Park Tomislavac

Park Tomislavac is the green space of King Tomislav Square, Trg Kralja Tomislava, in Zagreb, directly in front of the Main Railway Station. It is a broad, open lawn bordered by trees and paths, and it forms the southern part of the great sequence of parks, known as the Green Horseshoe, that wraps around the lower town. The square is named after Tomislav, the first king of Croatia, who in the early tenth century united the Croatian lands and is a symbol of the nation’s medieval statehood.

The park is part of the plan of nineteenth-century Zagreb. In the second half of that century, the city expanded rapidly beyond the old Upper Town and the Kaptol, and planners laid out a regular grid of streets with a series of squares and parks, so that the lower town had open spaces for promenades. King Tomislav Square was one of them, and it was conceived as a grand forecourt for the main railway station, which opened in 1892, a monumental building in the style of the late nineteenth century. At the other end of the park, facing the station, stands the Art Pavilion, a yellow building from 1898 that is still an exhibition hall. Between them, the lawn is crossed by a path leading to an equestrian statue of King Tomislav, a bronze work of the mid-twentieth century that shows the king on horseback, which gives the park its name and its focal point.

While it has few attractions, the most striking feature of the park is its simplicity. A wide expanse of grass with trees and benches invites people to sit, read, jog, play with children or have a picnic, and it is open and free at all times, so it is used from early morning to late at night. The setting means that the square is also a natural gathering place, and in the early morning commuters cross it on the way to trains, while in the evening people stroll or sit on the lawn. The frontage of the Main Station, with its stone façade and the large hall inside, makes a handsome view, and the ensemble of station, park and pavilion is one of the best examples of urban planning in the city.

Around the park there is much to see. The streets nearby hold small museums, galleries and bars, and Zagreb’s coffeehouse culture, which dates back to the late eighteenth century, is on display in cafés in the area, where long coffee breaks with friends are part of the city’s rhythm. Ban Jelačić Square and the Upper Town are a short walk away, as are the other parks of the Green Horseshoe, such as Zrinjevac and Strossmayerov trg.

The park suits people waiting for a train, families and anyone who wants a short, green pause between sights. It is best in the morning or on a warm evening.