A popular stop on many Zagreb sightseeing tours, the theater is one of the city’s most ornate buildings, featuring spired towers on each corner and a massive patinated copper dome. In front of the theater sits a vast sculpture titled “The Well of Life” by 20th-century Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. The interior is equally opulent—a riot of marble, gilded columns, and frescoed ceilings interspersed with busts of famous composers and opera singers. Many leading Croatian and international singers, dancers, and actors have graced the stage of the 800-seat auditorium, which hosts a wide range of performances throughout the year.
The Croatian National Theatre is located in Marshal Tito Square (Trg Maršala Tita) in Zagreb’s Lower Town (Donji Grad). It is within walking distance from most attractions in the historic center; tram line 14 stops right at Marshal Tito Square.
The theater’s exterior can be admired day or night, but a ticket to a scheduled performance is required to see the gilded interior. Last-minute tickets can be purchased at the box office 1.5 hours before curtain time.
The HNK Theater is the crown jewel in Zagreb’s lively and ever-expanding arts scene. If a performance here leaves you craving more, there are plenty of other ways to get cultured in the Croatian capital. Wander seemingly endless art-filled galleries at the enormous Mimara Museum or Modern Gallery—the latter housed inside a 19th-century palace. Admire the work of Croatia’s most revered artist at the eponymous Galerija Miroslav Kraljević, or, for more avant-garde tastes, check out the Lauba cultural space or the Museum of Contemporary Art.
