The idea is simple, and it puts money into the Vukovar economy, allows Croatians from all over the country and the diaspora to have a direct connection and contribution to the Vukovar today, as well as having one of the most incredible weeks of discovery of a part of Croatia that few know about in details. Here is a detailed look at my recent 6-day trip to eastern Croatia in November. It was one of the best weeks of my 18 years in Croatia.
I presented the concept of the Vukovar Card recently in Vukovar Card: Support Local Economy Rather than Temporary Facebook Status.
The concept is simple.
Vukovar is a very emotive issue for all Croatians after the events of 1991, and November 18 sees an outpouring of emotion each year, as Facebook statuses are changed to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
While emotion and remembrance are appreciated in Vukovar, there is zero economic impact for a region which is suffering economically more than the rest of Croatia.
Many Croatians have never been east and have little knowledge of the magic they are missing out on.
The Vukovar Card provides a partial solution to that.
Once in a lifetime, rather than heading to the beach for that 2-3 week holiday, take 7 days to head on east instead. Go and meet the people of Vukovar, drink in their cafes, eat in their restaurants, and enjoy a fabulous 7-day tour of eastern Croatia that will literally blow your mind and wonder how you have been missing out on all this for so long.
Once you take the tour, you receive the proposed Vukovar Card. It is proposed that the Vukovar Card is like a loyalty card (a little like the ill-fated Cro Card). Hotels, restaurants and bar owners on the coast, can all play their part to boost the Vukovar economy by offering a 10% discount on selected services by bearers of the Vukovar Card.
Nothing more complicated than that.
I pitched the idea to the two regional tourist board directors, Ivana Juric of Osijek-Baranja County, and Rujana Busic Srpak of Vukovar Srijem County, and they were both supportive of the concept. I asked them to prepare a sample 7-day itinerary that would show that, far from being charity, the Vukovar Card was actually a great way to stimulate tourism in the east and give participants a genuinely amazing tourism experience. I told them that if they came up with the itinerary, I would make an appointment to present the concept to Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, to see if we could get national support for the initiative.
This is what Ivana and Rujana put together. I am emailing Minister Brnjac later today.
Proposal for visiting Croatian Danube region: Srijem and Slavonia and Baranja
Day 1
08.00 – departure from Zagreb
10.30 – Syrmian breakfast, restaurant Aquarius, Bošnjaci
11.30 – visit brandy tasting room Matkova pecara, Bošnjaci (announcement required)
Option: Forestry Museum in Bošnjaci
12.30 – visit to Gradište, Snašini kućari – tour of the estate, presentation of old crafts and traditional architecture (announcement required)
lunch
14.00 – visit to Otok, Bio-ecological centre Virovi: walk on the educational trail, kayaking, canoeing, cycling
16.00 – Nijemci, ride on the tourist boat Sv. Katarina from the centre of Nijemci according to the desired direction (reservation required)
18.00 – Vinkovci, tour: Vinkovci Town Museum, Birth house of Ivan Kozarac, overnight stay
Day 2
09.00 – visit to Vukovar
09.30 – Tour of the Eltz castle
10.30 – War hospital museum
11.30 – Franciscan museum
12.30 – Ride on the Danube
13.30 – Lunch, recommendation: „Lola“
14.30 – 16.30 – Afternoon city tour: Zadruga Vrhunsko vukovarsko, Vukovarsko pivo, Street art
16.30 – Vučedol Culture Museum
17.30 – Tour of the Memorial house Ovčara
18.00 – Departure to Ilok
19.00 – dinner
20.00 – Tour and tasting: Wineries/Vinarija: Ivan Čobanković, Papak
Ilok, overnight stay
Day 3
09.00 – A tour of the medieval core of Ilok: the church of St. Ivana Kapistran with the monastery, Ilok Interpretation Center, Ilok City Museum
11.00 – Tour of Ilok cellars: tasting
12.30 – Lunch, recommendation restaurant of the hotel Dunav
14.00 – Principovac
Departure to Osijek-Baranja County
NOTE: the program is proposed in a way to visit the key attractions and experiences of Vukovar – Srijem County in 3 days. The proposed facilities can be visited for a longer, more relaxed period of time, according to the choice of the traveller.
Day 4.
16.00 Arrival in Osijek, check in Hotel Osijek 4* / Guesthouse Maksimilian 3* / Hotel Boutique Tvrđa 4* / Hostel Stara Pekara (or other)
17.30 Sightseeing of the city centre: discovering Picasso along the most beautiful river promenade in Croatia, Bridge of Youth, finding traces of Freemasonry and tour of Co- Cathedral; local craft beer tasting (Von Becker’s, Runda, Beertija, Gajba, etc.)
20.00 Dinner Crna svinja (meat), Čepin / Slavonska kuća (traditional), Osijek / Lumiere
(international, city center), Osijek / Hotel Osijek – Zimska luka restaurant (international,
city center), Osijek / Čingi lingi (traditional), Baranja-Bilje / or other
Day 5.
8.30 Breakfast
10.00 Kopački rit Nature Park – Heart of the Danube, boat ride, interpretation centre or
boardwalk stroll, https://pp-kopacki-rit.hr/index-en.html
11.00 Tikveš castle sightseeing
12.00 Visit to Asztalos Art Ceramic Atelier, Suza; option: workshop can be arranged
https://www.facebook.com/Asztalos-Keramika-113478782041244/
12.30 Discovering the typical style old wine cellars in Zmajevac village
Wine tasting and lunch, Josić winery, http://josic.hr
14.00 Batina Battle Memorial Complex / WW II – Red Army
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Batina
Sightseeing point over the Danube and three countries – Croatia, Serbia, Hungary
15:00 OPG Matijević family farm in Suza village, tasting of local products with PGI certificate, http://www.kulen-matijevic.hr/
15.45 Belje wine road in the Bansko brdo hill, rolling wine yards and the breath-taking views of southern Baranja and Osijek in the background
16.30 Arrival to Osijek, break
19.00 Sightseeing of the Tvrđa, old town
Other options for Baranja:
- Village “museum” – Ulica zaboravljenog vremena / Street of forgotten time, Karanac
https://www.baranjska-kuca.com/
- Lunch in Baranjska kuća in Karanac (traditional), https://www.baranjska-kuca.com/
- Lunch in Hotel Lug (top chef), https://hotellug.hr/
- Vinarium Borarium, Zmajevac – collection of Baranja’s wine history
- Guided hiking on Bansko brdo with “Landranje team”
(https://www.facebook.com/LandranjeBaranjom/)
- Discovering Zlatna Greda, the forest lodge with adrenalin park and picnic site in the nature park Kopački rit, http://zlatna-greda.org/en/
Day 6.
Erdut-Aljmaš-Dalj area:
8.30 Breakfast
Milutin Milanković Cultural and Scientific center, http://www.milutin-milankovic.com/
10.30 One of the family run boutique wineries / Antunović – Dalj (https://vina-antunovic.hr/?lang=en) , Brzica – Erdut (https://www.brzica.com/), Magistra – Erdut (https://www.facebook.com/Vina-Magistra-286222865311970, Siber – Erdut (https://vinasiber.com/), Danubio (https://www.danubio.hr/, offers accommodation), Janečić (https://vinarija-janecic.hr/)…
12.00 Visit to Erdut vineyards / Erdutski vinogradi, historic wine estate
https://www.erdutski-vinogradi.hr/index.php/en/
Visit to Erdut tower
Lunch – OPG Etno kuća Stari dud / Zlatica Blagojević
https://www.facebook.com/etnokuca.staridud.1
Visit to Aljmaš – pilgrimage site, Lady of Shelter, Marian shrine since 1704
Return to Osijek, free time
Day 7.
Đakovo:
Breakfast
9.30 State stud farm Đakovo – Ivandvor, http://ergela-djakovo.hr/en/about-us/ivandvor-2/
10.30 Visiting sacral cultural heritage – Cathedral of St.Peter
http://tzdjakovo.eu/index.php/en/znamenitosti/muzeji/item/34-st-peter-s-cathedral?rid=175
State stud farm Đakovo – the stallion station, http://ergela-djakovo.hr/en/about-us/stallion_station/
Lunch, departure
Optional: visit to Wine cellar of Đakovo-Osijek Archdiocese and to family-owned wineries in Trnava and Mandićevac wine area surrounding Đakovo (fantastic views!). In case of visit during spring and summer we recommend also visit to Borovik lake.
I have personal and recent experience of just how amazing eastern Croatia is on a 6-day tour. Learn more in Time to Tell the Truth about Slavonia Full of Life.
