Zagreb Opens a New €10.5 Million Kindergarten With a Standout Feature

Zagreb has opened a new kindergarten in Borovje with room for 260 children, a small indoor pool and a price tag of nearly €10.5 million. Mayor Tomislav Tomašević opened the branch facility of the Milan Sachs Kindergarten at the start of the new educational year.

The approximately 3,000-square-meter building contains 14 groups, including seven nursery groups and seven kindergarten groups. Fifty-three employees will care for the children. The facility also includes multipurpose studios and spaces for exploration.

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Before our term, around two million euros a year was invested in new kindergartens, while today we invest around 20 million. We have increased capital investment tenfold.

The project cost just under €10.5 million. More than €8.5 million came from Zagreb’s budget, while €1.9 million was co-financed through European funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Tomašević said the new facility is the 18th kindergarten opened during the current city administration’s term.

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I always say that the most beautiful thing you can experience as a mayor is opening a new kindergarten or school.

“Before our term, around two million euros a year was invested in new kindergartens, while today we invest around 20 million,” Tomašević said. “We have increased capital investment tenfold.” He said the city had invested €85 million in kindergartens over the past five years.

Zagreb expects to open two more facilities by the end of the year, bringing the total delivered during the administration’s term to 20 and adding more than 2,100 places. Projects are nearing completion in Stenjevec and Remetinec, while further work is planned in Dubrava, Novi Brestje and Rudeš. Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec said the city entered the new educational year with available places, but acknowledged that they are not always located where parents need them most. Zagreb’s kindergartens currently serve 32,515 children, while the city-supported system, including private and religious facilities, covers 36,772.

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An available place is not always where parents need it most and where it is closest, which is why we will continue investing until the system better meets the city’s needs.