7 Best Sights in Slavonia, Croatia

One of the largest remaining wetlands along the Danube, Kopački Rit Nature Park is a place of serene beauty. Embracing more than 74,100 acres north of the Drava, the park is covered with immense reed beds; willow, poplar, and oak forests; and crisscrossed by ridges, ponds, shallow lakes, and marshes. More than 300 bird species, hundreds of varieties of plants, and dozens of species of butterflies, mammals, and fish live here; it is also a breeding area for numerous endangered species, including the white-tailed sea eagle, the black stork, and the European otter.

The best times of year to visit are during the spring and autumn bird migrations, when there are often several thousand birds in the park. You can buy tickets at the welcome center, and then a boardwalk walking trail leads to the landing where boat excursions set out into the marshy heart of the park. There are different guided tours available; an early-morning small boat tour is usually your best bet. Call ahead to reserve and bring lots of mosquito repellent.

Another point of interest within the park is Tikveš Castle. Built in the 19th century by the Habsburg family and used as a hunting lodge by various monarchs and politicians over the years, including Tito, it was recently converted into a multimedia exhibition center documenting the history of the park and the region. To reach Kopački Rit from Osijek, cross the river and follow the signs from the municipality of Bilje. Tikveš Castle is a further 11 km (6 miles) away.

Who says you need the Adriatic to have water fun in Croatia? On the north side of the Drava River, you'll find Copacabana, a complex of outdoor swimming pools, waterslides, mini-golf, and bocce courts. There is also a free sandy beach nearby where you can swim in the river, with a couple of bars for refreshments. It's a great place for the whole family to spend a sunny afternoon or watch the sun set.

A 20-minute walk across Osijek's pedestrian bridge over the Drava, and across from Trvđa, is Copacabana, a pleasant and spacious aquatic-recreation complex that includes pools, a waterslide, a restaurant, and plenty of willow trees. In August it hosts the popular five-day Pannonian Challenge, an extreme sport and music festival. Impossible to miss if you stroll along this section of the river, it operates from mid-June through mid-September, daily from 10 to 8 pm (weekends from 9 to 8)

A paradise for hikers, bikers, and nature enthusiasts, Papuk Nature Park was the first geopark in Croatia to be recognized by UNESCO for its geological, biological, and cultural diversity. Within its 336 square km (129 square miles) are beech, oak, and fir forests, fresh rivers, lakes, and waterfalls, along with hiking and biking trails, swimming spots, and a ropes course. There are also archaeological sites from the Sopot and Starčevo cultures (5500–3500 BC), as well as Ružica Grad, an abandoned medieval castle that was built in the 15th century during Hungarian rule; it can be reached by hiking 15 minutes uphill from Lake Orahovica. The lakes and Ružica Grad can be reached in 30 minutes from Kutjevo. Guided tours can be arranged from the visitor center (ask your hotel to call in advance to organize).

With 17 around town, Osijek is known as a city of parks, and this is the largest. The King Tomislav Gardens is a spacious forested oasis that was laid out in the 18th century for Austrian officers to take a breather from life in the citadel. It separates Tvrđa from Gornji Grad and is home to playgrounds and a tennis club.

The history of the Lipizzaner stud farm dates back to 1506, when one of the bishops kept 90 Arabian horses there. But perhaps the year that really put it on the map was 1972, when Queen Elizabeth II saw the famous Đakovo four-horse team perform at the opening ceremony of the Olympics and insisted on paying them a visit. The story goes that there was no paved road outside the stud farm at the time; by the time the queen arrived to take a carriage ride, one had been built. There are two locations in Đakovo where the prized white Lipizzaners are trained and bred: the Stallion Stable in the center of Đakovo, where a musical show is also held twice per month and plans are in place to build a museum; and Ivandvor, 6 km (4 miles) away, a pasture where the mares and offspring are kept in a peaceful rural setting. It is possible to visit both farms to catch a glimpse of the horses and their stables, and a carriage ride through town can also be arranged.

Croatia's largest zoo is located on the north side of the Drava River in a peaceful location surrounded by parks. There are about 80 animal species spread across 27 acres, including kangaroos, meerkats, lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, and zebras, plus 20 species in the aquarium and terrarium. You can drive across the bridge to get there or take a free kompa boat from the city side of the river (it departs across from the zoo outside Kompa restaurant).