Do you know the story about Jarun lake in Zagreb?
Jarun Lake, or the Zagreb Sea, as many like to call the lake situated in the south-west part of Zagreb, was turned from a forgotten swamp area into a sporting-recreational mecca for Zagreb people and tourists, and this beautiful and serene oasis, surrounded but not affected by the bustle of the city, has become a valuable feature of modern Zagreb. At its southern end, Jarun is enclosed by the River Sava, while its other sides are enclosed by the districts of Staglišće, Jarun, Vrbani and Prečko.
The Jarun complex was once the backwater of the Sava, but was separated from the river in 1964, after a severe flood. With the digging and extracting of gravel, the lake went from resembling a gravel pit, to getting its final shape and appearance in 1987 for the purposes of the Univerzijada (The University Games). The entire complex covers an area of 240 hectares, of which 30% is under water.
The centre is made up of two lakes, the large and the small lake, with six islands, four of which are interconnected by bridges, and bordered by around 2,500 metres of pebble beaches, on which there is also a wooden pool designed for non-swimmers. The entire area has capacity for 20,000 swimmers. The lakes are constantly filled with clean subterranean water, the quality of which is checked on a regular basis, and all the beaches are equipped with showers and toilets. In addition, swimmers and visitors are under close supervision and in the safe hands of Jarun's lifeguards, security guards and on-call doctors.
Jarun Lake is shallow, with an average depth of 5 metres. The average annual temperature of the water is 14.3 Cº, while in the summer months the average temperature is 24.1 Cº. The system of lakes is made up of a regatta course (2250 metres long) and the small and large lake. The system also includes 6 islands: the Univerzijada Island, Trešnjevka Island, the Island of Youth, the Island of Rowers, Wilderness Island, and the Island of Love, four of them connected by bridges.
Jarun offers a wide range of recreational options. Miles of footpaths and cycling lanes spread over the complex whose entire surface area is 240 hectares, with 75 hectares covered with water, while the spacious meadows and small shady forests offer different recreational, entertainment and restaurant facilities. Some of these are facilities for five-a-side football, basketball, handball, beach volleyball, softball, miniature golf, table tennis, mountain-biking, jogging (a 6500-metre running track), badminton, rollerblading, cycling, bowling, protective shelters, playgrounds, a Bounty ship, etc.
Sporting events are mainly tied to the impressive, 2250-metre long regatta course, where international and world rowing, canoe and kayak competitions are regularly held.
The “Athletes' House”, “Technology House”, and “Kayak Rowers' House” are home to the rowing, kayak, canoe, sailing, fishing, diving, amateur-radio and model ship building clubs, whose day-to-day training and competing give Jarun a special, sporting atmosphere.
Jarun is also a fishing paradise. The exploration of Jarun's underwater world has revealed the existence of 20 different types of fish, and some magnificent specimens of carp, catfish and amur have been found to live there as well. Recreational fishing is allowed on Jarun with a daily ticket or annual fishing permit, and is monitored by fishing wardens, who also keep a register of the caught fish.
Another of Jarun's distinctive features is its wonderful countryside along Wilderness Island. It hosts a preserved swamp and pond community with different kinds of land and water plants, birds, fish, water animals and insects. Despite the long-term external influences, the lake and the land around it boast a wealth of plant and animal life. Jarun Lake, especially the part around Wilderness Island, is a magnificent example of a natural swamp community, protected for its great value, whose willows and poplars welcome the visitor to a lovely piece of unspoilt countryside.
Ornithological research has revealed that Jarun's ecosystem is home to 129 different types of birds, 99 of which are land birds and 30 sorts are birds that live close to water. Some of the other interesting creatures that live in Jarun waters are the freshwater jellyfish, water fleas, 12 kinds of snails, some of which have survived from the time when Jarun was the backwater of the Sava, the pond turtle, freshwater mussel, zebra mussel, etc.
For all these reasons, we would like to invite you to escape from the city noise for a while and come to this unspoilt natural paradise, only fifteen minutes away from the town centre.
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Which castle from the greater Zagreb area is an example of an elegant baroque castle?
