Osijek Travel Guide

OSIJEK is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 114,616 in 2001, It is the largest city and the economic and cultural center of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia , as well as the administrative center of Osijek-baranja county . Osijek is located on the right bank of the river Drava.

Tourist attractions

Osijek remains a popular domestic tourist destination for its Baroque style, open spaces and ample recreational opportunities. The most important sights in the city include the main square, Trg Ante Starčevič, Tvrđa the 18th century Baroque citadel, the promenade along the Drava ("promenada"), and the suspension pedestrian bridge toward Baranja.

Tvrđa is the oldest part of Osijek. Construction started in 1687 when the Habsburg armies drove the Ottomans out of the city . Over the subsequent 35 years, Austrian engineers built barracks , staff headquarters, churches and monasteries, surrounded by system of moats, bastions and gun positions. While most of the fortifications have been demolished, the centre of the Tvrđa remains intact. It also has a large church that was built in 1778., St. Michael's Church.