Ethno Village Stara Lonja — Hotel in Grad Sisak

A group of old, original Croatian-style houses, each of them at least 100 years old, have been carefully renowated by their hosts. This "mini-village" is beautifully located inside a garden full of trees, in a secluded place. Thanks to this, you will find yourself in the middle of the green, with shadow during the hot weather, surrounded by hundreds of birds singing all the time, tree-frogs croaking, and in summer - fireflies flashing around just next to your table. If you are lucky and brave enough, you may also listen to jackals howling from far away.||Inside the house, you will live in an old-fashioned studio with stylish (and sometimes really old) furniture, perfectly fitting to the house itself. Every detail proves that the hosts tried to recreate the atmosphere of the past. The room is cosy and has all you will need during your stay: a bathroom, a kitchennette and a fridge already serving as a mini-bar with local wines and home-made drinks.||But it's the friendly and hospitable family of hosts which makes this place unique and unforgettable. On your arrival you will be invited with a smile and welcome-drink. Twin-brothers Igor and Mladen, together with their kind mother, will take care of you and answer all your questions. A fishing trip? They will show you how to do it in a traditional way. Canoeing on Sava river? Here you are. Biking? The brothers will rent you a bike and tell you what to see. Perhaps this place may also be a nice ski-running area - so give it a try in the winter.||Although you can try and cook yourself - it's better to ask the hosts and order one of fantastic local meals, made from fresh and natural products. The Mama is the master of Slavonian home cuisine so you will be delighted with whatever you choose from the menu: be it a chicken, or pork, or goulash. But you're in the fishing region, so fish specialities are absolutely fabulous, with a "zubac" (pikeperch) baked with potatoes, wine and cream on the top of the list.||When you're satisfied with your trips and dinner, it's still not the end of the day! At the table in open air, with a bottle of wine if you like, you will spend hours on amusing discussions with both brothers on every subject you can imagine. Nature, local traditions, history of the region or the whole Croatia and former Yugoslavia - but culture as well, especially that Mladen and Igor used to be members of a rock band and the music still sounds in their souls, that's for sure! So you can sing along with them - and with other guests, cause it's the place which makes all the visitors integrate. For tourists from Slavic countries - like us - it will also be a great occasion to learn, how much we still have in common in our languages.||To sum up - hosts of Stara Lonja Ethno Village has become to us the best ambassadors of Croatia in the heart of the country - and will remain such in our...

Ethno lodge Starra Lonja|Croatia||Simply one of the most beautiful places in the world.||Sympathetically renovated 300 year old Croatian wood houses, absolutely STEEPED in history with an aesthetic dressing of nostalgia. Situated in the village of Lonja in the heart of the Lonjsko Nature Park, it's 120 km from Zagreb and 45 km from Sisack. That's the physical location, but really it's something that only exists in your most beautiful dreams.||The "village" which is a collection of several seperate two/ more bed roomed wooden houses in a lush green pasture with elderflower and walnut trees is secluded but somehow intimate. You are welcomed to your " house" for your stay by the owners twin brothers Maladin and Egor and their Mother, and welcomed and immersed into their world. This is a world of natural living, realisation of your surroundings, being able to step back into peace and tranquility, and relishing the simpler things in life.||Don't get me wrong, there are all amenities and " mod cons". Beautifully appointed kitchenettes, shower rooms and free wifi(!). But I was more enamoured by the intricately hand embroidered bed spreads, and longed to find somebody to sell me one! ||Crocheted light shades, flowers picked and arranged from the garden upon arrival, home made local liqueurs, (" des mi oosemi ") and the comfiest, warmest, cosiest beds we've slept in during our journey so far through six countries!||We only had one day and a bit to spend here on our journey and really wished we could have stayed longer as there is so much to do in and around the Nature Park and the area. |Cycle tracks, hiking trails, museums to visit, bird watching sanctuaries, horse riding treks and Maladin and Egor organise canoe safaris in the better weather down the river, with fishing and swimming too.||There is a fabulous restaurant locally and a grocery shop 300 m away. ||Really, really highly recommended! With English speaking hosts!|Like Stepping back into a time and a culture more romantic and...

Stara Lonja is a place you will certainly remember for a long time! Accommodation is inside some 100-300 year old prettily renovated wooden houses, all of it set in a large garden, with a central building that houses the kitchen and eating places (ideally, if weather allows it, out in the open yet under a roof). |However, the particularly charming aspect of it are certainly the hosts. When I travel I look for the kind of hospitality that is both genuinely helpful and offers a little bit of insight into the lives of the people in the place that I am visiting. Mladen and Igor were funny, told us a lot about Lonjsko Pole natural park and Croatia in general and helped us instantly when we had a problem with our car. (Please say hi and thanks to Toncek in Novska for us)! |Some practical advice: their house specialty fish dish is great and so are their mother's pastries! Breakfast could have some more variations if you stay longer than 2 days. We did both a canoe and a cycling tour with rented gear from the accommodation, both were really enjoyable! As it is a wetland, be sure to bring mosquito repellent. The birdsong symphony before sunrise is nothing short...