Where Champions Train.

Jarun is Zagreb's rowing heartland — a purpose-built 2000-metre, 6-lane international regatta course set within one of the city's most beloved green spaces. The lake was constructed for the 1987 Summer Universiade and has hosted world-level competition ever since, including the 2000 World Rowing Championships. It sits in the southwestern part of the city, just a short tram ride from the centre.

The course is freshwater, fed by groundwater from the Sava River, and the surrounding landscape is genuinely beautiful. The banks are thick with greenery, and the protected natural habitat on the lake's islands is home to hundreds of bird species alongside a variety of fish and aquatic life. Jarun is home to HAVK Mladost, one of Croatia's most storied rowing clubs and the training base of the Sinković brothers — the most decorated Croatian athletes in Olympic history.

One of the more memorable features of Jarun is how coaching works here. There are no coach launches on the course. Instead, a dedicated path runs the full length of the regatta course alongside the water, and coaches follow their crews by bicycle, using a megaphone to call out instructions as they ride. The water conditions are reliable and consistent through most of the year, making it well suited to rowers at all levels of experience.

Zagreb itself is one of Central Europe's most underrated cities. The Upper Town, Gornji Grad, is the historic core — a medieval quarter of cobbled streets, the 13th-century St. Mark's Church with its famous multicoloured tiled roof, the Lotrščak Tower, and sweeping views across the city below. Down in the Lower Town, the Dolac Market sits just off the main square: an open-air market of red umbrellas, fresh produce, local cheeses, and homemade goods that has been the social and culinary centre of the city for generations.

Zagreb has a café culture that rivals anywhere in Europe. The city's terraces fill up from morning until late, and the pace of life here is unhurried in a way that feels genuinely different from the tourist-facing coast. The food scene has grown considerably in recent years, with a strong restaurant culture rooted in Central European and Dalmatian traditions. It is the kind of city that rewards those who take the time to explore it properly — and most people who visit leave wishing they had stayed longer.