Maksimir Park: If You Are in a Mood for Romance
Maksimir Park has a special place in the hearts of citizens and visitors of Zagreb. Renewed traditions but also a new dose of romance which mark the grand anniversary all contribute to it.
Zagreb is known for many parks and recreational zones, the largest and the most famous of which is Maksimir Park. A 15-minute tram ride is enough to take you there from the main square in Zagreb.
The park has just celebrated its 230th anniversary and 30 years since the founding of the Public Institution Nature of the City of Zagreb. These important dates are marked by a renewed tradition: the return of a romantic boat ride on the First lake in Maksimir Park. Also, the promenade around the First and the Second lake has been renovated and there are three new infrastructural venues, the Nightingale Grove, the Tiny Gloriette and the Peaceful Cabin, all of which have a catering and commercial purpose.
Visitors will have a chance to rent boats at the Nightingale Grove next to the First lake from 11 to 18 o’clock. It should be noted that boats used to be the symbol of this lake. There are records from as early as 1843 about a sailboat there and 132 years ago a steamboat called Zagreb grad (the City of Zagreb) also took sail on the lake.
There are five artificially shaped lakes in the area of Maksimir Park today, and the first of them, called simply the First lake, covering the surface of 2.5 hectares, and 3.3 metres deep was constructed in 1839.
The opening ceremony of Maksimir Park took place in 1794. It is the first public park in Southeastern Europe, but also one of the first in the world. It was founded by Zagreb’s bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac, who the park was named after. Maksimir is short for Maksimilijanov mir (the peace of Maksimilijan). It is styled as an English garden. Due to the park’s exquisite value, it enjoys a double protection today, both as a monument of park architecture and as a cultural good.
The park hosts the Zagreb Zoo. It has excellent connections with the city via tram lines. More than 2 million visitors come to Maksimir annually to enjoy family gatherings, walks in lovely nature, recreational activities and catering offer in these wonderful surroundings.