Fool Me Once, Shame on You, but Fool Me Twice...
If you’re on the lookout for a vibrant city with lots of greenery where you can find secret gems that locals hide from tourists, then look no further – Zagreb is a cosy urban town in the heart of Europe which definitely can’t be described as a concrete jungle. Here you’ll stumble upon the breathtaking architecture of centuries-old churches, numerous museums and galleries, but to really boost your touristic experience I recommend taking a walk around Zagreb’s parks to truly get an overall sense of what it’s like to live here.
In the winter months, and especially December, most parks in the city centre are glorified with fairy lights and holiday decorations, so warm yourself up with knitted scarf and wool gloves to move a bit further towards the city centre. Don’t worry if you get lost and feel a bit estranged in certain moment – everything here is in a walking distance, so you’ll be back on track in no time. My suggestion is to use such moments to search for unique and peculiar parks that might not be in guides because those are the ones locals love the most. What might surprise you in these parks are old gentlemen playing bocce or chess – which are popular street sports played by many generations of Zagrebians. I love taking coffee-to-go with me and touring around the streets of the city every now and then because I know that when I turn a corner, I'll find two older lads on the park bench arguing over chess game while their group of senior friends is laughing at them. If I take a few steps further, I just might laugh as well seeing my neighbours yelling at each other and accusing each other of cheating in a game of bocce. Zagrebians take these two sports very seriously, so don't try to cross them.
Image Credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Hrvoje Pilić
Before technology consumed our lives and before people could play online sports and games, locals had to do it the old fashioned way – in real life, outside, while interacting with each other face to face. It might sound scary to newer generations, but playing bocce or chess in the park is a well cherished and beloved tradition in Zagreb and many Purgers still do it. These sports are mostly popular among men, but women enjoy them as well – on many occasions, I have witnessed with my own two eyes ladies in a heated game of chess while people surrounding them were cheering for their preferred champion. It’s all fun and games, though, and the citizens of Zagreb play it as a pastime while chatting with their old friends and longtime neighbours.
Bocce – playful experience for the whole neighbourhood
It’s a type of sport from the boules family, closely related to British bowls, but it was developed into its present form in Italy. Since ancient times, the Roman Empire had its colonies on Croatian coast and their influence on Croatian culture, as well as heritage, is quite visible in modern days, too. This sport is a bit more popular in Adriatic cities of Croatia, but Zagrebians share their love for the game and they have been playing it for centuries. Bocce is traditionally played on natural soil or asphalt courts, and bocce balls can be made of metal or various kinds of plastic. A game can be conducted between two players, or two teams of two, three, or four players. As you can see, it allows anyone to join in and participate, so it makes perfect sense that almost every neighbourhood in Zagreb has its own park for playing bocce.
Image Credit: Pixabay.com
Even though there’s definitely love for this game, bocce was basically an excuse for locals to spend time together outside and engage in conversation. My old landlord told me a story once how he met his wife in the park when he moved to a new apartment ages ago. The building was surrounded by the park where tenants loved to play bocce. Women from the building would bring cakes and beverages and every late summer afternoon men would start playing bocce while women would cheer them and talk over cakes. He noticed she was among them so he decided to play bocce with his neighbours to have an excuse to introduce himself. The rest is history. They’ve been married for over 40 years.
Treat yourself to intellectual food - chess
It might not be as exciting as soccer or dynamic as basketball, but chess is absolutely sport worthy of bigger attention than it usually gets. It’s a logic game that requires more strategy and thinking than some might think. No wonder audience engages in heated discussions after a game, trying to theorise good and bad moves. For Zagrebians, outdoor chess games have been somewhat of a tradition which was passed down to new generations. If you think young people don’t find playing chess in a park attractive, you would be wrong. Since youngsters are usually very competitive, it’s not hard getting them into this game by saying “I bet you can't beat me!”. It works like a charm – people love proving others wrong so I’ve seen on many occasions how local chess veterans challenge younger players to a game at the park and they’d engage in a game of strategic thinking that could last for hours.
Image Credit: Pixabay.com
A lot of people like to stop while passing by in the park and watch two players in a middle of a chess game. If they aren’t in a hurry, they stay throughout the whole game because it can really pull you in and you start cheering for one side or the other. So the next time you see someone playing chess in the park in Zagreb, stop and watch – you might learn something. Or better yet, ask to participate – there's no better way of keeping your brain sharp than playing chess while listening to birds chirping above your head.
Header Image Credit: Pixabay.com
Author: Paula Bracko