Maksimir, three kilometres east of the centre, is Zagreb's great green lung — 316 hectares of mature woodland, meadows, lakes, and ornamental gardens laid out in the early 19th century by the bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac, who designed it after the English landscape parks he had visited on his travels. It was the first public park in southeastern Europe.
The park has five linked lakes, the small Maksimir Hill with a viewing belvedere, the Echo Pavilion, and the Zagreb Zoo (one of the oldest in Europe, modest in scale). Locals come to walk dogs, jog, picnic, and meet at the cafés around the lakes. It is a fine antidote to a day in the city, and easy to reach by tram from the centre (15 minutes on lines 4, 7, 11, or 12).