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Slavonia

Pancake-flat, river-rich Slavonia is the agricultural heartbeat of Croatia. Chequer-boards of green crops and yellow rapeseed roll out for kilometres beside the roadside and you may well spot an eagle or two hanging out near the fields if you keep your eyes peeled as you drive through. The small but vibrant city of Osijek makes for the most obvious base. From here, head out boating on the wetlands of Kopački Rit or hit the wineries of the Baranja region.

The impact of the war hit hardest in southeast Slavonia, where historic Vukovar is slowly attracting more visitors thanks to its two museums and Illok, on the Serbian border, is being discovered by wine fans..

Bordered by three major rivers (Sava, Drava and Danube), this region holds strong connections with Hungary, Serbia and Germany. Slavonia’s key appeal lies in this culturally intriguing mix that makes it closer to central Europe than coastal Croatia.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Slavonia.

  • See

    Vučedol Culture Museum

    Located 5km downriver from Vukovar, this museum sits on one of Europe's most significant archaeological sites and provides an introduction to the most important ancient culture you're likely to have never heard of. The chalcolithic era Vučedol Culture created Europe's first calendar and brewed Europe's first beer. The state-of-the-art exhibits, featuring engrossing animations which re-create the settlement during its golden age, include graves found in situ, symbol-stamped ceramics, a Vučedol house replica and a room of cleverly curated skulls.

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    Castle Eltz

    Closed for several years following the war, the 18th-century Eltz Palace reopened in 2014 as this brilliant museum. Head up the stairs to the 1st floor for a whirlwind tour of Slavonian history, from mammoth fossils through to Bronze Age horde finds and burial goods unearthed from the medieval Bijelo Brdo culture, all the way up to the mid-20th century. On the 2nd floor a moving video exhibit plays footage of the siege of Vukovar and the town's destruction.

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    Ðakovo Cathedral of St Peter

    Ɖakovo's pride and glory is this red-brick cathedral, with its twin 84m-high belfries looming over town. Commissioned by Bishop Strossmayer in 1862, the cathedral took four years to construct and another 12 to decorate. Once you enter this neo-Romanesque structure, you'll see what the dilly-dallying was about. The interior is a dazzling plethora of bright frescos depicting both Old Testament scenes and the life of St Peter.

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    Museum of Slavonia Archaeology Department

    The oldest museum in Croatia, the Museum of Slavonia is housed in the renovated city-guard building with a glass dome over an arcaded patio. It showcases Slavonian history through the ages. Start on the 2nd floor with the Neolithic section and work your way down. Exhibits – gorgeous anthropomorphic figurines, burial goods, ceramics, metalware – are thoughtfully curated and, except for the last few rooms on the 1st floor, displays have English explanations.

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    Ergela

    Ðakovo is famous for its Lipizzaner horses, a noble pure-bred with a lineage that can be traced back to the 16th century. These horses are trained in dressage here at Ergela for their eventual work as high-class carriage and riding horses. About 30 horses undergo daily training and visitors are welcome to visit the facilities. Thirty-minute guided tours are available for 30/20KN adult/child, as are short rides (150KN) in an old-fashioned carriage.

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    Kopački Rit Nature Park

    Only 12km northeast of Osijek, Kopački Rit Nature Park is one of the largest wetlands in Europe: 293 bird species have been recorded here. Formed by the meeting of the Drava and Danube Rivers, this vast floodplain has two main lakes, Sakadaško and Kopačevo, surrounded by a remarkable variety of vegetation – from aquatic and grassland flora to willow, poplar and oak forests.

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    City Museum

    Ilok’s principal attraction is this municipal museum located in the Odescalchi Palace high above the Danube, with spectacular river views. The castle was built on the foundations of a 15th-century structure, which the Italian family Odescalchi later rebuilt in today’s baroque-classicist style. The museum’s displays are well presented with information panels in English, walking you through Ilok's history under different rulers right up to the present day. The ethnographic section, on the top floor, has a beautiful collection of costumes.

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    Tvrđa

    Built under Habsburg rule as a defence against Turkish attacks, Osijek's compact 18th-century citadel was relatively undamaged during the war in the 1990s. This baroque complex of cobblestone streets, spacious squares and stately mansions reveals a remarkable architectural unity, lending it the feel of an open-air museum, yet one still very much in use today. Many of the mansions are now used by various university faculties and as secondary schools so there's a lively, youthful buzz to the cafe-bars here.

  • See

    Place of Memory: Vukovar Hospital 1991

    This multimedia museum recounts the tragic events that took place in the hospital during the 1991 siege. The stirring tour takes you through a series of sandbag-protected corridors, with video projections of war footage, bomb holes and the claustrophobic atomic shelter where newborn babies and the nurses’ children were kept. There are small cubicles where you can listen to interviews and speeches by the victims and survivors.

Featured videos

Slavonia: Croatia's best-kept secret

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