Crna Mlaka

Crna Mlaka is a fish farm: about 600 hectares of carp ponds dug from 1903 in the lowland oak forest south-west of Zagreb, with dykes between them and a small manor house at the centre built for the owners. Over a century the ponds became one of the more important wetland bird sites in inland Croatia - herons, egrets, bitterns, terns and large numbers of wintering and passage wildfowl - and the area was designated a Ramsar site in 1993, one of the first in the country. It remains a working farm, which is why access is controlled and visiting is arranged rather than casual.

What you actually see

• Carp ponds dug from 1903 - about 600 hectares in oak forest.
• A Ramsar wetland since 1993 - among the first designated in Croatia.
• Herons, bitterns and wildfowl - the birds the ponds support.
• A manor at the centre - built for the estate.

When to go

March to May and September to November for the birds. Half a day.

Honest expectations

This is a working fish farm and access is not open - visits must be arranged in advance and casual wandering is not welcome. Birding needs a scope. Mosquitoes are severe in summer. Roads in are unsurfaced.

Nearby

Jastrebarsko is north-east; the Zumberak hills are west.