Osijek Travel Guide
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. The bridge connected Osijek and Darda across the river Drava in a total length of as much as 7 kilometers. If you decide to visit this part of Croatia, don’t miss the opportunity to take a walk in the Kopački rit Nature Park or Spačva Forest, or climb the Papuk Mountain. You will find more information by continuing the Osijek Travel Guide.
Essentials tips
Emergency telephone number
+385 112 – General emergency
+385 192 – Police
+385 194 – Ambulance
+385 193 – Fire brigade
City Pop. – 108k
Metro Pop. –
Area – 169km²
Time zone – UTC+1
Currency – Kuna
Featured post of Osijek Travel Guide
If you are visiting Osijek it is a recommendation to visit the ancient Fortress – Tvrđa Osijek and go through the Water Gate to the Drava. The Osijek Fortress complex was built in the 18th century with imposing city walls and the baroque buildings within it. Today there are still numerous cafes, schools, museums, galleries, so you can feel the vibrancy of the city. Actually, Osijek was the most important military, economic, administrative, and cultural center of Slavonia and still remains today. Unfortunately, the destruction of the war is still visible. However, every year more and more money is being invested in reconstruction. For more information, click on the Osijek Travel Guide article below.
Top Things to See and Do in Osijek
Medieval castles, typical Slavonian village architecture, huge oak forests, and Lipizzaner horses are just a part of the charm of Slavonia and one of the reasons to visit. Explore the article “10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Slavonia and Baranja” for more information!
Explore the architecture
Slavonia, along with Baranja and Srijem, is the area of eastern Croatia bordered by the Sava in the south and the Drava in the north and tackled with Ilova in the west and Bosut and Vuka in the south. Slavonia is also known for the horse breed of Đakovo Lipizzaners, which has been bred in Đakovo for centuries. Osijek is the largest and capital of that part of Croatia. The city is also the economic, traffic, and cultural center of Slavonia. In the list below of the Osijek Travel Guide, find the most interesting attractions in the field of architecture.
- Tvrđa Osijek
- Co-cathedral of St. Peter and Paul
- Church of the Raising of the Holy Cross
- Pedestrian Bridge
- Ante Starčević Square
- Waterfall Fortress
- Urania and Europa Cinema
- Pejačević Palace
Museums & Galleries
The Osijek Fortress complex was built in the 18th century with imposing ramparts and city gates, a Romanesque core, and the main square. The fortress belongs to the most important old Croatian city cores and is the largest harmony of baroque military buildings preserved to this day. Two very important museums for this part of Croatia are located on the Holy Trinity Square (Trg Svetog Trojstva) – the Archaeological Department of the Museum of Slavonia and the Museum of Slavonia. The most important museum event in Croatia is Noć Muzeja (Night of the Museums) when all museums and galleries are open for free to all visitors.
- Museum of Slavonia
- The Museum of Fine Arts
- Archaeological Museum Osijek
- Shell museum and Water World Osijek
- Gallery Waldinger
Monuments & Installations
Red Fićo is a place that has historical meaning to city Osijek. During the Homeland War, on June 27th, 1991, a red Fićo (Fiat 500) tried to block a tank of the Serbian army exactly on this location. Also, one of the best sights of the city is the votive monument of the Holy Trinity built-in 1729. To understand its significance, you must go back to the time when the people of Osijek suffered many accidents and deadly diseases. The worst of all was the plague (Black Dead). After causing the death of General Maximilian Petrash, his wife placed this votive pillar in the center of the square. The aim was to “have mercy on God and push the plague out of Slavonia.”
- Red Fico
- Votive monument of the Holy Trinity
- The monument to Ante Starcevic
- Monument Pablo Picasso
Where to eat & drink
Pig slaughter and the production of dried meat products in many Slavonian and Baranja backyards is an indispensable tradition. The pig slaughter was usually held on Republic Day, November 29, while in the last couple of years it has mostly been waiting for colder weather. Along with sausage, blood sausage, and smoked ham, the two most famous Pig slaughter dishes are Čvarci and Kulen. Kulen is made of high-quality pork meat and fat. These pork products were usually left in a cool and airy place for 6 to 9 months. These products were most often eaten after the harvest, the most important agricultural event in that part of Croatia.
In the last few years, the Osijek culinary scene has changed a lot. Many new restaurants with very different cuisines have opened but the city still has a lot of traditional restaurants. If you are looking for local food I would recommend the restaurant Kod Ruže. In the list below of the Osijek Travel Guide, explore some of the most famous traditional dishes.
- KULEN – a type of flavored sausage made of minced pork
- KULENOVA SEKA – made with the same ingredients as Kulen, but it is dried in a thinner casing, so it matures earlier than Kulen
- ČVARCI -they are a kind of pork “crisps”, with fat thermally extracted from the lard
- ŠARAN NA RAŠLJAMA – way of roasting carp with vertically placed branches
- ČOBANAC – Shepherd’s Stew
- FIŠ – a hot, spicy paprika-based river fish soup
- GOULASH – a stew of meat and vegetables usually seasoned with paprika and other spices
- SATARAŠ – a light stew made of bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and condiments
- PERKELT -a meat stew similar to goulash
- BACON (SLANINA) – a type of salt-cured pork
During my stay in this city, I visited some restaurants and cafes and wrote reviews about them. Restaurant SportHouse Osijek is an old redesigned railway hall turned into a modern and very comfortable restaurant. If you want to watch sports and have a beer with a slice of delicious pizza, here’s where you want to go. Merlon Osijek has one of the top-rated restaurants in Osijek (there are about 1500 on Google with an average rating of 4.5) and is extremely popular for young people. Start exploring Osijek Travel Guide by clicking on the article.
Food delivery
Food delivery is becoming increasingly popular among locals and tourists. All you have to do is download the application, choose what you want from the rich offer of Mc Donalds and wait for the delivery to knock on your door. Below are the 4 most popular apps. Osijek Travel Guide also offers you a discount on your first purchase.
- WOLT – Download Wolt and use code Q0DIE to win a 30kn discount on your first order of food delivery! https://get.wolt.com/Q0DIE
- GLOVO – Download the Glovo app and enter my code M1JCPTX to get Kn 31 product credits.
- DOBAR TEK.HR
Events
During the year, in the city of Osijek happens several large events. One of the most famous events in the city is Osijek Antiques Fair. It is held every first Saturday of the month in the Tvrđa Osijek. Most events are over the summer months like Osijek Summer of Youth, Osijek Air Show, Osijek Ljeto kulture, Osijek Summer Night, Re Art Festival, etc. The largest number of sporting events is held in the “Gradski vrt” sports hall. Also, the most modern football stadium in Croatia is currently under construction in Osijek.
The most important events by months
- January – Osijek Wine Fest
- February –
- March – Osijek Spring Fair, Osijek Trade Fair, etc.
- April – City Colours in Coloured Easter Eggs, Tour of Croatia, etc.
- May – Flower Festival & Fair, Craft Beer Festival, Grand Prix Osijek Žito Challenge Cup, etc.
- June – Pannonian Challenge, Pannonia Folk Festival, Osijek Cultural Summer, Osijek Summer Nights, etc.
- July – Osijek Summer Nights
- August – Osijek Summer Nights
- September – Osijek Beer Days, UFO – Urban Fest Osijek, etc.
- October – Osijek Autumn Fair
- November – Osijek Drone Expo
- December – Advent in Osijek, New Year’s Eve parties in Osijek, etc.
Cost & Living
Prices per square meter of new apartments in Osijek are much lower than in other large Croatian cities. If you want to buy an older apartment the prices are between 800 to 1100 euros. For a new apartment, the price is between 1,200 and 1,500 euros. The center and the Upper Drava coast are the most wanted locations. However, one of the biggest problems in this part of Croatia is emigration to the western countries of the European Union. Because of this, a lot of real estate is for sale, especially houses. The situation is even worse when we go to any village or a small town in Slavonia, Baranja, or Srijem.
If you are coming to this city as a tourist, the average price for an apartment for 4 people is 100 euros per day. I would recommend the Sobe Merlon (Rooms Merlon) where we paid 60 euros a night for 2 people with included breakfast. Prices in restaurants and cafes are the lowest in Croatia. If you decide to go to a restaurant, the best choice will be pizza and different types of pasta, with prices ranging from 30 to 50 kuna. Dinner for family (4 people) at local taverns will be paid between 150 and 250 kunas, without appetizers, desserts, and drinks.
Traveling around Osijek
The entire public transportation system consists of trams and buses. Osijek public transport is managed by the company Gradski prijevoz putnika d.o.o. It has existed since 1884 when the horse-drawn tram started in Osijek, the first in Croatia. Also, before many European and world cities (e.g. San Francisco). In 1926, the tram line was electrified. Today, Osijek has a total of 5 tram lines with a total of 29 kilometers of tracks.
Paper tickets can be purchased at Gradski prijevoz putnika d.o.o. ticket offices or from drivers in vehicles.
ZONE 1 – Osijek, Brijest, Podravlje, Tvrđavice, Višnjevac (tram)
ZONE 2 – Briješće, Josipovac, Nemetin, Sarvaš, Tenja, Višnjevac
- Single fare ticket: Zone 1: 11 kuna; Zone 2: 13 kuna
- Package of 2 Single fare ticket: Zone 1: 16 kuna; Zone 2: 16 kuna
- Package of 3 Single fare ticket: Zone 1: 24 kuna; Zone 2: 24 kuna
- One-Day-Ticket for one Person: Zone 1: 35 kuna; Zone 2: 35 kuna
- Bike Rental: 100 kuna/day
Osijek Weather
Osijek has a warm-summer humid continental climate and over 1850 hours of sunshine annually. Summers are warm with average temperatures between 22-27 degrees Celsius. However, depending on the year, it sometimes happens that temperatures are around 35 degrees in the hottest part of summer. During the summer are frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Also, spring and autumn are relatively warm (expect daily temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius).
During winter, prepare for the fog. Temperatures are usually between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius from December to February. Annual precipitation is 650 millimeters. Most precipitation expects during the summer. Due to climate change, the probability of snow falling is much smaller. Before, while I was still living in that part of Croatia, there was snow every winter and in large quantities.
- The hottest month is July, with an average high of 30.0°C (86.0°F)
- The coldest month is January, with an average high of 10.4°C (50.7°F)
Day Trips from Osijek
Although tourism in Slavonia is developing tourism much more slowly than in the rest of Croatia, it has a lot of potentials. Kopački rit is an attraction that will always attract a large number of guests and I definitely recommend you to visit. A lot of smaller cities like Vinkovci, Vukovar, and Ilok have a great history and you will surely enjoy discovering the beauty of Srijem. Because of this, if you’re coming to this city I’m sure you’ll want to take some one day trip. In the list below of Osijek Travel Guide, find the most popular one-day trips.
- KOPAČKI RIT – one of Europe’s largest preserved natural wetlands
- VINKOVCI – the oldest European city
- VUKOVAR – the Hero city of the Croatian Homeland War
- ILOK – guardians of Croatian wine tradition
- ZMAJEVAC – a settlement in the region of Baranja, wine destination
- ĐAKOVO – a city known for its Cathedral basilica of St. Peter
- NOVI SAD (SERBIA) –the second-largest city in Serbia
- ŽUPANJA – the cradle of football and tennis in Croatia
Recommended Experiences
Discover the most beautiful and interesting sights around Osijek with Osijek Travel Guide Experiences. Find, compare, and book sightseeing tours, attractions, excursions, things to do, and fun activities. Find the best selling excursions from Osijek below in the Osijek Travel Guide.
Osijek Travel Guide Instagram Hashtags
With this part, I finish the Osijek Travel Guide. Clicking on the Instagram hashtags below will open up the most popular photos on this social network for this city. I hope you enjoyed reading and exploring Osijek Travel Guide. Also, explore other interesting places on page Destinations.
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