Osijek

Osijek’s history, like many Balkan towns and cities, was visible by the presence of bullet holes in many of the walls. The effects of war, only 20 years ago, was as evident in the people as it was in the architecture. It was not uncommon to see men with scars or limps. We stayed in a lovely villa in the old town, run by our Croatian hosts Jasmina and Vladimir. Vladimir gave us a tour of the town, and showed us evidence of firefights and artillery shells.

For lunch, we had a delicious Croatian Goulash, and then wandered down to the town center. Osijek’s river runs alongside it, and has plaques indicating the historical importance of the river and bridges in the Ottoman empire time. On the far side of the river was a popular local swimming area where locals congregated, jokingly referred to as Copacabana beach. The next day I returned with a bike and enjoyed a swim in the slow river current. We also did a trip out to Karanac, an area with preserved houses from 100 years ago, including a cobbler’s workshop and a blacksmith’s forge. In the afternoon sun, we enjoyed a great rustic lunch of grilled fish and pork crackling with wine and cheese.