Hrelic Flea Market in Zagreb
Several times over the past couple of years, our guests have asked me if there is a flea market in Zagreb. I didn’t realize visitors & tourists of Zagreb would be interested in checking out flea markets, so I decided to write this article about Zagreb’s famous “Hrelic,” also called Jakusevec.
Hrelic flea market is located in the southern part of Zagreb near the River Sava. It’s a huge open area where anyone can sell and buy almost anything. It takes place every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday year round, from 7am-3pm and it’s free to enter.
In Zagreb we say you can buy everything “from a needle to a train”. It’s a great place to spend Sunday morning and definitely a unique spot to visit when you’re in Zagreb. This might be the only place in the world where you can buy a toothbrush, a bed and car all at the same place. There is a huge variety of unique things to find, which varies from week to week based on what the vendors bring.
"from a needle to a train"
How to get to Hrelic
If you are located Downtown Zagreb you can get there by public transportation without a problem. Take the tram line 6 which will bring you to the area of Zaprude and from there you can take bus number 295 to Jakusevec. The bus will drop you off at the entrance of Hrelic.
If you are located Downtown Zagreb you can get there by public transportation without a problem. Take the tram line 6 which will bring you to the area of Zaprude and from there you can take bus number 295 to Jakusevec. The bus will drop you off at the entrance of Hrelic.
Another way to get there is of course by Uber, or another transfer service like Zagreb City Transfers. It will cost you approximately 10-15EUR, one way.
Lastly, you can drive yourself if you’re up to it! Parking for the car costs about 1.5EUR(10KN), but be very patient if you go in the morning because there is almost always a long car line to enter the lot.
Hrelic or Jakusevec sajam
Best time to go to Hrelic
Hrelic is open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 3pm but a lot of the vendors pack up earlier so I suggest coming as early as you can. Wednesdays are much less busy than Sundays, but that also means there are fewer vendors - so you can either deal with the crowds and many vendors, or fewer crowds and fewer vendors / opportunities to find unique things. We prefer Sundays.
Hrelic is open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 3pm but a lot of the vendors pack up earlier so I suggest coming as early as you can. Wednesdays are much less busy than Sundays, but that also means there are fewer vendors - so you can either deal with the crowds and many vendors, or fewer crowds and fewer vendors / opportunities to find unique things. We prefer Sundays.
Hrelic is open through all year but maybe it is the best time to visit during the spring and fall because it won’t be too hot or too cold when you walk around. Also many more vendors and customers will be there so you will have the chance to experience a very lively and busy place around that time of year.
Selling cars at Hrelic
Hrelic is sectioned-off into a few different areas based on similar products. One section is specifically dedicated to car sales (buying and selling), but this section is only open on SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. If you want to sell your used car, just drive to Hrelic, pay a small fee (7 EUR / 50kn) and park your car in the sales lot for the day for prospective buyers to look at.
Hrelic is sectioned-off into a few different areas based on similar products. One section is specifically dedicated to car sales (buying and selling), but this section is only open on SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. If you want to sell your used car, just drive to Hrelic, pay a small fee (7 EUR / 50kn) and park your car in the sales lot for the day for prospective buyers to look at.
You can stick around and potentially make a sale that day, or you can simply leave a note with your name and number and price/details of the car, and someone can call you to meet at another time. Make sure to come early in the morning, though, to get a good spot where the most number of visitors will walk through.
Buying cars & car parts at Hrelic
If you want to buy a car, you can find almost any make or model, even many oldtimers which are fun to just go and have a look at. There is also a section dedicated to car parts (used and new), anything from tires and hubcaps, to engines and other under the hood gadgets
If you want to buy a car, you can find almost any make or model, even many oldtimers which are fun to just go and have a look at. There is also a section dedicated to car parts (used and new), anything from tires and hubcaps, to engines and other under the hood gadgets
Car parts
What else can you find?
One of the sections at Hrelic is dedicated to new clothes, shoes, purses, sunglasses (with plenty of ‘fakes’), toys, gadgets, kitchenware, tools, etc. I usually skip this section and look more at the following:
One of the sections at Hrelic is dedicated to new clothes, shoes, purses, sunglasses (with plenty of ‘fakes’), toys, gadgets, kitchenware, tools, etc. I usually skip this section and look more at the following:
Carpenters and other wood makers sell everything from beds, dressers, tables and chairs, to smaller items like brooms, baskets, toys and games. You can even custom order specific hand made products which they will gladly make for you.
The main section (and my very favorite section) of Hrelic is reserved for the miscellaneous, unique, weird, quirky items. This part is in the middle of the flea market and it’s just rows and rows of people selling everyday things that they have found, or inherited and are trying to sell off.
The main section (and my very favorite section) of Hrelic is reserved for the miscellaneous, unique, weird, quirky items. This part is in the middle of the flea market and it’s just rows and rows of people selling everyday things that they have found, or inherited and are trying to sell off.
This part is so interesting because you can buy old and authentic pieces of history like real antiques, old bills, books, furniture, paintings, army clothes and artifacts from the II World War, chandeliers, bikes etc. This part can really take you back to old memories of your childhood when you see old music records of Yugoslavian and foreign bands from the 70s and 80s.
Lots of old gadgets
Looking to sell some of your things at Hrelic?
The key here is going early. You will get your own “rectangle” concrete block or sectioned off spot to sell your things on, and it costs just 10kn. I’ve never sold anything there personally, but it would be fun to try one day. It’s like a massive garage sale - who doesn’t love garage sales? The best day to sell would probably be on a Sunday, as Sundays get the most traffic (but it might be the hardest to secure your spot) so again, go early.
The key here is going early. You will get your own “rectangle” concrete block or sectioned off spot to sell your things on, and it costs just 10kn. I’ve never sold anything there personally, but it would be fun to try one day. It’s like a massive garage sale - who doesn’t love garage sales? The best day to sell would probably be on a Sunday, as Sundays get the most traffic (but it might be the hardest to secure your spot) so again, go early.
Buying and Bargaining
My best advice is to not pay the asking price for anything! This is the rule there so if you buy something at full price, the vendor will definitely have a lucky day. Lots of vendors are experienced in sales and they pump up their prices in the beginning, knowing that hard bargainers will come along, and they’ll get a fair price in the end.
My best advice is to not pay the asking price for anything! This is the rule there so if you buy something at full price, the vendor will definitely have a lucky day. Lots of vendors are experienced in sales and they pump up their prices in the beginning, knowing that hard bargainers will come along, and they’ll get a fair price in the end.
Be brave and drop the price low, then find a price somewhere in the middle to settle on. If the vendor says no and isn’t willing to bargain, walk away and they will usually call you back as you leave and give you a better price. So be persistent.
Place to eat
After a long day walking around, I’m sure you’ll be hungry. You can buy pastries like burek, potato pie and Croatian traditional barbecue dishes like cevapi, sis - cevapi, raznjici, etc. but my friendly advice is to skip it. It smells good and it seems tempting but one time I ate cevapi and got food poisoning. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I’ve decided not to eat at Hrelic again.
After a long day walking around, I’m sure you’ll be hungry. You can buy pastries like burek, potato pie and Croatian traditional barbecue dishes like cevapi, sis - cevapi, raznjici, etc. but my friendly advice is to skip it. It smells good and it seems tempting but one time I ate cevapi and got food poisoning. Maybe it was a coincidence, but I’ve decided not to eat at Hrelic again.
Restrooms
I just wanted to add a quick note because my wife said it would be a good idea to mention for all of the other ladies eager to go to Hrelic. There are just a couple of toilets in an old “shed” type of structure. There is also no toilet paper, so in other words, use the facilities at home before you leave and save yourself the ultimate “Hrelic experience.”
I just wanted to add a quick note because my wife said it would be a good idea to mention for all of the other ladies eager to go to Hrelic. There are just a couple of toilets in an old “shed” type of structure. There is also no toilet paper, so in other words, use the facilities at home before you leave and save yourself the ultimate “Hrelic experience.”
Morning walk with my family
The atmosphere
Often times, there are Gypsy brass bands who walk around and play their instruments. It’s very lively and fun to listen to and adds a great vibe to the market. In this way, the band tries to advertise themselves to play at upcoming weddings. They are well known as great musicians whose purpose is to fire up the atmosphere at big events like weddings and parties.
Often times, there are Gypsy brass bands who walk around and play their instruments. It’s very lively and fun to listen to and adds a great vibe to the market. In this way, the band tries to advertise themselves to play at upcoming weddings. They are well known as great musicians whose purpose is to fire up the atmosphere at big events like weddings and parties.
Gypsy Brass Band
Conclusion
Hrelic is one of the best flea markets in this part of Europe and shows a different side of Zagreb. There’s nothing like it downtown, so venture out if time permits to see this special spot and maybe find yourself a gem of a keepsake from your time in Croatia.
Hrelic is one of the best flea markets in this part of Europe and shows a different side of Zagreb. There’s nothing like it downtown, so venture out if time permits to see this special spot and maybe find yourself a gem of a keepsake from your time in Croatia.
From my experience, sometimes you grab there a great piece but sometimes you come home (very rare) with empty hands. The key is, you can’t go to Hrelic looking for anything specific, because you might not find it that day. You just stumble upon things that you didn’t know you needed, but then wonder what you did without them all these years.
Written by Ivan
Written by Ivan
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