Little Prince Park

Little Prince Park (Park Malog Princa) is a small but distinctive themed park in Zagreb, tucked away on Vladimira Vidrića Street in the Peščenica-Žitnjak district, in an area locals know as Borongaj. It's a place born from community effort, and it still keeps that intimate, artistic feel today.

How did the park come to be?

The idea took shape in the 1980s, conceived by sculptor Nada Orel. Her inspiration was "The Little Prince," the classic tale by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The stonework and sculpting took place between 1985 and 1987, culminating in a ceremonial opening marked by a performance of "The Little Prince" staged by the Children's Studio of the Zagreb Youth Theatre.

What sets this park apart from other green spaces in Zagreb is how it was built. Local residents, and especially children, took an active role in shaping it: they contributed their own drawings, which fed directly into the sculptural motifs, and many took part in the actual stone-carving work. In that sense, the park is as much a community creation as it is a professional design project.

What will you see there?

At the heart of the park stands a bronze sculpture of the Little Prince and his rose, mounted on a white stone base and framed by slender, elegant birch trees. It's the park's signature spot and the one most visitors photograph.

Surrounding the central figure are six stone blocks, each different in size, shape, and colour. They're arranged in a star-like pattern and are meant to represent different human characters, echoing the various personalities the Little Prince encounters on his journey through different planets in the story. It's a quiet but deliberate way of telling a story through sculpture and public space.

The park itself is modest in size — more of a neighbourhood enclave than a large-scale attraction on the order of Maksimir or Bundek. Its appeal lies precisely in that intimate, artistic atmosphere and in the story of how it came to exist, something you won't find replicated in Zagreb's bigger, better-known parks.

When to visit and how to get there?

Borongaj is a quiet, residential part of Zagreb, set apart from the busy city centre. Spring and summer are the best times to visit, when the greenery around the sculptures and the birch trees are in full leaf, creating a strong contrast with the pale stone blocks. In recent years the park has undergone restoration work that brought back some of its original shine after a period of neglect.

It's worth combining a visit with a walk around Borongaj itself — a district that is gradually developing and taking on new urban functions while still holding onto its local character.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Little Prince Park located? The park sits on Vladimira Vidrića Street, in the Peščenica-Žitnjak district, in the area known as Borongaj.

Who designed the park and when was it built? Sculptor Nada Orel conceived the design. Construction ran from 1985 to 1987, when the park was officially opened.

What is the park's main feature? A bronze sculpture of the Little Prince with his rose on a white stone base, along with six stone blocks arranged in a star shape, each symbolising a different human character.

Is the park suitable for children? Yes — it was designed with children in mind, and local kids actually helped create it through their drawings and hands-on stone-carving work.