August the 28th, 2025 – One of the most ambitious projects in Croatia is unfolding about an hour from the City of Zagreb. Vodeni grad is set to transform one overlooked area into something special.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition has adopted a solution for the Water City (Vodeni grad) project in Duga Resa. The floating platform on the Mrežnica River will not require an environmental impact assessment. This decision paves the way for a faster implementation of one of the most ambitious projects in the entire Croatian continental tourism offer not far from Zagreb, according to a report from Klikni.hr.
It will be a floating platform of record dimensions, 192 x 64 metres with piers. Spanning an area of 6,482 square meters and divided into several zones, four swimming areas for different purposes are currently being planned, each of which will be adapted to different age groups and the varying needs of visitors. In addition to swimming, visitors will be able to enjoy catering and hospitality facilities located directly on the platform overlooking the beautiful Mrežnica River.
The construction of an open-air cinema with stands is also being planned, which will allow for visitors to come and watch films under the stars with the refreshing river flowing beneath their feet.
Access to the future Vodeni grad will be possible exclusively on foot via ramps with a variable slope that will adjust to the water level of the Mrežnica River. This means that the platform will always be at a safe height, regardless of natural changes in the water level. 65 parking spaces are also planned on the riverbank for visitors arriving by car.
It’s worth noting that the ministry’s decision is not a final construction permit. Duga Resa as the investor must now pass a “main assessment of acceptability for the ecological network” because the location lies in the highly sensitive ecological area of the Mrežnica River. It must also receive special conservation conditions because construction is planned within the protected cultural and historical entity of Duga Resa.
