Zagreb in Spring

Take a stroll through Maksimir Park, with its tree-lined avenues, densely forested corners and boating lakes.

Pose for photographs beside the flowerbeds of Trg maršala Tita, with the National Theatre, Zagreb’s most stately building, in the background.

Throw a do-it-yourself barbecue party at Bundek, the riverside park on the south side of the river Sava, where concrete hearths are provided for fire-lighting.

Cycle your way around Jarun, the artificial lake south-west of the centre. There’s a bike-hire booth at the entrance, and a plethora of café-terraces facing the water.

Enjoy a coffee during the Saturday-morning Špica, Zagreb’s weekly outbreak of caffeine frenzy that fills the pavement terraces along the pedestrianised zone of Bogovićeva and Cvijetni trg. 

Spend Sunday morning browsing the collector’s market at Britanski trg before enjoying a coffee or late breakfast at Kava Tava, the café on the square’s eastern flanks.

Catch an alternative gig at Močvara or Medika, where milling around in the courtyard on a warm spring evening is as important as the on-stage action itself.

Buy fresh local strawberries from the Dolac market  or the stalls opposite the main railway station.

Spend an afternoon in Samobor, the cute riverside town famous for its kremšnite creamy pastries.