Osijek

Osijek is the fourth largest Croatian city and the center of Slavonia, the country’s bread-basket region. Located in the fertile Pannonian Basin, it attracted many migrants and changed hands often throughout history, becoming a melting pot with Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman influence. The situation is very different today, unfortunately, with huge crowds of the unemployed flocking to Ireland and making Dublin an even larger melting pot than it already is. However, the city is still worth visiting for many reasons. The beautiful baroque and art nouveau architecture, the excellent food and wine Slavonia is widely known for (a Croatian stand-up comedian has said that he’s got two kilos/four pounds by merely inhaling the air in an Osijek restaurant!), as well as the hospitable, outgoing and humorous people are there for you. If you like hunting and/or fishing in swamplands, pay a visit to the Kopački rit nature park, or book a stay in one of the high-quality country guesthouses if you want to experience the old rural Slavonia. In any case, don’t worry about putting on weight – just visit the Promenade along the Drava, where you can jog and cycle, as well as bathe in the summer. The city beach is called Copacabana, which makes it a good choice if you can’t afford a trip to Rio. Due to the good genetics and nutrition, the girls also don’t look much different than those on the world’s most famous beach.