The back story
Wild Zagreb: Medvednica, Maksimir and the Lakes
A forested mountain, Maksimir’s oaks and Plitvice’s waterfalls.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Fraxinus · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsThe natural side of Zagreb, from the forests of Medvednica Nature Park and the oak woods and lakes of Maksimir to the lakes along the Sava and the Plitvice Lakes, with a directory of the parks in our guide and our regional long read on Balkan wildlife.
Zagreb has a mountain on its doorstep. Medvednica rises right behind the city, its forests protected as a nature park, and a cable car carries walkers from the northern suburbs to Sljeme, the summit. In the east of the city, Maksimir, opened to the public in 1794, is one of the oldest public parks in Europe: oak woods, meadows and lakes.
This is a short, honest guide to Zagreb's natural side: the mountain, the great park and the lakes along the Sava. For the waterfalls of Plitvice and the wildlife of the whole region, see our guides and our Balkans long read.
Medvednica
Medvednica's forests are protected as a nature park, and marked trails lead to Sljeme, the highest peak, to the 13th-century castle of Medvedgrad on the southern slopes, and to mountain huts serving hearty food. The Sljeme cable car is the easy way up; in winter there is sometimes snow on the top.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Hana Gaon · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsMaksimir and the lakes
Maksimir, east of the centre, is laid out as a romantic English-style landscape of oak woods, meadows and lakes, with pavilions and a belvedere; Zagreb Zoo stands within it. To the south, along the Sava, Lake Jarun and the lakes of Bundek are the city's summer playground, and the embankments carry long, flat paths for walking and cycling.
Behind Zagreb, a forested mountain rises straight from the city's edge.
Feature: Maksimir
Maksimir was opened to the public in 1794, which makes it one of the first public parks in Europe. Its old oak woods, lakes and meadows are still one of Zagreb's favourite places for a walk, best of all in the quiet early morning, away from the main avenue.
Did you know? Zagreb's Maksimir park opened to the public in 1794, one of the first public parks in Europe.
Our advice
Our advice: ride the Sljeme cable car up Medvednica and walk down through the forest to Medvedgrad; spend a morning in Maksimir's oak woods. Keep to the marked trails on the mountain, take water, and for a day of waterfalls take the bus to Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Why it's on our list
- Medvednica
- Maksimir and the lakes
- Feature: Maksimir
- Our advice
Location
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More in depth
The back storyMaksimir: one of Europe’s oldest public parksA romantic park of lakes and oak woods of 1794, with the zoo.
The back storyJarun, Bundek and the Sava: Zagreb’s summer playgroundLakes to swim in and embankments to cycle: Zagreb by the river.
The back storyMedvednica: the mountain on the city’s doorstepForests, a medieval castle, mountain huts and snow in winter, a cable car ride from the city.