Museum of Broken Relationships and whatever is on at Klovićevi dvori, followed by lunch near Dolac. In the afternoon, take a tram across the river to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Many Zagreb museums close on Mondays, and some have shorter hours on Sundays. Several offer free entry on certain days or during the annual Museum Night (Noć muzeja), held on a Friday in late January, when museums across Croatia open free in the evening. The Lower Town's parks, especially the Green Horseshoe of squares running from Zrinjevac to the Botanical Garden, are pleasant for walking between venues.
