Osijek Things to Do

Franciscan church of St. Anthony was built between 1709 and 1732. The church was also built at the place where a mosque once stood, although new archaeological excavations showed that below the mosque there was older early Gothic church.

Inside the church is richly decorated, the most important piece being the main baroque altar made in Vienna in 1726. Important noble families from Osijek (Knezevics, Pejacevics, Parcevics) are buried in the crypt.

The attached Franciscan monastery was important cultural centre in Osijek, with the first press facilities. Faculties of Philosophy and Theology were established here in the 18th Century, making the start of today's Osijek University.

Porta Aquatica (The Water Gate) are the only remaining gates of Tvrdja, and were built in 1715 during the works on the bastions and walls around Tvrdja. The Water Gates are located on the northern side of Tvrdja, leading towards the Drava river.

Inside the gates there is a small memorial dedicated to general Johann Stehan von Beckers, the builder of Tvrdja.

The massive walls of the Fortress are best visible on its northern side, where they didn't have to make space for roads and new constructions. In the northern bastion the Water Tower is the only still remaining watch tower. Probably it wasn't demolished because it also had its role in the water supply system that was built in the 18th century.

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Osijek theatre is in the center of the town, near the "Cathedral". The first performance was in Latin.
In the summer there are some festivals, and during some the entrance is free. There is a nice cafe at the theatre.
Yu can read a lot about the theatre at the web site below.

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There are two striking memorials behind the Rising of the Holy Cross Church: One is a crucifix made of bullet casings and other war materials; the other is a sculpture of holocaust figures in the shape of a Menorah.

The church (built in 1732) is worth a visit also--It has a beautiful altar.

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The fortress was built by the Austro-Hungarians for defense against the Turks, but the Turks were already gone by the time they finished it. It was in the shape of a 5-point star, with 7 towers and 4 gates. Only the Water Gate (from 1715) remains. It opens to the Drava River, which accounts for the name (but Americans always laugh.)

Osijek is a great place for those who like to stroll around. The promenade on both sides of the river Drava is well lit in the evenings. You'll meet young and old walking and chatting on the promenade, especially in the dusk. The walk will take you past the biggest city park and all the way to Tvrđa. The defence walls and towers can be seen from the promenade. Continuing your walk over the bridge and turning left at the end will bring you to the old catacombs where many open air concerts and events are held today. Going past this will lead you to the Copacabana, Osijek's own river beach and recreational area. If you continue further up you'll reach Osijek's ZOO that was once well visited but now it's not even close to its former glory as this area was heavily shelled during the 90s war and afterwards, due to lack of care and money. Although, it's being slowly "rebuilt", it's still far from finished. If by this time you got tired of all the walking take a river-ferry back to the other side and sit in one of the many cafés on the promenade, watch people go by and relax!

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At the southern end of Blok Centar we find the highly controversial (among the locals) Monument to Defenders. Allow me to say that this is, in my opinion, the most successful urban intervention in Croatia done in the 1990s. It fits perfectly, it cannot be unnoticed, it speaks in metaphors, is powerful and meaningful.

High steel plates made of corten steel (that ages perfectly by developing its own rust) form seven "gates" on one of the main pedestrian routes in Osijek. While the first "gate" is only big enough for one person to pass (evoking fear and enxiety of the war times of the early 1990s) the last "gate" is so wide it represents freedom and openness.

Seen from the distance, the monument looks like a big barrier and it is only when one approaches it that you notice you can pass without a true obstacle. But you definitely cannot pass ignorant of the tragic story it commemorates, that happenned here in the beginning of the 1990s.