Stretching beyond the northeastern corner of Maksimir Park is the Dotrščina forest, where security forces of the NDH (the Nazi-quisling pseudo-state that existed in Croatia from 1941-45) brought antifascist Croatian citizens to be shot.

The site is now marked by an ensemble of monuments designed by avant-garde sculptor Vojin Bakić, a man who pioneered the use of abstract sculpture in the comemmoration of the World War II dead and who is regarded as a key figure in the culture of war memorials (widely known by the local term “spomenik”) in communist Yugoslavia.

While the main monument stands at the entrance to the park, there is a scattering of smaller Bakić sculptures in a wooded vale west of the main entrance, marking the spots where individual groups of victims were shot.

Geometric shapes in shiny metal, the memorials generate an otherworldly sense of peace and beauty. Dotrščina’s tranquil woodland setting makes it one of the most popular places in the city for nature strolls and picnics.

Practical Info

You can walk to Dotrščina from northeastern end of Maksimir Park in ten minutes, or drive north up Avenija Gojka Šuška, the first major road east of Maksimir Park.