Daniel Rodríguez is one of Zagreb expats who is sharing in his own words and accent his experience with winter in Zagreb.
Other option is exercising in outdoors, yes, OUTDOORS! You have Maksimir Park, Sljeme, Jarun, Bundek, where you can fight depression with a ton of nice work out, surrounded by beautiful environments. For me, the best time to go to those places is when the snow is soft and new! The light reflected from the snow is awesome if you like photography. You will notice that everything around you change, is like been in a different place if we compare it to other seasons. So I encourage you to live these moments of snow because after that, two things may happen, either the snow will become ice, or it will melt and everything will become mud (Just like life, there are small times of soft whiteness and after them the muddy and dirty ones, or the hard, slippery and cold ones. So, enjoy snow when is still white and soft.
Lucky for us, Zagreb is not Siberia, Finland or Canada (Some people wishes Croatia were those countries, but this is for another occasion) where you really have dangerous temperatures and days without sun, so I never find a reason to complain about it. But, anyway, if you don´t want to stay outside during this time of the year there are many places to go for a coffee, watch a movie or just being with some friends! Sometimes is better just to stay inside watch some movies and from time to time look outside and see those poor people with coats, all wrapped in clothes, boots, hats, gloves, while you enjoy a nice hot tea/coffee/chocolate and laugh with wickedness… but then you will remember that you have to go to work someday… and the cold is waiting… waiting for you… and yes, he is patient, he will be there until spring! (If you have a work problem, try with rakija, it will help with every bad mood you have, either if you have too much work, or none… I have to be clear on this, it will solve your MOOD problems, not the problems).
When you learn how to enjoy winter, there is no “I don’t want to go outside” anymore. There is only daily life, at least in Zagreb. If you don’t enjoy it, is not the temperatures fault, is someone else’s fault… maybe the neighbors, or politicians (those are our favorites to blame for all the suffering in our lives), or just our mirrors.
Maksimir Park
Daniel Rodríguez is a photographer from Venezuela of Croatian heritages. You may notice his Spanish accent in his words. Check his photography service at SpectrumFotografija
If you want to discover more about Zagreb in winter through Zagreb expats Read this
