Beyond the tourist hotspots: Check these out in enchanting eastern Croatia

Drava (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

Summer in Croatia’s eastern Virovitica-Podravina County has never been more attractive.

You can break the summer stereotypes of summer on the coast and choose a destination where you can recharge your batteries, discover the beauty of silence, and enjoy the exquisite dishes of two famous gourmet regions – Slavonia and Podravina. 

Here’s what you shouldn’t miss when you visit the Virovitica-Podravina County in eastern Croatia. 

Picnic at Jankovac

Raise a glass of green Silvanac, a variety that produces exceptional results in the Virovitica-Podravina County, and enjoy your favorite snacks on a blanket in the thick shade of the forest with a view of two lakes. Jankovac Forest Park is the most beautiful mountain valley of the Nature Park and UNESCO Geopark Papuk. It was named after Josip pl. Janković, a nobleman from Virovitica who moved there in the 19th century. 

Picnic at Jankovac (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

Along with the mountaineering lodge, two artificial lakes, and the impressive Skakavac waterfall, there is also the Count’s Trail with information boards, wooden bridges, and stairs, perfect for a leisurely walk when you feel like stretching your legs.

A Journey into the Past in Voćin

Geo-info Center (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

Travel back in time millions of years ago when Papuk was an island in the Pannonian Sea, encounter its prehistoric inhabitants such as sharks, whales, and rhinoceroses, and experience the underground world of Papuk. All of this is possible at the Geo-info Center in Voćin. This interactive multimedia center, with its 6D cinema where you’ll meet the charming ammonite Tony, projections, and presentations on screens, delights both young and old alike.

Geo-info Center (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

Finest Pastries at Janković Castle

Janković Castle (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

For one of the most beautiful castles in this part of Europe, only the best pastries will do. Exclusive premium cakes made by the award-winning pastry chef Sandra Jadek from Slatina, a silver medalist in pastry making, can be tasted at Janković Castle in Suhopolje.

Pastries at Janković Castle (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

This Visitor Center with 30 comfortable rooms will provide you with a royal-worthy vacation and relaxation. It is an essential part of the unique Noble Route of Virovitica-Podravina County, where castles, manor houses, summer residences, and fortresses have been restored.

Pastries at Janković Castle (Photo: Matija Turkalj)

Horseback Riding at Višnjica

Horseback riding calms the mind, relieves stress, and fills you with energy. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to ride, now is your chance. If you’re an experienced rider, we suggest off-road riding accompanied by a guide. Višnjica Stud Farm near Slatina will enchant you with the ambiance of a traditional rural estate. A hotel, stud farm, and farm – all in one place, excellent traditional cuisine, fields, meadows, gentle nature as far as the eye can see… It looks surreal.

(Photo: Matija Turkalj)

Swimming at Križnica

Who needs the sea when they have the Drava River? And Križnica? This mystical place, full of greenery, is the last island in the former Pannonian Sea. You can reach Križnica in two ways – by ferry or by a 250-meter-long suspension footbridge, and once you discover it, you will always come back.

(Photo: Matija Turkalj)

At the beach next to the bridge, you can bask in the sun on the hot sand, play volleyball, have a barbecue with your favorite company, and when you feel like refreshing yourself, take a swim in the Drava River, which creates the most beautiful meanders from its source to its mouth on this small stretch.

Križnica (Photo: Matija Turkalj)