© TZ Grad Osijek
In recent times, Osijek’s Ante Starčević square has seldom looked so thrilling. It is a wide and open city square – the only place in Osijek where the city tram lines all meet. Except for one modern sculpture and a statue of Ante Starčević, the square is floored with featureless concrete. The fine facades of surrounding Austro-Hungarian buildings have seen better years. In many instances, these historic frontages are cheapened by gaudy branded signage and advertisements.
© Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL
But, tonight, all the unsightly modern scars were hidden as an ocean of patterns and colours danced across the square. Children skipped along new pathways created by the brilliant lights’ design. Now in its third year, these bright embellishments are part of the Kaleidoscope Festival of Lights. The arrival of its magical scenes heralds not only the start of this year’s Osijek Advent but also marks Osijek City Day 2021.
Osijek City Day – 2 December
From above, Osijek’s Tvrda and the Drava river © Mario Đurkić / Horizont solutions / TZ Grad Osijek
People have lived on this part of the Drava river for millennia. But, quite often, the modern life of Osijek city is only viewed as having begun after the Ottomans were removed by the Battle of Mohács. From 1687, Osijek and the eastern part of Croatia were part of the Habsburg Empire. But, Osijek remained close to the border of the new encroachment on Ottoman territory. Defensive fortresses were built along this line of defence, in Stara Gradiška, Osijek and Slavonski Brod in Slavonia and in Petrovaradin in Syrmia/Srem (Serbia).
Today, Osijek’s fortress – Tvrđa – contains the largest collection of Baroque buildings in Croatia. It is a fantastic and picturesque location. There, Osijek’s old city walls spectacularly overlook the Drava river. But, back when the city’s defence was all-important, these walls made it difficult for Osijek to expand. Progress and growth proved impossible to hinder and, with the threat of the Ottomans becoming ever smaller, the population of Osijek simply began to settle outside the walls of Tvrđa. Indeed, today, residents of the city regard Osijek as having three centres – Lower Town, Tvrđa and Upper Town aka Ante Starčević square.
Lights in Upper Town turned on as part of Osijek City Day 2021 © Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL
At the beginning of the 18th century, separate magistrates resided over Osijek’s Lower and Upper Towns, effectively marking them as independent city municipalities. In order to gain status as a free and royal city, local authorities were eventually persuaded to unify the different municipalities on 2 December 1786. Since then, 2 December has been celebrated as Osijek City Day.
Kaleidoscope Festival of Light and Osijek Advent 2021
© TZ Grad Osijek
The incredible light show on Ante Starčević square is just one part of an Advent manifestation that, like the city itself, stretches long down the side of the Drava river.
© TZ Grad Osijek
The first candle of Advent 2021 was lit by the Archbishop of Đakovo-Osijek Đuro Hranić on Sunday 28 November. Osijek City Day celebrations are the second key milestone of the Christmas holiday season. City-wide Christmas lights were formally turned on today at the Croatian National Theatre Osijek.
© Davor Javorovic/PIXSELL
Osijek Advent 2021 includes the return of the Kaleidoscope Festival of Light and Osijek Advent Tram – which is visited by almost 15,000 people each season. Christmas lights extend down European Avenue, passing some of the city’s most grandiose Austro-Hungarian architecture. Thereafter, the trail comes ‘off road’ and takes you through the trees of King Tomislav Park. Next, Tvrđa assumes the focal point of Advent, with a Winter Lookout on the roof of the Cultural Centre, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Sokol ice rink and the tallest Ferris Wheel in Croatia being key highlights.
Photo from Osijek Advent 2020 © TZ Grad Osijek
If you want to read more about Osijek, see the Total Croatia guide here. And, if you want to keep up with news from Osijek, bookmark Total Croatia News’s Osijek pages here
Photo from Osijek Advent 2020 © TZ Grad Osijek
