Sometimes snow isn't just 'winter'. Sometimes it's a pause. Silence. This is our little winter album – and a reminder that you don't always have to run far away. Sometimes you just need to know why you're running.
Most winter landscapes turn black and white. Ours doesn't. Have you ever noticed this phenomenon of the Una? The lower the air temperature, the "warmer" and more intense its color seems. While nature around it retreats into greyness and whiteness, the river defies. It is the only movement in the static picture of winter.
In summer, lush canopies carefully guard our treehouse – hiding it from the sun, but also from curious eyes.
But winter is honest; it bares everything. Only under snow can you clearly see how this hideout nestled among the branches. Suddenly the view is clear, and from its terrace, there is a view that simply doesn't exist in summer due to the density of the leaves. Winter reveals secrets that the forest usually keeps to itself.
You know that sound when walking on wooden bridges in summer? That dull thud of footsteps?
Snow changes that. It acts as perfect sound insulation. Walking the islands in winter is an acoustic experience – you only hear the soft crunch of snow under boots and your own breath. Wood, which is warm to the touch in summer, now becomes a frame for snow sculptures. Bridge railings are no longer just safety, but a gallery of unique shapes sculpted by the wind every hour.
Japodski Otoci is a picnic spot and tourist resort on the Una River near Bihać. Winter is ideal for walking, photography, and a "reset" day in nature. The accommodation and rafting season lasts from April to October, but in winter we publish albums and stories from the Una.
There is a special pleasure in looking cold in the eye without it touching you. Our domes aren't here just to look "world-class". They awaken that primal sense of safety – like when you're a child watching a storm through the window of a warm room. Only here there is no wall. Between you and the snowflake is just a transparent foil. You are in the forest, yet not in the forest.
Although our domes sleep through the winter (as we operate seasonally from April to October), looking at them under snow sparks imagination. It's a look at a feeling – what would it be like to lie inside, warm, watching a movie, while snowflakes hit the transparent ceiling? Honestly, we still wonder if we could heat them in these minuses. We haven't tried yet. But it's nice to daydream.
Although the season only starts in spring, the wooden gates of Japodski Otoci have no key. They are open all year round for a walk, for a breath, for an escape. That is our way of saying "welcome" even when we are not physically there.
Winter on Japodski Otoci is not for freezing. It is for resetting.
See you on the bridge – the first, second, or fifth…
If you want us to notify you when we open the season and announce the first dates — leave your email or send the message "SEASON" via our contact form.
"Winter is for dreaming, but spring is for action. Book your slot for the new season in time!"
