Paradise at Zvornicko jezero - Mali Zvornik prepares floating hotel project with separate suites, conference hall, restaurant,...

(Future look of the floating hotel)

For the first time in Serbia as well as in the Balkans, a municipality could get a floating hotel, in parts. The preliminary design and a location are ready and as it is usually the case, they are waiting only for . Thus, Mali Zvornik might get the biggest investment after the hydro power plant construction, director of the Tourist Organization of the city,Vojislav Stamenkovic, says for eKapija.

It is personally Stamenkovic’s idea. The project was created inthe Salt &Water dizajn studio.

The hotel would be located at the bank of the Zvornicko jezero. The Tourist Organization says three locations are ready and that it is most likely that Culinske ade will be the one.

The task Salt & Water dizajn studio got was to design a hotel-ship which would be a tourist attraction and which would comply with high standards. According to the project, the hotel enables guests an individual leasure time, separation from the community and seclusion at the quality fishing spot which is an extreme connection of two counter requests in one offer. “The story that will be heard far away”, creators of the project thinks.

Assembling hotel

(Interior of suites)

This is how it works: there is a passage to the central raft where there are a reception, a restaurant, an event hall, staff offices and a café,which leads to pontoon paths to their floating suites.

The central floating facility has two levels. Vertical shade protection can be adjusted thus controling interior lightning and a connection with the environment.

Every suite is a separate unit. It consists of a living room with a kitchen, a gallery part for sleeping, a bathroom, a hall and a big terrace. Suites connect guests with nature, providing them their part of sky, lake and complete isolation from everyday stress.

Creator of the floating hotel idea says that, of the interest is big, apart from planned 20 suites, it would be possible to add more separate units. Practically, this is an open-end project.

Funding and purpose

(Part of the central raft)

Late this month, the director of the Tourist Organization of Mali Zvornik will attend the Investment Conference in Novi Sad where the project will be presented to potential investors.

Funding options and shares are yet to be discussed and it is still not possible to define investment amount. The only thing that is familiar is that “it is a sum of a couple of million euros”.

As for the municipality, everything is ready. They give location; they would arrange access to the hotel and provide water and electricity supplying.

Otherwise, Zvornicko jezero and the Drina river it relies on, has been attracting both tourists and fishermen for years. Events such as Somovijada and Skobaljijada attract a number of tourists both from the country and abroad.

Foreigners are the target group collocutor of eKapija relies on because accommodation prices would be above average.

When it comes to Mali Zvornik, considering the economic importance of the project, Stamenkovic says that 30 to 40 people would get a job in the hotel.Also, contractors would be Mali Zvornik-based companies and, to the extent the project allows, materials available in the local community, would be used.

(Suites exterior look)

Stamenkovic’s vision is to, when the hotel opens, in every local community from the center of Mali Zvornik to Velika Reka (a part of municipality which leans against the lake) , organize a market where tourists could sell fish they caught and other groceries which tourists need.

Two and a half hours far from Belgrade

Mali Zvornik is located at the western part of Serbia, mid Podrinje. The Drina river makes the west and official border, it borders with Loznica in the northeast, Krupanj in the east and Ljubovija in the southeast.At the western border, there is an international border crossing with the Republic of Srpska, with Zvornik municipality (known as Veliki Zvornik).

It is 170 km far from Belgrade. You can get there by car in two-two and a half hours while by regular bus line it would take you three hours to the bank of the lake.

J.DJ.