Divlje vode Bio Park: A place where you can walk and enjoy the best trout

11.04.2022
Active holiday

Divlje vode Bio Park is a natural paradise that surprised us with its rich contents of different character. When we headed to the Divlje vode (eng. Wild Waters), the first thing we talked about was the name of the Bio Park. Since we have never been to that place, we thought that we would be truly greeted by fast streams or strong waterfalls that destroy everything in front of us. We decided not to google the pictures but to come completely unprepared. The only thing we had to google, of course, was the road to Divlje vode Bio park.

Divlje vode Bio Park is located in the Žumberak Mountains

This beautiful place intended for numerous activities is located in the nature park Žumberak – Samobor hills on an area of 44,000 square meters. If you are traveling from Zagreb, navigation on the highway will take you to the Bregana border crossing. Considering that we traveled this way for the first time, it is not surprising that we almost ended up in Slovenia because we made a wrong turn and found ourselves in front of the border crossing. Still, we figured out where we were in time and turned around. The turn, fortunately, did not take us too long, so we were soon on the right track again.

When we finally got to the Divlje vode Bio Park we parked the car and realized there weren’t too many people. We figured this could be because in early September, many are still trying to catch the sun’s rays in one of the coastal cities, or the kids are just getting ready for the new school year so their parents didn’t want to take them anywhere. The lack of other tourists actually pleasantly surprised us because it meant we were going to take the best photos and no one was going to intrude on our shot!

Divlje vode offer a handful of open areas for a relaxing walk

The moment we entered the park, we spotted two donkeys which immediately won us over. The donkeys were very friendly and were not afraid of humans at all. It was clear to us that they were used to large groups of people. We approached them and scratched their heads and muzzles. We were interesting to them for a while, but they soon returned to eating the grass and didn’t pay too much attention to us anymore. Although we were sorry we weren’t as interesting to them as we thought we would be – this was a good opportunity to photograph them.

After that, we decided to take a walk around the entire property. Walking, we noticed a calm stream of Bregana flowing through the whole area. There are several wooden mills on the stream that complete the image of idyllic rural tourism. Walking further, we noticed that there are several covered outdoor tables large enough for the whole family. Everything became clear to us when we approached the playground intended for children. We realized that this is a place that we will certainly be able to recommend to parents who would like to take their children on a trip, but have no idea where. In the Divlje vode, parents and children will have great fun because the facilities they offer are tailored to everyone.

In addition to playgrounds for children, Divlje vode Bio Park also offers a playground for indoor soccer (a good idea for people who would like to relax in the company of friends), a fishing lake, a promenade by the pond, the Zoo and the chapel of Cardinal Stepinac and Cardinal Kuharić for those who feel the need for spirituality. However, we were most impressed by the animals since the whole area is one great Zoo.

During the walk we could see ponies, donkeys, goats, ducks, geese, deer and roe deer and peacocks. Apart from them, we also saw flocks of trout that swam in separate lakes (lakes are farms of trouts) for which the park is famous. These trout and walking along them are definitely a Divlje vode attraction. Some animals, unlike ponies and donkeys, were inaccessible, but when we climbed onto the terrace of the restaurant we could observe them from a bird’s eye view. (About that later!)

What we must not forget is that inside the Bio Park there is a special wedding hall that can accommodate as many as 300 guests (here we mean seats). Another good news is that the hosts organize weddings, and on their official website you can also see pictures of the interior of the hall. In addition to wedding celebrations, formal and business lunches are organized, as well as full-day excursions for children and adults.

The food at the Divlje vode Bio Park won us over

When we got tired of walking, we decided to give the opportunity to a restaurant within the park. We first entered the interior, but when we saw the view from the restaurant terrace, we decided that it would be a sin to sit inside when the weather is already so nice (and it is not that we will visit this place every day). On the terrace we were greeted by robust wooden tables with large parasols above some of them, while some tables did not need an artificial parasol because the trees climbed above them. We decided to sit at a table where the shade of a tree protected us from the sun.

The kind waitress soon brought us the menus and left us to decide what we wanted to eat. We have to admit that the choice was great, so the decision was difficult. The restaurant offers dishes such as blood sausages, sausages, squid in various ways, beef and Zagorje soup, steaks, skewers, kebabs, and even frog legs…

Of course, given that trout are bred here, it was quite clear that the restaurant will offer fresh trout in several ways – cooked, grilled, fried, breaded. After reviewing the entire menu, we concluded that the best idea was to take grilled trout. When we came to this place where trout are bred, it was logical for us to order just that. We liked the fact that we know exactly where our dish comes from and how it is grown. Along with the trout, we ordered potatoes with chard as a side dish.

While we waited for the order, we approached the terrace fence and saw an enchanting view. The terrace really offers a view of the entire park, mountains, stream, mills and animals. Since one fenced area with a lake and animals is located just below the terrace, we were able to enjoy the view of deer, roe deer, goats, ducks and peacocks that we could not see well until then. Our admiration for this scene did not go unnoticed, so we were suddenly joined by the dog of one of the other guests. The beautiful Labrador was even sitting under my bench when we got back to the table. (Of course I was honored because there is no nicer feeling than when an animal chooses you in any way!) When the food came, we couldn’t stop eating. The trout was perfect.

Overall impression of a trip

We have to say that this was one of the nicer trips we took. The animals, nature, the enchanting view, the presence of streams and lakes with trout completely relaxed us and for a moment made us forget all the worries and everything that awaits us in the “real world”. We were sorry we didn’t have time to stay at least one night at a motel within the park, but it was a Sunday so a new work week awaited us the next day. Nevertheless, we are grateful for this experience and we definitely plan to return to Divlje vode as soon as the opportunity arises.

Your CTC Team, A. M.