King Tomislav Square is a neat, well-kept public space, lined with trees, dotted with flowerbeds and bordered by the imposing yellow façade of the grand Art Pavilion. With an adjacent underground shopping mall and the busy main train station opposite, there are usually people milling about. Sit on one of the square’s benches and observe the people of Zagreb mixing and mingling.
This square was originally named after Franz Joseph I. Following the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was renamed for King Tomislav, who is attributed with uniting the Croats of Dalmatia and Pannonia into the single kingdom of Croatia. The first Croatian king was honored with a grand monument in the square in 1947. Head to the south end of the square for a closer look at this giant edifice, which depicts the king riding a horse on top of a huge plinth.
At the north end of the square is the Art Pavilion, which has a magnificent façade that blends classical architecture with hints of art nouveau. Visit the square on a warm and sunny summer day and join locals sunbathing and relaxing on the grass. Sit on one of the benches near the central fountain or stroll around the outlying paths, where you’ll see various colorful flowers sprouting in tidy and well-groomed beds.
In winter, the square is fitted with an ice rink for skating and the trees are decked out in fairy lights imbuing it with a magical festive ambiance. Watch people gliding around the ice and soak up the festive spirit. The square is a public space. As such, it is never closed. If you have time, return to see it at night, when the Art Pavilion’s grand façade is illuminated, casting a golden glow on the square’s northern end.
The square is part of Zagreb’s “green horseshoe,” a sequence of square green surfaces that curve around the Donju Grad (Lower Town). Walk north or west to see the other parks and public spaces that make up this green link. King Tomislav Square is located in the Donju Grad district in central Zagreb near the main train station.
