Croatia's fourth-largest city is an often overlooked treasure trove of cultural and architectural attractions. There are music and food festivals, green markets, parties in the main square, miles of tree-lined streets and bike lanes, beach bars along the river, and no less than 17 parks. It rests on the south bank of the Drava River, which runs the length of the city and is a favorite recreational area for locals; you'll see them biking, rollerblading, walking dogs, or sitting at one of the many riverside terraces with a coffee. Taking a seat beside them is the best way to fully appreciate the city.
In the mid-12th century, Osijek was a prosperous market town in the Hungarian-Croatian kingdom, occupying the area of the present-day Tvr?a (Citadel). After more than 150 years of Ottoman occupation in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was a flourishing Turkish town. At 11 am on September 26, 1687, that era ended with the flight of the last Turkish soldier; as a continuing legacy of this watershed event, the church bells of Osijek undertake a celebratory ringing every Friday at 11 am. Osijek henceforth became a military garrison under the Austrians, who turned it into a walled fortress in the late 17th century. The city thrived economically and culturally during this period; its cathedral, national theater, and many other prominent buildings were built, the tram was introduced, and the city was redesigned in the Baroque style you see today. Tragically, Osijek was bombarded during the Homeland War between 1991–1992 in what is known as the Battle of Osijek. Some 800 people were killed, two-thirds of the population displaced, and the majority of those who remained were forced to live in bomb shelters. Most of the damage has since been repaired, but some scars remain in the building facades. Like Zagreb, which it resembles physically, Osijek today is a pleasant, easy-going city of parks, cafés, and locals enjoying a leisurely pace of life. It offers visitors a good chance to tap into a living and breathing Croatian city, and makes a perfect base for explorations farther into Slavonia and Baranja.
