Sportska dvorana Samobor

The hall sits on a quiet street in Samobor, a town set among the hills west of Zagreb. The building is not large, but it is bright inside because of new LED lights installed to meet European standards for television broadcasts. The parquet floor is kept in top condition for basketball and handball.

It opened in August 2007 after a long planning period that began in 2003. The capacity is 700, a number that reflects the size of the town and the clubs that use the place every week. KK Samobor and RK Mladost play their home matches here, sometimes before a small crowd, sometimes before a full house.

Last summer the Karate Grand Prix came through. Over 2,000 participants from 33 countries filled the lobby and the stands. It is a multi-purpose hall by design, but the wooden floor tells a different story: it holds the bounce of a basketball and the slide of a karate mat with equal ease.

The City of Samobor owns the building and pays for the maintenance. The website lists it as a sports centre, but the locals call it the Arena.

Concerts happen in the winter months. Mia Dimšić played on a December night, and the sound bounced off the high ceiling. The Rotary Club organises charity events, and the tables are set up in rows down the middle of the floor.