October 4, 2020 – A visit to Camp Zagreb, a rather delightful lakeside accommodation alternative for Croatia’s capital in Sveta Nedelja, a short shuttle ride from the city centre.
Camping on the Adriatic has long been a holiday of choice for hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, and the camping facilities – particularly in Istria – are plentiful and improving year by year. Head inland, however, and camping options are a lot more sparse. But when they are good, they are REALLY good, as I discovered on my first visit to Camp Zagreb, located idyllically on a lake in Sveta Nedelja, just a few miinutes drive from the capital, Zagreb.
I had no idea what to expect from tourism in Sveta Nedelja when the town’s local authorities invited my family down for the weekend to have a look around the town, its businesses, local administration, as well as its tourism potential. The home of Rimac Automobili and the most transparent local administration in all Croatia, I was excited to explore the business and Croatia 2.0 local government scene (learn more about those aspects of my trip here), but I was a little dubious about the town’s ability to impress touristically. My two teenage daughters were even more dubious about another ‘fun’ weekend away with Dad and his work… And yet it was they who had huge smiles on their faces on the drive home, having had a VERY good weekend in the Sveta Nedelja Great Outdoors.
Just 20 minutes from downtown Zagreb, and yet a world away, Sveta Nedelja was a breath of fresh air after yet another week of staring at computer screens running TCN. It has several lakes which comprise one of its key tourist attractions, with Camp Zagreb located on the edge of the largest of them. A perfect base not only to explore the region if you are camping, but – as I saw last Sunday morning – an absolute magnet for Zagreb’s residents looking to escape the city and immerse themselves in nature.
And there was plenty to do, with many activities supplied by Camp Zagreb. Cycling around the lakes was a lot of family fun, but also a very natural experience through the autumn leaves. No asphalt roads here, just kid-friendly cycling paths through the trees, affording magnificent views of the lakes.
A little horse-riding for the youngsters, perhaps? There is an on-site horse riding school, where horses are available for petting, riding around the arena, a picturesque lakeside tour, or – for the more experienced riders – the chance to gallop along the Sava into the city and back.
Or perhaps go for a little horsey dip instead…
The lakes are also popular for boating, and these can be hired via the camp reception.
A selection of clever rock formations add to the boating challenge.
The lakes are also very popular for another popular sporting activity – and a great one in this socially distanced era – fishing. The lakes were full of small little clearings down to the water every 20 metres or so, many of which were occupied by 1-2 fishermen, who had set up their tents for a weekend of relaxation, nature and fishing. With tent pitches starting at 40 kuna a night, a very affordable escape from the stresses of the city.
For some, perhaps, even fishing is a little too strenuous an activity. Why not just sit back and relax with a coffee overlooking this magnificent nature a short drive from the city.
And an even bigger incentive for parents to relax with a lakeside coffee, while watching the little ones explore the kids adventure playground next to the cafe and restaurant.
The unique monkey bar ship is just one of the popular attractions.
We haven’t started talking about the camping aspect yet, but we will shortly, but what struck me during the weekend visit was just how much Camp Zagreb had to offer people from Zagreb for a day or weekend escape. It truly is a tranquil spot, its nature unspoilt and untampered.
Rather than just being there just to serve camp guests, the management appears to be working hard to attract local business as well, and there are plenty of live music events, as well as special events to celebrate the end of the working week.
The main building on the water is tastefully done, with cafe/bar on the ground floor, restaurant on the first floor, and a rather special wellness option on top.
There is plenty of space inside in the wooden interior, but nothing quite beats the view overlooking the water when the weather is clement.
Or a lakeside coffee or something stronger, watching the world go by.
While the attractiveness of a visit to Camp Zagreb and its natural treasures from the city is clear, the core business, of course, is camping. And here too, it proves to be a great destination, but for very different reasons.
Firstly, location. Sveta Nedelja is just 10 minutes from the main Bregana border with Slovenia, and it lies just off the motorway to the west of Zagreb. For the many campers heading to Croatia from central and western Europe heading down to Dalmatia, it makes for an ideal stop. Psychologically over the border and in Croatia, a few minutes off the motorway so as not to take campers too far from their onward route. And, in addition to the immediate proximity of all the natural goodness described above, it is a great place from where to explore Zagreb in a day. In order to make that experience more comfortable, the campsite offer a shuttle service to the centre of the city, which takes under 30 minutes. There is an additional (free) transfer to the local train station 2 kilometres away, which also connects to the centre of the city.
Camp Zagreb has about 20,000 overnight stays in a normal year (2020 has been anything but normal), and it offers various types of camping services, Premier services for caravans and motor homes come in a choice of two pitch sizes – 75m2 and 100m2 – which are located a few metres from the lake, where a quiet zone is observed from 23:00 until 07:00.
For those without their own motor home, a selection of wooden bungalows, designed for couples, are also avaialble.
Looking for that little extra? The 65m2 wellness suite on top of the restaurant takes campsite luxury to a new level, with Finnish sauna and jacuzzi some of the highlights inside the suite, while the spacious terrace overlooking the lake is the perfect spot to greet the new day.
Looking to be closer to the water? A 19m2 tipi tent with its own private area to the water sleeps three, with campsite facilities close by.
And, of course, there are plenty of lakeside spots away from the crowds for those looking for a weekend of quiet fishing.
I hadn’t known what to expect from tourism in Sveta Nedelja when we set off for our business and tourism tour. It was a weekend full of surprises, but the natural beauty of the lakes and surrounding area, completely unspoilt, was as much a highlight as a visit to Rimac.
Camp Zagreb is a campsite for all seasons. Open 50 weeks of the year, I can only imagine the winter beauty with a stay in the wellness suite. A delightful year-round escape from the city and stopping off point for onward journeys to the coast.
Nature at its finest, whatever the season.
Check out the official promo video below, and learn more about Camp Zagreb on the official website.
For the latest from Sveta Nedelja, follow the dedicated TCN section.
This article is in paid partnership with the Sveta Nedelja Tourist Board.
