Krapina-Zagorje County on Friday, November 28, 2025, awarded new quality labels in the program True Zagorje Home – a comprehensive system for certifying vacation homes and rural houses that raises the standards of private accommodation offers, encourages sustainability, and strengthens the recognition of the destination Zagorje – A Fairytale in the Palm of Your Hand.
The fourth round of certification brought ten new label holders, so – with the fact that two previously certified houses meanwhile changed owners and stopped providing the service – the current number of houses with an active certificate is 41. The award ceremony was held at the Business and Technology Incubator of Krapina-Zagorje County in Krapina, with the participation of representatives of the county and local tourist boards, renters, and the profession.
Which houses received the label in 2025?
In this year's cycle, the True Zagorje Home certificate was awarded to the following facilities:
- Vacation home Kokotova Hiža, Konjščina
- Vacation home Holiday House M, Konjščina
- Vacation home Greta Rest House, Pregrada
- Vacation home Dreamy Hill, Pregrada
- Vacation home Black Pearl, Sveti Križ Začretje
- Vacation home Casa Sole, Donja Stubica
- Vacation home Coha, Stubičke Toplice
- Vacation home Kopjar, Hrašćina
- Vacation home Chill House Keti, Mihovljan
- Vacation home Zora, Radoboj
A project that systematically raises the bar
True Zagorje Home was launched in 2022 as a response to the growing market needs for clear quality standards in the vacation home segment. In the first year, ten facilities were certified, during 2023 another twelve, and in 2024 an additional eleven. In 2025, the rhythm was renewed with ten new boards. The program is coordinated by the Tourist Board of Krapina-Zagorje County in cooperation with the system of local tourist boards and in accordance with the development plans of the county.
Certification is not just a formality. Along with clearly defined criteria that follow functionality, safety, aesthetic standards, sustainability, and experience, the program also includes operational tools for visibility – from professional photography and short videos to a printed and digital catalog in four languages (Croatian, English, German, and Slovenian). The central destination for information and inquiries is the official multilingual website truezagorjehome.hr, available in seven languages, to which all promotional campaigns lead and where potential guests immediately find data on facilities and direct contacts with hosts.
The voice of the profession and numbers following the trend
At the ceremony, Prefect Željko Kolar pointed out that vacation homes are changing the image of the county's tourist offer and that the project helps establish stronger ties with owners and stronger promotion of facilities. He also emphasized record indicators of tourist traffic until November 27, 2025: 197,487 arrivals and 430,466 overnight stays were recorded, thereby exceeding the result of the record year 2024, with the expectation that December will further raise the total numbers.
Head of the Krapina-Zagorje County Tourist Board Office Sanja Škrinjar presented the results so far and communication strides: systematic photographing of facilities, filming of short movies, and the production of an annual catalog in four languages, while directing all campaigns to the central website. According to the current state, 41 certified houses have a total of 243 beds, and in vacation homes and other private accommodation (excluding camps and hotels) until November 27, 93,000 overnight stays were realized. "From year to year we grow, and our goal is that alongside a strong hotel and thermal segment, Zagorje also profiles itself as a destination of exceptionally high-quality private accommodation," said Škrinjar.
What the label means for renters and guests
For renters, entering True Zagorje Home represents more than an additional plaque on the facility. It is a recognizable market reference that gives credibility, accelerates conversions, and facilitates communication with guests. Standardization makes a difference already at the first impression: photos and videos raise aesthetics and informativeness, the catalog reaches foreign markets faster, and centralized presentation on the official website enables direct contact between the guest and the host without intermediaries.
For guests, the quality label summarizes expectations: neatness, functionality, privacy, authenticity of space, and an experience that fits into the spirit of Zagorje. In practice, this means that certified houses often offer quiet locations with views, equipment that does not "shout" but provides everything needed, and discreet luxury measured by the host's attention – from decoration details and local groceries to stories about heritage and tradition.
Examples of good practice in the field
The True Zagorje Home portfolio is diverse in styles and micro-locations. For example, Kokotova Hiža in Konjščina combines traditional wooden architecture and the peace of the forest edge with a yard for gatherings and spaces under the open sky. In Pregrada, houses Greta Rest House and Dreamy Hill rely on panoramic views, while Black Pearl in Sveti Križ Začretje brings a more contemporary interpretation of luxury. Casa Sole in Donja Stubica and Coha in Stubičke Toplice naturally complement the motive of stay with their positions in the immediate vicinity of thermal and wellness facilities. Further north, in Hrašćina, the house Kopjar preserves peaceful vistas and rural rhythm, and in Mihovljan Chill House Keti offers a family environment. Zora in Radoboj harmonizes the stay with mountaineering and educational contents on the slopes of Strahinjčica.
Such diversity enables precise segmentation of the offer: couples in search of intimacy and silence, families who want fenced yards and contents for children, digital nomads who need reliable infrastructure and natural rhythm, as well as groups planning an active weekend on wine roads or cycling routes – everyone can find a profile that suits them.
Standards, criteria, and certification process
The True Zagorje Home program harmonizes expectations through clearly described standards and criteria relating to space functionality, safety, cleanliness, equipment, outdoor surfaces, sustainability, and authenticity. An expert team evaluates facilities in the field, and hosts receive detailed recommendations on what to improve before the board is awarded. In practice, these are often interventions that with relatively small investments raise the overall experience: harmonizing palettes and materials, optimizing lighting, simpler orientation in space, equipping intimate corners for reading and socializing, and harmonizing outdoor zones with the natural environment.
In addition to evaluation, the program also foresees continuous education: workshops for beginners and advanced renters, thematic advice on presentation and digital communication, and the handbook "Everything about private accommodation" which all standard holders receive. In this way, quality is maintained and differences between facilities are reduced, and the entire portfolio creates a uniformly good impression regardless of the style or capacity of the house.
Digital visibility and market reach
Special emphasis is placed on quality visual identity and simple availability of information. Photos and short films ensure that houses are displayed realistically and attractively, while the catalog in four languages facilitates promotion in the most important emissive markets. The multilingual website – available in seven languages – structures data by houses and offers direct contacts with hosts, which shortens the path from inspiration to reservation. Thereby, True Zagorje Home becomes useful both to guests (faster decision-making) and hosts (fewer intermediary steps and clearer highlighting of distinctiveness).
Role of the project in the county's strategic plans
The program is harmonized with the guidelines of the Development Plan of Krapina-Zagorje County 2021–2027 and the Tourism Development Masterplan 2016–2025, which means that it is a matter of systematic investment in quality, and not a one-time action. Through True Zagorje Home, private accommodation is equally included in the positioning of the destination alongside thermal spas and hotels, traditionally the strongest assets of Zagorje. Thereby, the portfolio of experiences is expanded, rural and wellness motifs are intertwined, and the stay is extended outside the main season – a winning combination for both guests and the local economy.
How to become part of the program
Owners of vacation homes who want to enter the program join through the system of local tourist boards and the Tourist Board of Krapina-Zagorje County. Before applying, it is recommended to prepare basic data about the facility (capacity, equipment, safety features), quality photos, description of location and contents, and a sustainability management plan (waste management, energy and water saving, cooperation with local producers). After administrative check and tour, the facility – depending on the fulfillment of criteria – enters the communication-promotional cycle with professional photography and a short film, and contacts for direct communication with guests are published on the web.
Direct benefit for the destination
From the perspective of destination management, True Zagorje Home functions as a platform for qualitative management of private accommodation. Unique standards create a coherent impression, and at the same time leave room for authenticity and local character. By connecting with campaigns of the brand "Zagorje – A Fairytale in the Palm of Your Hand", the project ensures that private accommodation contributes to the overall story: vineyards and viewpoints, thermal spas and wellness, castles, museums, and gastronomy – everything is within reach for the guest who returns to the peace of a house with a view after an excursion.
Words of new holders
On behalf of the newly certified renters, Dubravka Orešec from Kokotova Hiža thanked for the support and recognition of the effort, emphasizing that certificates promote not only individual houses but also the entire local community and the work of the Tourist Board. Such statements confirm that the program does not create a hierarchy between hosts, but a community of practice – everyone has specificity and added value, and the common denominator is standards and service.
Seen through the eyes of a guest
The average guest who chooses a house with the True Zagorje Home label wants convincing, reliable, and warm accommodation. While some will look for proximity to wine roads and restaurants, others will choose privacy and a garden, third ones will spend the whole day in spas and then appreciate a comfortable return to a house that breathes more slowly. In all this, the certificate facilitates decision-making because it summarizes the unwritten experience of local hosting into a clear standard – quality confirmed by the system.
What follows
Plans announced by the county tourist board include further expansion of the base of certified houses, strengthening of education and promotion, and additional branding through digital channels. The goal is to preserve the authenticity and peace of Zagorje localities, and at the same time ensure that the guest finds and reserves accommodation that suits their rhythm more easily. The continuation of tourism indicator growth in 2025 suggests that the model is well hit, and the demand for quality private accommodation is stable.
Vacation homes that decide to enter the program receive a clear roadmap: from decoration and functionality, through visual presentation and distribution to direct sales. The destination in return receives a standardized offer and a stronger identity of private accommodation – complementary to hotel capacities and thermal tradition by which Zagorje is recognizable.
Useful links
Look for more about the program, criteria, and houses with the certificate on the official page True Zagorje Home, and news and photo galleries are available on the pages Visit Zagorje and Krapina-Zagorje County.