There’s plenty to see and do in Croatia’s capital of Slavonia. Here are my favourites:
Why go?
Ryanair’s new destination in Croatia (it launches flights from Stansted on April 4) is a likable, laid-back university town. It’s the capital of Slavonia, a land of cornfields, vineyards and pastel-hued villages, famed for its cuisine. (Nope, we’d never heard of it either.)
What to do
Soak up the Hapsburg-era charm, baroque churches and cobbled streets of Tvrda, the old town. Take a boat tour through Kopacki Rit Nature Park, one of Europe’s largest wetland habitats (kopacki-rit.com). Cycle through the winelands of Baranja (biljeplus.hr). In summer, join locals swimming off the sandbanks of the River Drava.
Where to stay
Maksimilian (maksimilian.hr) is a home-from-home BB with heaps of character in an old Austro-Hungarian building in historic Tvrda. It also offers bike hire.
Where to eat
Be serenaded by a frog chorus as you dine on fish at Zelena Zaba, a riverside restaurant on the edge of the Kopacki Rit (Ribarska 3, 00 385 31 752 212). In Baranja, Josic serves Slavonian dishes, such as smoked fish, goulash and spit-roast venison, in a cosy underground wine cellar (josic.hr).
Insider tip
"The riverside promenade is lined with cool caf-bars, some with open-air terraces,” says Jelena Matkovic of hip design store Lega-Lega (lega-lega.com). “My favourites are Trica (facebook.com/caffetrica) and Brooklyn (etalite kardinala F. epera 8F).”
