Had to much to eat in one of Zagreb’s restaurants, a long night out and those cevapi, kebap or burek seemed just perfect at four o’clock in the morning, visited a local who’s like a demented pokemon trainer, urging you that you ‘have to eat them all’, table full of foods they guilt trip you- ‘we made that just for you’ – into eating (we all do that)? Don’t worry, that body you’ve been working on to show off on the beach is not lost. Zagreb has many good running tracks with different pads so you don’t have to miss out on your morning runs. These are the best three:
3. Dotrscina woods
This track is for those who like a challenge. It’s an uphill run all the way so you better be in shape if you want to see it trough. The terrain is mostly gravel and the woods provide deep shade so you won’t overheat during the hottest of summer days. It’s recommended for daytime running as the night is dark and full of terrors.
2. Savski nasip (Sava river bank)
The river bank is a favorite to local runners. It’s straight, easy to navigate and they can use landmarks to calibrate or calculate their running distance. The path that connects the tram station on the end of Savska street with Marin Drzic bridge is four kilometers long but you can cut the path into smaller chunks or double it by running a full circle (using the bridge as part of the track to get to the bank on the other side of the river).
The track is made of gravel all the way trough, there are no critical spots you need to worry about if it’s night or raining. Just make shore you get there early in the morning or late afternoon as there is no shade on the track.
1. Maksimir park
Maksimir park is a good bet for anyone who likes to have options. There are seven established routes you can take, ranging from 500 meter to 6 kilometer tracks, but you can also just start running and explore the park. It’s all gravel, it’s visually diverse and the constant shade provided by trees makes it a good running spot throughout the day. Some paths demand a bit of upwards running, but for the most part, it’s all a straight path. Don’t skip the lakes.
