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Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia and a must stop when traveling through Slavonia. The 3 most important attractions of the city are Tvrđa Osijek, Co-cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, and the famous pedestrian bridge. But Osijek is internationally known because of the Suleiman the Magnificent Bridge.
- Peterjon Cresswell
- Upper Town. Share. Once its own separate entity, Osijek’s Habsburg-built Upper Town (Gornji Grad) on the south bank of the Drava contains the bulk of the city’s main streets and landmarks.
- Kopački rit. Park. Share. Just outside Osijek with tours sold in town, Kopački rit is a birdwatcher’s paradise, a large expanse of wetlands where the Danube and Drava rivers converge.
- Trg Ante Starčevića. Share. Trg Ante Starčevića, known by locals as simply Trg, the Square, is the centrepiece showcase of Osijek. Named after Ante Starčevića, the 19th-century politician whose monument stands here, the square is in fact a triangle, with the city’s most notable church dominating one corner.
- Museum of Slavonia. Building, Museum. Share. The main attraction within the Tvrđa fortress complex, the Museum of Slavonia was established as long ago as 1877.
- The picturesque location on the Drava river. The city of Osijek is a central European city placed in north-east Croatia, on the right bank of the Drava river in the region called Slavonia.
- Pannonians and Celts were the first inhabitants of Osijek. The native tribe of Pannonians were conquered by Celts in the 4th century BCE. The community of native tribes and Celts was named Scordisci with the Celtic dominance of their culture.
- The cycling city of Croatia. How else to call the city with more than 40 km of cycling trails all over it? The city that is also a home to the largest extreme sports event in the region – the Pannonian Challenge which includes, among others, competitions in BMX and Mountain biking?
- The longest and the most beautiful river promenade in Croatia. Osijek is situated on the right bank of the Drava river where the city promenade is also located.
Website. osijek.hr. Osijek (Croatian pronunciation: [ôsijeːk] ⓘ) is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. [3] It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja County.
- History of Osijek
- Getting to Osijek
- Getting Around Osijek
- Sightseeing in Osijek
- Eating & Drinking in Osijek
- Accommodation in Osijek
- Day Trips from Osijek
- Events in Osijek
- More Info
In Roman times, a settlement named Mursa stood where Osijek is today although it was in the 6th century that Slavs came to the region. Osijek was first mentioned in 1196 (in its Hungarian form, Eszek) when what was then Croatia was united with the Kingdom of Hungary. The city was subsequently conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1526 and, following i...
Given its position in eastern Croatia relatively near the borders with Serbia, Hungary and Bosnia & Hercegovina, Osijek has some excellent international connections by bus and train (and road too, of course). The city also has an international airport – however, air connections to the rest of Europe are currently lacking, unfortunately.
From Osijek Airport to Osijek
Pleso Prijevozoperates an airport shuttle service to the main bus station in Osijek (and return). You can find timetable details and ticket information on their website.
Public Transport
The main way of getting around Osijek is by bus, although the city also has two tram routes. (Hooray – who doesn’t love a tram?!) There are nine bus routes in Osijek, as well as tram route 1 running east – west from Zeleno Polje to Visnjevac, and tram route 2 running on a ‘snail’ type route in the centre from Bikara to Ulica Hrvatske Republike. (This one goes past the main bus and train stations.) You can see a map of both the bus and tram routes on the Osijek City Transportwebsite. A ticket...
Tvrda
Tvrda – short for Tvrdava (Fortress) – was built when the city was under Austrian rule. Work was completed in 1722 and the fortress – with its town walls and four gates – became one of the largest such fortifications in Europe. The town walls were torn down in the early part of the 20th century, unfortunately, and today only a section of them remains near the River.
General’s Headquarters
Something you may well have “seen” already (for it used to be featured on the reverse of the 200 Kuna note), the General’s Headquarters on Trg Svetog Trojstva (Holy Trinity Square) is an impressive Renaissance-Baroque building, built in 1726 – indeed, for Austro-Hungarian military leaders at the time. These days, it houses Josip Juraj Strossmayer University. In front of the building is the Plague Columnfrom 1729, built to ensure the plague never returns to the city.
St Peter and Paul Co-Cathedral
With its 90 m-tall bell tower, the Cathedral (pictured further up the page) is the second tallest church in Croatia after Zagreb’s cathedral. Built in red brick (it was completed in 1898 after only four years of construction) which means it has a rather striking appearance, the “co-cathedral” name refers to the fact it is the cathedral of the Djakovo-Osijek Archdiocese. The Cathedral is home to five bells.
If there are two things you must try when in Osijek or the wider region, make it a local wine and a local beer! For the latter, it’s Osjeckobeer you must try; it’s the oldest of all the Croatian beers, first being produced in 1697. Pivnica Rundais probably one of the best places to grab a beer in the city! Lumiereis a very pleasant mid-range restau...
There are a good number of three and four-star hotels in the town, all of which would be fine options for your stay here. Four-star hotels include the elegant Hotel Waldinger and Hotel Osijek (which has its own spa and wellness centre), both of which are centrally located. Zoo Hotelis the place to stay if you have young children as there’s an onsit...
Kopacki Rit Nature Park
Kopacki Rit Nature Park is only a 15-minute drive from Osijek, and well worth a visit as it’s a stunning wetlands area located close to where the Drava and Danube rivers meet and covering an area containing many lakes, canals and ponds through multiple forests. The Park is home to numerous waterfowl birds, many species of fish, plenty of deer, wild boar, otters, pine martens (the kuna!), plus the white-tailed eagle – the symbol of the Park. Kopacki Rit is open year-round and you can experienc...
Ilocki Podrumi
Although wines in Croatia’s coastal regions are becoming more and more well-known, the wines of Slavonia are absolutely of the highest quality too. One of the best-known producers is Ilocki Podrumi (Ilok Cellars), whose wines were served at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and who today produce around 4 million litres of wine a year. Located about 70km southeast of Osijek – practically right by the border with Serbia – you can visit the estate and sample some of their very fine wines at their...
The Osijek Summer of Cultureruns for the whole summer with a great number of happenings – theatre, art, film, music and more. Days of the First Croatian Beer (Osjecko, as mentioned above) is a ten-day event every September celebrating…beer! (Plus good food, music and general merriment too.) About 50,000 people normally attend! Like many places all ...
There’s a whole heap of information on the town on the excellent and very extensive and informative Osijek Tourist Boardwebsite.
Osijek is located on the right bank of the Drava river, 25 km upstream from its junction with the Danube, at an altitude of only 94 m. The city has an important communication and public transport network. It can be reached through the railway system, highways, a river port and a regional airport.
Osijek is the largest city and the economic and the cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county. Osijek has a large student population, as it home to the University of Osijek where approximately 18,000 students attend.
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