Osijek
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Due to its important location near the junction of the Drava and Danube rivers, this large and prosperous town (the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population around 100,000) bore much of the brunt of the recent conflict in the 1990s. Many fine buildings have been restored to their former glory, though do not be surprised to see some scars still remaining. Some buildings still have bullet holes or shrapnel markings in them, though like the local economy, the town is mostly back to where it was in pre-war days. Osijek [¤] is the largest city and the economic and the cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative center of Osijek-Baranja county.

Osijek [¤] is the major rail and road hub for all forms of transport in eastern Croatia.

Rail services to Osijek [¤] terminate at the grand 1880s railway building at the bottom edge of the central town. In addition to the numerous train services operate each day to Zagreb [¤] (including the new, high-speed tilt train which completes the journey in around 3 hours), there are services to Sarajevo, Budapest, Koprivnica and Rijeka [¤] as well as other local services within Croatia to places like Slavonski Brod [¤] and Đakovo. The Croatian Railways [2] has information on train times and tickets.

The bus station adjoins the train station and offers international as well as domestic services. Some of the many destinations on offer include Vukovar, Đakovo, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Pecs and Tuzla. Timetables, tickets and information are easily accessible. Panturist [3] is the major bus operator out of Osijek [¤] and has listings of domestic and international bus travel - click on the vozni red icon.

In summer months, there are flights with Croatia Airlines [4] from the Adriatic coast from Split [¤] and Dubrovnik [¤] to Osijek [¤] Airport [5] (located some distance from the city). This can be very useful to save back-tracking through to Zagreb [¤] once again, or the very mountainous and windy journey through Bosnia.

There is now an international service by Germanwings to Cologne. Possibly Germanwings will also start flying to other German cities. There is also the rumour that Ryanair is starting a service to the United_Kingdom.

Main highways pass nearby to Osijek [¤] from Zagreb [¤] through to Belgrade (Beograd), and the pan-European corridor Vc from Budapest through to Sarajevo will see a new motorway added to the Croatian network, construction to be completed by 2010.

Driving to Osijek [¤] is easy with good signposting from all directions, and there is on-street as well as lot parking in the town.

Osijek [¤] is divided into two main regions - the upper town (focusing on the city square, Trg Ante Starcevic), and Tvrđa, the preserved fortress town to the east of the town centre along the Drava River.

Osijek [¤] has a tram system dating back to 1884, and the two main lines connect the railway station, town square and Tvrđa (tickets bought from the driver). The network is currently being completely overhauled and more than doubled in length, and the city's old trams are being modernized. Local buses fill the gaps where the trams do not run and are quite frequent. A map of the local transport system can be found on the Tourist Board's website. [6]

Otherwise, it is fairly straightforward and well-designed town to traverse by foot with few hills.

• Kino Europa. - modernist Architecture edit
• Kino Urania. - secessionist Architecture edit
• Europska Avenija (Europe Avenue). magnificent secession style buildings edit

• Tvrđa is the self-contained 18th-century Hapsburg defensive fortress just east of the city centre. This immaculately-preserved baroque military compound, designed by Maximillian de Gosseau in 1721, contains many fine buildings to view by day, and at night becomes the hotspot with bars and clubs. Luckily there was no damage during the recent conflict to the site, ensuring great viewing and photos. Tvrđa is based around the main square, Trg Svetog Trojstva, and the Museum of Slavonia is located here with artefacts throughout history as early as Roman times. There are also situated high schools, and university of Osijek [¤]. On the main square is also Archeological museum, and Music school. Fortress is also the place for a good night-life with numerous bars, discos and restaurants.

• Co-Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul This is the tallest church in Croatia and has a spire of 90m. The internal stonework is by renouned Austrian sculptor Hauser, and the church contains many stunning stained glass windows and a large, fine-sounding pipe organ constructed by the Walcher firm of Linz, Austria.

• Croatian National Theatre, Zupanijska Ul. A beautiful building designed in 1886 and severely damaged in the recent conflict. A painstaking restoration has restored it to its former glory, though shortly afterwards a McDonald's restaurant opened up on the ground floor. Shows, concerts and opera are performed weekly.

• Promenada is located along the banks of the Drava River and is a pleasant walk past the marina, cafes, and parklands. In the Winter port are also many bars, and the second tallest building in the city, Hotel Osijek [¤] (4 star hotel)

• Visit the Franciscan monastery of St. Cross, situated in Tvrdja (Fortress). Franciscan monks will be delited to show you the beautiful church, with interior decorated in high baroque style. They can also take you to see the rich monastery library. Franciscans are very, very polite and they will help you if you have any questions, not only about the monastery, also about the city.
• There are numerous shops and mall centres across the city, such as Esseker Centre, Emezetta, Ipercoop, Kaufland, Interspar, Mercator etc. Company Konzum has shops and market centres all around the city, and it is really easy to notice them.
• Go with a bicycle on a route from Osijek [¤] to village Bilje (cca 10km from Osijek), and explore the beauty of golden fields and green forests. NB! Pay attention on "Mine field" signs, and do not go in the forests on your own.
• Visit numerous festivals in the city: Osijek Cultural Summer; Autumn in Tvrdja; Osijek Beer Festival; UFO - Urban Fest Osijek; Kristfest; Festival of Tamburitza music
• If you would like to see some excellent folk dance shows, there are two very good folk ensembles holding concerts around not only the city and country, also in the world. HKUD "Osijek 1862." and HKUD "Zeljeznicar" are one of the best folk ensembles in the country.
• Visit the open market place, right in the centre of the city. Explore the thrilling feeling while walking threw a mass of people, sounds of offers to buy something, two grandmas arguing whose stuff is more better, sexier or with high quality.
• Visit the factory of chocolate "Kandit" which is one of the biggest in the country, and it is well known for the rich and full taste of candies and chocolate
• In summer time, refreshment can be found in the open-air swimming pools on a river beach called Copacabana, or Kopika. And the best thing is, it is free. If you prefer closed swimming pools, there are also City pools, in the southern district of the city.
• Osijek has one of the best night-life in the country. Discos and bars are open during the day and night.

• Handmade ethno souvenirs can be bought in a little shop "Rukotvorine" not far from the Croatian National Theatre. Antiquity shops and souvenirs shops are all around the city
• There are several traditional instrument shops around the city
• Traditional table cloths can be found on the city market for a very low and reasonable price
• CD and computer shops are also situated around the city
• Clothes and shoes can be both in numerous shops around the city. For example: Mango, Castello, S.Oliver, WGW, New Yorker, Beneton, Armani, Esseker Centre, NAMA, and several underground shops, under the main city square
• Fresh and delicious food can be found on every open-air market place

• Numerous pizzerias all around the city. Ones with a special atmosphere are El Paso in the Winter Port, and Galija on the upper coast of the river Drava
• Traditional food restaurants are situated mostly in the Fortress
• Fresh bread and "burek" can be bought in every single bakery. Every single street has at least one bakery

• Leganini, Sv. L.B. Mandića 31, 31000 Osijek [¤], ☎ (+385-31) 29 74 99, [7]. Open 08:00-22:00, Sunday: Closed. “Lega” means “pal” in the Osijek dialect. The motto of this “friendly café” is “Try something new,” meaning a sandwich wrap instead of čevapi or pljeskavica. The flat bread is made to order, then wrapped around your choice of meats, sauces and fresh vegetables. Located on the way into town on the route from Đakovo highway, this is a good place for a quick bite if you’re hungry after a long drive. They also deliver. edit

The specialty of Slavonia is undoubtably food.

With culinary influences from all directions, and a love of spicy food, Osijek [¤] has many great restaurants serving traditional Croatian cuisine. Two specialties of the area include riblji paprikas (fish stew with hand-made noodles) or kulen (spicy sausages). Going out to eat in restaurants in Osijek is often far better value than in other large Croatian cities, though for those who insist on self-catering there is a supermarket and an open-air market between the town square and and railway station.

• Paul and Amys Pub. edit
• Swindon Bloody Town Init. edit
• Matrix. edit
• S.Co.Bar formerly known as famous Voodoo bar

• Old Bridge Pub

• Hotel Drava, I.F.Gundulića 25a 31000, Osijek [¤], ☎ 031/ 250-500, [8]. edit

There are some Hotels in Osijek [¤], but backpacking accommodation (Hostels, camping) is hard to find.

• Hotel Osijek [¤], Šamačka 4, Tel: +385 31 230 333 (Fax: +385 31 230 444, E-mail: info@hotelosijek.hr) [9]. Hotel Osijek has got 140 rooms, and 7 apartments. The hotel is located on the river bank of the Drava river in the center of the city.

• Hotel Waldinger, Županijska ul. 8, Tel: ++385 (31) 250 450 (Fax: ++385 (31) 250 453, E-mail: info@waldinger.hr) [10].

• Hotel Central, Trg A. Starčevića 6, Tel: +385 31 283 399 (Fax: +385 31 283 891, E-mail: info@hotel-central-os.hr) [11]. Hotel Central is located at the central square of the city.

• Zoo Hotel, Tvrđavica, Tel: +385 (0) 31 22 99 22 (Fax: +385 (0) 31 22 99 11, E-mail: zoo-hotel@zoo-hotel.com) [12]. As stated by the name the Zoo Hotel is located at the Osijek [¤] Zoo.

• Hotel Ariston, Kačićeva 6, Tel: +385 31 251-351 (Fax: +385 31 251-350, E-mail: ariston.d.o.o@os.t-com.hr) [13]. Hotel Ariston is located close to the bus- and railwaystation.

• Hotel Villa Sveti Rok, Sv. Roka 13, Tel: +385 31 310 490 (Fax: +385 31 310 499) [14].

• Hotel Mursa, B. Kačića 2/a, +385 31 207 640.

• There are natural thermal Spas just to the west of Osijek [¤] in the town of Bizovac. They provide much better value than Spas closer to Zagreb [¤] or Varazdin, and see fewer tourists. The spa is easily accessible by train or bus.

• The town of Vukovar is less than an hour away and buses leave very regularly (almost every hour, 7 days a week). This town was completely blown up in the recent conflict due to being on the border of Croatia and Serbia and having a mixed-ethnic population, and provides the visitor with a fascinating (if not sobering) view on the war.

• Đakovo and its enormous Cathedral are a half-hour to the south of Osijek [¤]. Besides the beautiful Cathedral which completely dominates the town, there are Lipizzaner horses being trained just on the edge of the city (a great morning's viewing), and every year in July is the annual folk and embroidery festival which attracts visitors from far and wide.

• The Kopački Rit [15] is the biggest natural wetlands in Europe and the birdlife is spectacular. This enormous nature park, located around 15km north of Osijek [¤] where the Danube and Drava rivers flow into one another, is a great day out in the countryside - though bring some insect repellent as the mosquitos do bite!! There is no Public Transport to the park, so take the local bus to Bilje and its a 2-3km walk.

Text content was last edited at 12:23, on 26 May 2009 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Peter Fitzgerald, David and bknight009@yahoo.com, Wikitravel user(s) Tatatabot, Peymora, Texugo and Morph, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others. A list of contributors is available at the original article on Wikitravel. This text content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0.