Zagreb plans river cruise service on the Sava

Zagreb (Photo credit: Ivo Biočina / Source: CNTB)

Plans to introduce seasonal passenger transport on the River Sava in Zagreb are moving steadily ahead, with the first boats expected to set sail in 2027.

The Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure has placed river navigation high on its agenda, aiming to open a 3.5-kilometre cruise route between Bundek and Jarun.

Speaking this morning to HRT’s Studio 4, Duška Kunštek, Director of the Inland Navigation Administration, explained that the project is highly complex due to the Sava’s nature as a fast-flowing and unpredictable river. Infrastructure along the route will need to be buoyant and adaptable to significant fluctuations in water levels, making the construction phase particularly demanding.

Kunštek emphasised that the challenges only strengthen the team’s determination. She noted that once completed, the service will offer Zagreb residents and visitors a new way of moving through the city, crossing from one bank of the Sava to the other by water.

“For example, you’ll be able to travel from Arena Zagreb to Jarun in about half an hour,” she said.

Work on the project has been under way for around 18 months, with the team now preparing documentation for the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition as part of the environmental impact study.

A key prerequisite, amendments to Zagreb’s General Urban Plan (GUP), has already been completed.

Zagreb (Photo credit: Marko Vrdoljak / Zagreb Tourist Board)

This lengthy process ensured that all planned structures were incorporated into spatial plans, laying the legal groundwork for future navigation and the positioning of river piers.

“After the GUP was adopted, we moved forward with the next stages, which are still ongoing. We expect to obtain a building permit by the end of next year, after which we will begin seeking the appropriate financial model,” Kunštek added.

The City of Zagreb will be a central partner in the project, with the possibility of involving other institutions interested in developing this form of public transport.

Bundek – J. Duval/Zagreb TZ)

As an initial step, the plan is to introduce a single electric tourist boat with a capacity of around 50 passengers, roughly the size of a city bus. It would operate a circular route until conditions are in place to expand the fleet and establish a fuller service along the Sava.