Slavonia

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.

Food here is strongly influenced by neighbouring Hungary, with liberal paprika usage. The two restaurants inside the Tvrđa quarter are the best places to try specialities like fiš paprikaš (river-fish stew in a paprika sauce, served with noodles). For Drava River views, there are a couple of floating restaurants along the waterfront promenade but in general the food isn't the greatest.

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.

The northern stretch of Baranja is a land of gently rolling hills, pretty roadside villages and surduci, as the traditional wine roads are called. Several of the villages have excellent wine cellars and regional restaurants, including Karanac, Suza, Zmajevac and Kneževi Vinogradi. On the far northern border where Croatia, Serbia and Hungary meet, the village of Batina has a communist-era memorial, with panoramic vistas, that is worth checking out. This area was made for renting a car and simply tootling around for the day.

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.

The easternmost town in Croatia, teensy medieval Ilok is a leafy place perched on a hill overlooking the Danube and the Serbian region of Vojvodina, across the river. It's part of the Srijem region of Croatia, together with Vukovar, 37km to the west. Surrounded by the wine-growing hills of Fruška Gora, famous for viniculture since Roman times, Ilok has managed to cling on to a couple of grand chunks of its once-sturdy city walls, its well-preserved Odescalchi Palace (now the city museum) and two rare specimens of Ottoman heritage: a 16th-century hammam (Turkish bath) and a turbe (grave) of a Turkish nobleman.

Occupied by Serbia in the early 1990s, Ilok was reintegrated into Croatia in 1998. Wine production has since been revived – the area now has 20 wineries you can tour – and the fortified town centre is being renovated following recent archaeological excavations.

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.

In Batina, right on the tripartite border where Croatia touches Serbia and Hungary, is this striking communist-era memorial by well-known Croatian sculptor Antun Augustinčić; it commemorates a key victory by Soviet-led forces over the Nazis in WWII. The high ground here offers spectacular views over the Danube and the wine bar near the monument serves a good choice of local wines.