Old Train Wagon to Turn Into Hostel

Inspired by a hostel in the German city of Bonn, Croatian businessman Zvonko Momčilović is set to open what will be a first for the country – a hostel in a train wagon…

Croatian Railways have leased out three unused wagons, which sit idle at Zagreb’s central train station, for five years, and from January 2015 they are expected to open for business. Renovations on the first wagon are almost complete, with a 90-bed capacity once all three are finished. Momčilović received funding for the project from the Ministry of Tourism, who issue grants in Croatia for innovate tourism projects.

“I wanted to offer something different, something which does not exist in Croatia. This hostel will be mainly for young tourists who want to stay close to the centre and save money on comfort,” Momčilović told Jutarnji list, adding that along with the Zagreb train station hostel, plans are in place to open hostels in unused wagons at train stations in Split, Zadar, Rijeka and Pula.

There has been somewhat of a hostel boom in the Croatian capital, with more than 40 hostels opening in the city over the last 3 months. Around 140 hostels exist now in Croatia, but it is Zagreb which has grown faster than the rest of the nation, growing 40% in the last year and a half.