December 1, 2018 - Advent in Zagreb kicks off today, but the place to be yesterday was a little east of the capital, as SalajLand 2018 got underway, complete with 4 million Christmas lights.
I love following private events in Croatia and watching them grow. The dream of one person or family, trying to do something different, often little or no official support, begins. And then starts to grow. And grow.
And, in the case of the Salaj family east of Zagreb, grow.
Advent in Zagreb has become world famous in recent years, the three-time winner of the title Best Christmas Market in Europe. And deservedly so, the city in December has become transformed in recent years. But 17 years ago, when Advent in Zagreb was still a long way from being born, one family had the idea to celebrate the Christmas season by decorating their family home with Christmas lights. The celebration grew year by year and finally received official support. Last year's event at SalajLand attracted more than 120,000 visitors, and this year's event promises to be even bigger.
This year's SalajLand opened yesterday, with a staggering 4 million Christmas lights, some 1.5 million more than last year - just part of the attraction of this wonderful event, which this Christmas will take place from November 30 until January 13.
Yesterday's grand opening included this spectacular firework display, uploaded to the official SalajLand Facebook page.
You can learn more about the SalajLand tourist experience through the eyes of some visitors to last year's event in the vlog above, and if you are heading to Advent in Zagreb this year, it really is worth making the extra journey to the village of Cazma, about 15km from the Ivanic Grad motorway exit from Zagreb to Slavonski Brod.
To learn more about SalajLand, visit the official website.
For more about Advent in Zagreb, click here.
