Osijek Things to Do

Whether it it the more modest benches or the introduction of the young trees, the area surrounding the Cathedral is definitely more pleasant place to sit down and relax than the cold and uninspiring benches of the central square.

Nothing much to do here but to sit and relax, admire the tower of the Cathedral or watch the wedding ceremonies that happen in the Cathedral on Saturday afternoons.

Right opposite the entrance to the Cathedral you will find one of the glass entrances to the Shopping Cathedral that is located below the main square.

One thing you are absolutely not allowed to do in Osijek is trying to remind the locals that the cathedral means the church that is the seat of the bishop, while all other churches are just churches, no matter how big or dominant in the city skyline they are.

The "Cathedral" (officially only: Church of St. Peter and Paul) was built in the 1890s in neo-gothic style by the Bonn-based architect Franz Langenberg. The church has some interesting artworks in the inside but in fact its most striking feature is the absolute dominance of the otherwise low Osijek skyline, interrupted only by the nearby hotel Osijek. (Yes, communists liked to make a "balance" to the church tower).

The church definitely dominates over the central square - Trg Ante Starcevica. It was damaged in bombings in 1991 and most of the damages are now repaired, although if you look closely at some of the brickwork it is not hard to find recent scars.

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Parallel to the European avenue and Sakuntala park runs the promenade along Drava river and its Winter harbour. The promenade is lined with flower boxes with cafe tables inserted in between, making it an ideal place to sit and relax in warm sunny days.

The promenade is very popular for walking, cycling and jogging. A chain pedestrian bridge connects it with the other bank of Drava where ZOO and a watersports centre "Copacabana" are located. While the ZOO did not totally recover after the war (many animals found their shelter in European zoos and were never brought back) "Kopika" is very popular among local people in the summer months.

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The triangular square named after Ante Starcevic is the central square in Osijek. Recently it was refurbished, not very successfully though. The main feature of the square are way-too-expensive benches and a fountain that sprays water all over the place in irregular intervals.

The square is surrounded by 19th and 20th century buildings, and below the stone surface there is a small shopping mall, too small to deserve such pompous glass entrances that are to be found on three corners of the square.

Both Osijek tram lines pass through the square, but - strangely - do not stop here. As if the authors thought that people waiting for the tram would be "too ordinary" for expensive heated stone pavements.

Sakuntala (Shakuntala) is a person from Hindu mythology, personifying Indian womanhood in literature and culture. "The Recognition of Sakuntala" is the most famous work of Indian playwriter Kalidasa (5th century).

How did the sculpture of Sakuntala became the central theme of this late-19th century park in the center of Osijek is not known to me. Besides her, the entrance to the park is guarded by two sphynx.

Sakuntala park (also known as Setaliste Petra Preradovica) is located in the center of Osijek, between the main square and European avenue. It is another green oasis that Osijek is so proud of, bringing the themes of exotic mythology in a busy urban environment.

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Europska avenija (Avenue of Europe) is the main street that connects main square with Tvrdja and Donji Grad (Lower town). On its northern side there is a row of Secession (Art Nouveau) houses with front-gardens.

These richly decorated buildings were built between 1903 and 1906 and make the most important Secession complex to be found in Croatia. This tree-lined avenue with broad walkways is one of the most pleasant places to walk and admire the beauty of the old Turn-of-the-century architecture.

Unfortunately, some of the buildings were damaged during the 1990s war and were not repaired yet, probably due to ownership problems.

The Post Office building was built in 1912 at the corner of Europska avenija and Kardinala A. Stepinca streets. This huge (for Osijek scale) building is one of the best examples of the Hungarian-influenced "Esseker Secession" building style. (Essek is Hungarian name for Osijek, while Secession is Austrian name for Art Nouveau / Jugendstil - so even the name of the style shows different cultural influences that shaped Osijek and northern Croatia in the past).

Because of Tvrdja's military-defence importance, it was forbidden to build anything around the fortress and this rule (imposed by Franz Joseph I) lasted until the fall of Austria-Hungary. When no buildings were allowed, military command created three huge parks around the fortress: Officiersgarten, Garnisonsgarten and Spitalsgarten.

It was in the 1920s that the defense walls were torn down and three gardens united into a single urban park named after the first Croatian king.

Today King Tomislav park is a huge green oasis in the center of Osijek, making a nice buffer zone between Tvrdja and modern town. In one part of the park a small wall (on the picture) is all that remained of the former Turkish defence walls.