Jane’s Walk in Zagreb

Tomorrow, Zagreb joins a global movement called Jane’s Walk for the first time. It’s a movement of citizen-led-walks, inspired by Jane Jacobs, an urban thinker who reinvented city planning by pointing to the importance of local community involvement.

The first Jane’s Walk event ever started in her town of Toronto back in 2007, only a year after she had died. In less than a decade, hundreds of cities throughout the world have joined the movement. Zagreb participates for the first time, with several walks in different parts of the city on May 8.

Well, it was about time for Zagreb to become a part of it. Don’t we all realise that we adore and want to learn more about this city only after long and seemingly pointless walks? Isn’t the first thing we teach our kids, who grow up here in Zagreb, that weekends are meant to be spent in the centennial shade of park Maksimir, by one of the town’s lakes, on the paths of Mount Medvednica?

Centar za kulturu Tresnjevka invited people to join the initiative and organize walks in their (favourite) neighborhoods. It wasn’t a difficult task. After all, so many similar activities already exist here in Zagreb. By joining one of the walks tomorrow, you’re showing that every single corner of this city is lovable, that there’s so much more to Zagreb than its historical core. You’re reviving somewhat neglected parts of the city, and you’re simply going back to basics – learning the pleasure and fulfillment of something as simple as a walk.

I’m almost glad I don’t have to chose which walk to join. They’re all so inspiring! I guess I’ll just have to settle with Leafy Zagreb – Urban Wilderness Rediscovered… since that’s the one Andrea Pisac from Travel Honestly and I are leading 🙂

Make sure to check the wonderful Travel Honestly article on Jane’s Walk, and a detailed post with the description of all of the available walks at Nepoznati Zagreb blog (in Croatian). Choose your favourite walk, and join us tomorrow!