How Croatians holiday locally at Zagreb's Lake Jarun

Less than 90 minutes away by car, the beaches on the Adriatic coast are an understandably popular destination for those in Zagreb. But the idyllic scenes come at a cost.

There is a cheaper alternative much closer to home for those in the Croatian capital. The much-maligned Lake Jarun is in the midst of a revival, but not everyone is convinced.

Once filled with swimmers, Lake Jarun has lost its popularity over the past decade — mainly due to water quality problems and a lack of maintenance. Today, however, water testing results are excellent, and the infrastructure has been renovated. Despite this, the negative reputation persists, along with the label of a "poor man's sea."