Maksimir Park

Maksimir is the oldest and largest public park in Zagreb, a green area of about three hundred hectares on the eastern side of the city, and it is where Zagreb residents go to walk, run, cycle and picnic. It was opened to the public at the end of the eighteenth century, in 1794, at the initiative of Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac, after whom it is named, and it is regarded as one of the first public parks in south-eastern Europe. The bishop had bought the land, a wooded hillside outside the city, and commissioned a landscape designed for the enjoyment of ordinary people rather than a private estate, which was a new idea at the time.

The park was shaped over the following decades in the manner of the English landscape garden, with a mix of dense woodland, open meadows, winding streams and ponds, which replaced an earlier Baroque layout. Today, it consists of five lakes linked by watercourses, forest paths shaded by old oaks, beeches and hornbeams, and wide lawns, and it has a quiet, almost rural character that surprises visitors who arrive from the busy streets nearby. The paths are well maintained and suited to walkers and cyclists, and in the morning, joggers and families fill them. In spring, the woods are full of birdsong and wildflowers, in summer, the shade is a relief from the heat, and in autumn, the leaves turn colour.

Scattered through the park are small buildings and pavilions that were put up in the nineteenth century as decorative features. A wooden lookout tower gives a view over the trees, a small pavilion called the Echo pavilion stands on an island in a lake, and a house in the Swiss chalet style, built as a restaurant, is a reminder of the romantic taste of the period. A chapel and a few monuments complete the picture, and a park information point can give details on the history of each.

The Zagreb Zoo occupies the southern part of the park and is one of the main attractions for families. It was founded in the 1920s and houses a collection of animals, mostly small to medium-sized species, in enclosures that are set among the trees and ponds, and it is easy to combine a visit with a walk in the park. Ticket prices and hours are separate from the park, so check before you go. The park itself is free and open at all times.

Maksimir is reached from the city centre by tram, and the main entrance is on Maksimirski perivoj. Bring water and comfortable shoes, and allow two to three hours for a walk and a visit to a lake, or a full day with the zoo. The park suits families, runners, cyclists and anyone who wants a quiet break from the city. It is close to other green spaces listed in this guide, including Bundek Park and Jarun Lake.