The luxury of life in the castles of Slavonia and Baranja
Explore the numerous hidden corners of Slavonia and Baranja that entice with tales of charming noblemen, fortress builders, great conquerors and court ladies

Although Osijek is their heart, Slavonija and Baranja are much more. Stories about charming nobles, builders of forts, great conquerors and court ladies are the starting point for exploring the many hidden corners of this region. So put a map in your travel bag (or simply charge your smartphone battery) and go!
Since the beginning In the 18th century, the Austrian rulers assigned the fertile Slavonic expanses to different noble families. A series of land-rich feudal estates was created, centered in country castles and manor houses. Although far from Vienna, here one tries to keep up with the lifestyle in the center of the Habsburg Monarchy. The palace salons, meeting places of Slavonian gentlemen, are full of hunting trophies and trophy weapons. On the other hand, the salons where ladies and children spend their days are filled with sheet music, musical instruments and shelves of family libraries. From Donji Miholjac and Valpovo, to Našice and Erdut, the country nobility discuss politics, economy and hunting, but also art, education and agriculture. In this area, individual manors stand out. For example, Belje, which occupies almost the entire Baranja and has been operating continuously since 1697. to date, during 18th and the 19th century grew into one of the most productive estates in all of Hungary at the time.
Našice, a small town about 50 km west of Osijek, is one of the places with the richest cultural monuments in Slavonia. Here we find traces of medieval churches and monasteries, impressive manorial castles and one of the few English parks on the soil of Slavonia. But it is far from the fact that the heritage of Našice is only immovable. A colony of artistic ceramics has been operating here for 40 years, named after Hinko Juhn (1891-1940), a sculptor from nearby Podgorač, also known as the founder of modern Croatian ceramic art. Even more famous is the memory of the first Croatian female composer, Dora Pejačević (1885-1923). Her creative inspiration was probably not taken away by the environment of the park of the late-baroque family castle, bathed in the crowns of mammoth trees, ginkgo and wild chestnut. Today, Pejačević Castle houses the Native Museum, where you can explore the local ethnological collection and learn more about the history of the Našić region in general.

Lovers of the good old Middle Ages, stop by the Martin settlement in Našice! There is an almost 800-year-old, the only preserved Templar church in Croatia.
While Našice occupies an area where the plain gradually turns into the hills of Krndije, Donji Miholjac, 30 km to the north, is 100 percent owned by the lowland and is the first place on the Drava that can be reached by large river boats. Here, too, there is an English garden open to the public and a castle, the youngest in Slavonia. Completed in 1906, it was supposedly built because Count Mailáth promised Emperor Franjo Josip, for his visit to Slavonia in 1901, that the next time he came, a hunting castle would welcome him in Miholjac. Said - done! The building, reminiscent of a portal to Wonderland, is full of trophies and souvenirs from Africa and Asia and decorated with luxurious decorative carpentry, stucco and fences. However, as luck would have it, the employees of the Donji Miholjac city administration, where the castle is today's headquarters, enjoyed all this more than Franz Joseph.

Fans of snacks, don't miss a visit to Donji Miholjac, as it is home to the largest chip factory in Croatia!
Valpovo is located twenty kilometers southeast of Miholjac. It is one of the oldest Slavonian cities, and one of the few with preserved material heritage from the medieval period. Namely, following on from the medieval fort, here is the course 18. and the 19th century baroque-classicist castle of the von Prandau family. An interesting architectural combination of styles and eras at the beginning In the 19th century, it was also refined with a large English park. At the same time, this one seems to have arisen from the well-known Slavonian spite. After his New Year's Eve 1801 an unforeseen "construction activity" occurred - a fire in the castle - Baron von Prandau decided that the renovated building would be not only more beautiful, but also "greener". The newly landscaped lawn will become one of the most valuable examples of park architecture in Croatia. At the end of the 19th century, the entire complex passed into the hands of the Normann family, hence its current name – Prandau-Normann Castle.

Today, Valpovac Castle is one of the most lively historical scenes in Slavonia. Festivals are held here GreenRoom, Valpovo Craft Beer Fest, Reunited and Cheese and wine festival. They are visited by lovers of urban music, that is, lovers of delicious delicacies from small agricultural producers.
The twin city of Valpova, and its eternal rival, is not far from Belišće. Unlike its older neighbor, Belišće is a child of industrialization, a planned settlement created at the end of the 19th century, for the exploitation of the surrounding forests. Through the activities of the Gutmann family, this small town developed into an industrial center, which it remains to this day. But let there be no misunderstanding: Belišće is not only factory chimneys and steam engines. You will see for yourself that the Gutmanns did well here by taking a selfie in front of the representative palace of the same name. The workers, of course, lived more modestly, which you can best feel if you visit the street with seven preserved workers' houses from the end of the 19th century. Although their official address reads, and how different from Vijenac S.H. Gutmann, you can also look for them as Jam-street. Viz, its inhabitants used to cook elderberry jam in their yards, the smell of which spread irresistibly throughout the town. The only thing that intoxicates the people of Belišće more than this sweet memory is the memory of their and our Matija Ljubek, kayaker and the most decorated Croatian male Olympian.

From Belišće on the right, we switch to the left bank of the Drava. We are in Baranja, one of the most attractive hunting tourism destinations in Croatia. Even the old hunting enthusiasts knew it. That's how Eugen Savoy (1663-1736), the military leader who, on behalf of the Habsburgs, seized Hungary and Slavonia from the Ottomans, in the village of Bilje, ten kilometers from Osijek, at the beginning of the 18th century. In the 19th century, he had a hunting castle built, which was also the seat of the previously mentioned Belje manor (award to Eugene for his war merits). At the beginning of the 20th century, northeast of Bilje, closer to the Danube, another hunting "čeka" was built to suit aristocrats - the Tikveš hunting castle. The Habsburgs, the Karađorđevićs, and the communist "monarch" Josip Broz Tito entered it. Wild game perkelt, hunter's goulash-soup or Baranja-style deer with bread dumplings did not leave any of the rulers indifferent. The same was true for their guests. Rumor has it that even Sophia Loren stopped her diet because of Baranja's hunting delicacies.
