Maksimir Park, the biggest city park in southeast Europe, is one big inexhaustible source of places for jogging, walking, relaxing, playing sports and/or simply breathing some fresh air. One of my favorite places I like to visit while in the park is the sculpture named “Stepenice” (meaning “Stairs”). Sculptured in marble, the stairs are a work by sculptress Milena Lah and they have been exhibited on the southeast banks of Maksimir’s fifth lake from 1980.

Deep inside the woods, in the most beautiful, calm and relaxing part of Maksimir (even fishermen come here!), these stairs mark a well hidden but quite interesting spot for a perfect getaway that you won’t find about in the guidebooks. Whether you just sit on it and gaze over the glassy surface of the lake, or you take a rest after a nice, refreshing jog, make sure you soak up all the positive energy of this special place of serenity.

Come here after a bike ride, extensive sightseeing or a day spent in a shopping mall. My suggestion is, if you find yourself in Maksimir and have an extra 20 minutes to spare, just push the “pause” button on a busy day and go wander around Maksimir park until you find this little stairway to heaven.