I’m in the final throes of the guidebook project that has been keeping me glued to the computer screen for weeks but I thought I’d dash off my Top 10 Zagreb experiences. There’s no particular order; these are just things I like about my hometown.

1. Have a coffee and mingle with Zagreb literati at Booksa (Martićeva 14D), a cozy book club-cafe run by a collective of three women writers.

2. Sip a glass of wine in Zagreb’s funkiest courtyard garden at Bacchus (Trg Kralja Tomislava 16) jazz club.

3. Chow down on tasty sandwiches at Pingvin Sandwich Bar (Teslina 7), around since 1987 and open till wee hours of the night.

4. Grab some sir i vrhnje (cottage cheese and cream) from one of the toothless peasant ladies at Dolac market (Dolac bb), just up from Trg bana Jelačića.

5. Catch a ride on the Uspinjača (Tomićeva bb), a hundred-year old funicular that will whisk you from the lower city to the medieval Gornji Grad.

6. Have the succulent lamb or veal with potatoes prepared under peka (a baking bell) at Vinodol (Teslina 10).

7. Meander around the maze of paths, lakes, forests and meadows of wooded Maksimir Park east of the city centre.

8. Down a rogačica (carob grappa) at funky Cica Bar (Tkalčićeva 18), a favorite hangout of Zagreb’s cool artsy crowd.

9. People-watch over a drink at the alfresco tables of KIC (Preradovićeva 5), a cultural centre at the heart of Zagreb.

10. Rummage for bargains through various flotsam and jetsam at Hrelić flea market, sprawling by the Sava River every Sunday morning.