Osijek’s €13.5 million Copacabana redevelopment to open ahead of summer season

(Photo: Grad Osijek)

The reconstruction and redevelopment of Osijek’s Copacabana pool complex is entering its final phase, with the upgraded facility expected to open in mid-June ahead of the summer bathing season.

As part of the EU Projects Open Days programme, Osijek Mayor Ivan Radić visited the site alongside students from the Osijek School of Civil Engineering and Geodesy and the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Osijek, who took part in the city’s EU avanTOUR initiative.

Speaking during the visit, Mayor Radić said the second phase of the Copacabana redevelopment is currently the largest EU-supported project in Osijek, with an investment value of €9 million.

Radić recalled that when the current city administration took office in 2021, the Copacabana complex had already been out of operation for two years.

Within six months, the city completed the first phase of redevelopment, which included the construction of Osijek’s first Olympic-size swimming pool and a new attractions pool.

(Photo: Grad Osijek)

The first phase, valued at €4.5 million, also connected the complex to Osijek’s sewage network for the first time, ending the discharge of untreated water into the Drava River.

Funding for the second phase was later secured through the EU’s Integrated Territorial Investments (ITU) mechanism, with €4 million provided in non-refundable grants. The combined value of both phases stands at €13.5 million.

The second phase includes the construction of new recreational and children’s pools with water attractions, as well as the installation of new water slides and extensive landscaping works.

(Photo: Grad Osijek)

According to city officials, 56 percent of the entire Copacabana complex will consist of green areas. Plans include the planting of 200 trees and around 1,800 shrubs and ornamental plants once construction works are completed.

Representatives of the contractor said works are progressing according to schedule. Final ceramic installations, paving, landscaping and interior finishing works are currently underway, while the facility’s technical systems have already been completed in preparation for the first filling of the pools.

Contractor representative Ivica Crnković said the project was successfully approaching completion and confirmed that the complex would open as planned for this summer season.

Students and mentors participating in the EU avanTOUR project also welcomed the opportunity to visit the site and learn more about EU-funded developments in the city.

(Photo: Grad Osijek)

Teacher Mia Dodig from the School of Civil Engineering and Geodesy said the initiative allowed participants to see projects aimed at improving standards in Osijek, while student Dorotea Knežević described the experience as valuable for her education as an architectural technician.

Mayor Radić also announced that the city, in cooperation with Hrvatske vode, would once again prepare the sandy beach area for the summer season by adding 6,000 cubic metres of sand.

At the same time, a public tender for six new hospitality venues within the complex has attracted strong interest, with 51 bids submitted.

(Photo: Grad Osijek)

Radić said the redeveloped Copacabana complex would be completed by mid-June, in time to mark the facility’s 50th anniversary with what he described as a “completely new Copacabana” for residents and visitors to enjoy throughout the summer.