August the 29th, 2026 – A brand new health tourism hotel has opened its doors in beautiful Zagorje as part of a 17.6 million euro investment made with EU cash.
The final conference was recently held in Stubičke Toplice regarding a project called “Construction of the pool and hotel of the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation Stubičke Toplice”. Zagorje.com reports that that took place alongside the opening of the Thermal Hotel Wrello.
With the opening of the Thermal Hotel Wrello, the Special Hospital Stubičke Toplice begins a new chapter in its development. The project, worth more than 17.6 million euros, included the construction of a brand new four-star hotel and the covering of the pool complex with wellness and accompanying facilities, which will now be available year-round. The new health resort and hotel in the green heart of Zagorje boasts 36 rooms and two apartments (approximately 70 beds) and a restaurant with 100 seats. It’s connected to the existing hospital premises, uniting medical rehabilitation, thermal facilities, and hotel accommodation into a functional whole.
a step forward for continental croatian health tourism
Director of the Special Hospital Stubičke Toplice, Zorica Capar, emphasised that this facility is not only a combination of modern design and top technology, but also a symbol of vision, perseverance, and joint work.
“This project represents a historic step forward for our hospital and for the entire Krapina-Zagorje County. Stubičke Toplice has been known for centuries for its sources of healing thermal water and its tradition of treatment. With this hotel, we are combining that rich tradition with the highest standards of modern medicine, rehabilitation, and hospitality. We can now offer our patients and guests the care and comfort they truly deserve,” the director said, reflecting on the development path. The investment journey began back in May 2021 with the opening of the outdoor pool, the first phase worth 3.5 million euros. The hotel construction and outdoor pool covering project officially started in September 2024 and took 23 months to complete. The total value of this capital investment is 17,426,263 euros. From the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, 16,564,159 euros was secured, of which 16,452,978 euros are non-repayable EU funds. The 99.32% support intensity testifies to the sheer excellence of the project.
“Through extensive construction work, a four-star hotel was built, the existing pool was covered, and a new wellness centre was constructed, covering a total area of 6,500 square metres. A connecting corridor was also built that enables direct indoor communication between the hotel and the hospital, which is crucial for patients. On the ground floor, the Thermal Hotel offers top-quality hospitality facilities with a kitchen and restaurant, while the first and second floors house accommodation capacities with 37 rooms and two apartments with loggias. On the first floor there is a completely new physiotherapy department equipped with the most modern equipment, and the third floor offers a rooftop terrace and a social space. All works have been successfully completed, the occupancy permit has been obtained, and the hotel has received a four-star categorisation,” the director said.
an employment boost for krapina-zagorje
“Through this investment, 34 people from the Krapina-Zagorje County area have been newly employed, thereby directly strengthening the local community. The new tourist infrastructure will operate all 12 months of the year, and all additional hotel facilities will also be available to citizens, tourists, and visitors, ensuring the full potential of year-round health tourism. Special thematic wellness service packages have been designed to provide top-quality spa and wellness tourism services. The spaces of the new covered pool are equipped with the most modern water exercise equipment, including special bikes, treadmills, and elliptical trainers, raising medical recreation and rehabilitation to a new level,” Capar emphasised.
The authenticity of the offer is further enriched by a special food corner within the complex, where local products will be offered through cooperation with local family farms (OPGs). “This project raises standards for hospital staff, ensures top-quality care for users of health services, and creates a new experience for all users of spa and wellness tourism services,” the director noted, expressing gratitude to everyone who participated in the project.
“May this spa hotel be a place of recovery, rest, and shared success,” Capar concluded.
the largest project in the history of the municipality
Mayor of the Municipality of Stubičke Toplice, Josip Beljak, stressed that this day will remain written in golden letters in the history of the municipality.
“This is individually the largest project in the history of the municipality. The opening of the Thermal Hotel Wrello and the new pools is not just the opening of a new facility. It is the beginning of a new centre of health, rehabilitation, and tourism. Every quality investment that takes place in our municipality, regardless of who the investor is, means the development of Stubičke Toplice, a better offer, new jobs, new guests, greater recognition of the place, and also opportunities for all our people and our entrepreneurs. And when we put today’s project into the broader picture of everything currently happening in Stubičke Toplice, I think only then can we see the scale of what we are witnessing. Another historic moment awaits us soon, and that’s the completion of the extension of our primary school and the completion of the school gymnasium. The hotel and pools, the school and sports hall — different projects with different investors, but they have one thing in common: our Stubičke Toplice and the people who live here.
When we add up these two major investments, we’re talking about more than 23 million euros invested in the municipality area in the last two years alone. For such a small municipality, these are exceptionally large figures, an exceptional investment cycle, and I think we can all be proud of that together. Stubičke Toplice has a long and valuable tradition. Generations before us recognised the value of our thermal springs and built the identity of our place on them. Our task is not only to preserve that tradition, but also to develop it. We want modern Stubičke Toplice that will remain recognisable as a place of health, but we also want to be a place of quality living, sport, tourism, quality education, and pleasant life. We want to be a place where our young people will have a reason to stay, where families will want to live, and where our guests will always return. That is why I do not see today’s day only as the completion of one large project; I see it as the beginning of the direction in which Stubičke Toplice is heading,” Beljak emphasised.
health in the palm of your hand
County Prefect Željko Kolar pointed out that this project is the result of a long-term vision and continuous investment in health tourism, with the goal of positioning Zagorje as the leading region in rehabilitation and health services, highlighting the “Health in the Palm of Your Hand” project.
He emphasised that this is the realisation of a long-term vision started back in 2017, aimed at uniting all health institutions to provide top-quality services. Kolar stressed that the key to success is the excellent people in healthcare and the rich tradition of rehabilitation in Stubičke and Krapinske Toplice. The project was realised in five phases, the first of which, with an investment of 3.5 million euros, was completed back in 2021.
“With this, the government enabled us to combine the second, third, and fourth phases, which we would objectively have done over the next ten years or so without this European funding call,” Kolar explained. He expressed particular pride that domestic designers and contractors participated in the realisation.
The saga doesn’t end with the opening of the new health resort in Zagorje. Kolar announced further investments until 2030. As early as next spring, the adaptation of the Antonina facility, worth around 6 million euros and financed by the County, will begin. A project for the energy renovation of the old hotel of the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation, worth 5 million euros and co-financed from the Environmental Protection Fund, has also been submitted. This will mean almost 10 million euros invested in Stubičke Toplice over the last decade.
