New geothermal water park Wellovar opens to the public in Bjelovar

ZAGREB, 16 Occtober 2026 (Hina) – A new sports and recreation complex featuring 10 swimming pools has opened in Bjelovar, with strong demand reported within its first hours of operation.

A new geothermal sports and recreation park, Wellovar, has opened to the public in Bjelovar, central Croatia, attracting hundreds of visitors on its first morning.

The complex, which had a ceremonial opening last month, opened to the public at 8 am on Thursday, 15 October, and had sold 511 tickets by 9.30 am. Bjelovar Mayor Dario Hrebak said more than 1,000 tickets were expected to be sold by the end of the day.

“Interest is beyond all expectations,” Hrebak said, adding that further visitors were expected in the afternoon, particularly families bringing children to swim.

Wellovar features 10 swimming pools, including five indoor and five outdoor pools. One of the facilities is a covered Olympic-sized swimming pool certified for international competitions.

The complex also includes a restaurant and gym, while saunas are expected to open at a later date.

Ticket prices and visitor capacity

A full-day ticket for adults costs €16 on weekdays and €21 at weekends and on public holidays.

Children aged up to six can enter free of charge. Pensioners, people with disabilities, war veterans, university students and secondary school students pay €11 for a full-day weekday ticket.

The complex has been designed to accommodate up to 1,500 people at one time without overcrowding, while daily visitor numbers could exceed 3,000, excluding the outdoor areas, according to Hrebak.

Wellovar employs 47 staff members and three lifeguards, said Zvonimir Žarec, director of Terme Bjelovar, the company operating the facility.

Geothermal energy at the centre of the project

One of the project’s main features is its use of renewable energy. According to Žarec, all energy used for heating comes from renewable sources, including geothermal water and solar panels installed on the roof.

However, the geothermal well is still undergoing testing, meaning its water is currently being mixed with water from the public water supply.

The system will be fully calibrated using the outdoor pools before geothermal water is used to its full capacity.

Visitors encountered slightly cooler-than-planned water in two pools on opening day. Hrebak apologised for the inconvenience, explaining that routine checks carried out with the Croatian Institute of Public Health detected a slightly elevated chlorine level in one pool.

The pool was refilled with fresh, cooler water as a precaution.

“Safety is our top priority,” Hrebak said, explaining that the affected pool was expected to warm by approximately one degree per day, with temperatures anticipated to improve by Saturday.

Wellovar adds a new swimming and recreation facility to Bjelovar, with geothermal energy forming a central part of its planned heating system.