Osijek Things to Do

The co-cathedral dominates the whole city centre of the town and could be seen from the far distance. It is the tallest building in Osijek and very probably the tallest in the whole region of Slavonija. Imagine the view from its top in particularly if knowing that Slavoija is predominatelly very flat area.

The co-cathedral of SS Peter and Paul was built in 1898, during period of Austro-Hungarian rule in Slavonija. It was designed by the architect Franz Langenberg who chosed brick and stone for its building. The church look alike very much to the churches in the Northern Germany.cb

The co-cathedral is characteristic for its multi-tiered spire which is 90 metres high and therefore the tallest building in the Slavonija Region. The spire is richly adorned in a recognizable Gothic style with the nice trifora window in is central part.

The biggest church in Osijek is consecrated to SS Peter and Paul, it was built at the end of the 19th century in neo-Gothic style.
Although it is only a parish church, the Cathedral is located in nearby town of Djakovo, it is called co-cathedral because of its size, 90 meters high, and monumentality.

Tvrdja (The Fortress) is the oldest part of Osijek, built at the strategically important point next to the Drava river crossing. After it was ruled by Ottomans for 161 years the fortress was reconquered and redesigned by Austrian rulers of Croatia in the 17th and 18th century. The main plan of the fortress was made by Austrian engineer Eugen count of Gosseau.

Tvrdja in Osijek was, along with Slavonski Brod fortress and Karlovac fortress, one of the most important military points of south-eastern borders of Austro-Hungarian empire.

Military post in Tvrdja lasted till the 1990s when the Yugoslav army finally left buildings they were occupying. Nowadays Tvrdja has several museums, cultural institutions, schools and faculties. There are plans for most of the faculties of the Osijek University to be housed here in the future.

The Holy Trinity square is the central place in Tvrdja. Simply by following changes of the name of the square one can follow the history of this place. First it was known as the Weinplatz (Wine square), later it was named Parade Square, Main Square, Franz Joseph Square, Holy Trinity Square, Karadjordjevic square, Partisan square...... finally to get back its old name in 1992.

Important military buildings were built around the square in the 18th and 19th century, as well as several palaces and tradesmen houses. The square is dominated by the Holy Trinity Column and two public water wells - Wasserbrunnen built in red stone. (Osijek was the first town in Slavonia to get municipal water supply system in early 18th century).

Today the City Museum and the Rectorate of the Osijek University are located in the buildings around the square.

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The Holy Trinity Pillar, also known as The Plague Pillar, was erected by the widow of Osijek general Maksimilijan Petras who died in the plague epidemic in 1728. The Pillar was built only a year after his death as a votive monument and shows the Holy Trinity with sculptures of St. Sebastian, St. Roco, St. Rosalia and St. Catherine.

The Holy Trinity Pillar in Osijek is one of the most important public baroque monuments in the region of Slavonia.

The Town Guards House (Das Gebäude der Hauptwache) was built in the 1729. on the northern side of the Holy Trinity square. It is a two-storey building with vaults on the ground floor and an observation tower on top. On a facade that does not face the main square there is a round tower with a flat for the Guards Commander, decorated with fine details under Venetian influence.