Maksimir Park is the first forest park in Europe, open to the public in 1794 with the support of Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac. In 1839 it was landscaped in the English style by Bishop Juraj Haulik. The architectural structures in the park are mostly all the work of Franjo Schücht. The park covers an area of 316 hectares with the flora and the fauna characteristic of lowland forests, and including five lakes (both natural and artificial). Maksimir Park is home to a specimen of the English Oak known as “Grandpa” because it is around 600 years old. In the south end of the forest park is the Zagreb Zoo, one of the three Croatian zoos. It covers an area of seven hectares and has a large number of outside habitats, as well as small thematic greenhouses and several pavilions. The renovation of the old zoo started in 1990 and the most of the habitats have already been either renovated or rebuilt. Opposite the park is the GNK Dinamo stadium.

Photo © Turistička zajednica grada Zagreba. Photo by M. Vrdoljak.