Hey ho! The heat getting too much for you? Run to the hills, as Iron Maiden sang. You just need to walk a few minutes uphill from Ilica, and already you feel a degree or two cooler. Walk up Tuškanac, and not only can you gawp at rich peoples’ houses, but you’ll discover pleasant parks and woodland paths where you can wander for hours. It’s beautiful at any time of the day or year, the light at each moment showing you a completely different way of looking at it.
Walk far enough, and you come to a rolling meadow called Cmrok. This is a gorgeous place to stroll (and where teenagers like to come to play tonsil tennis at night). Take a map with you - if you don’t mind walking and climbing, you can traverse Zagreb from East to West without ever hitting a main drag. You could also explore the village of Šestine with its picturesque blue-roofed church, hike up to Medvedgrad and explore the Medvednica Nature Park. Alternatively, head for the beautiful Mirogoj cemetery, or take a look at the little village of Mikulići. Very quickly you get the feeling that you're not in a capital city at all, because people are growing sweetcorn and vines and driving tractors all over the place.
If you're not up to hiking all that way, there are numerous bus routes that you could take to explore. Buy a daily ticket for 25kn, and you can ride around as much as you like. Or, you can't do much better than take the bus up Sljeme. There's a great view, super little restaurants, and shady meadows to laze in, picnic and read.
If you're into biking, there are numerous trails through the Medvednica park. Pick up a copy of a map from the tourist information centre on Trg bana Jelačića or from any of the restaurants on Sljeme.
News Flash - If you want to find out more about the Medvednica Nature Park, a new information centre has just opened in the village of Donja Stubica just north of Zagreb. It's worth making the trip for the attractive little town itself, and also for the countryside around. See also www.pp-medvednica.hr.