On the last day of March, the Baranja region, this pearl of Pannonia, hosted two events that combined fun, sports in nature and enjoyment of life: Kotrljanerski Doručak and Banovo Brdo Trk & Bic Vertikal.

The Kotrljaneri Recreational Cycling Association from Osijek organised the Kotrljanerski Doručak (Kotrljanerski Breakfast) for the sixth time. The concept is straightforward: all cyclists who want to participate gather at the agreed location, have a morning coffee together, climb on their bicycles, and go for breakfast together. This year, the gathering location was a cafe bar in the centre of Bilje, and breakfast was organised at Baranjska Kuća restaurant in the Karanac ethno-village.

The route was just over twenty kilometres long, enough to wake up the appetite. The path led the participants to the northern part of the Baranja tourist route. After Bilje we went through Vardarac and its two fantastic restaurants; the one is the Citadela, the other is Darocz.

Once, before the treaty of Trianon, Vardarac was called Darocz. According to some interpretations, the word darocz means a hunter who deals with skinning the animals. The village received its prefix Vár (“fort” in Hungarian) in the early 20th century, probably because the Baranyavar fort once owned it.

Two days before the Kotraljanerski Doručak, we stopped at Darocz with the intent to try the “perkelt” made with rooster’s balls. Unfortunately, the restaurant was full of guests, due to excellent food and the tamburitza band which played that evening. Since we did not reserve our seats in advance, we had to quench our hunger somewhere else. Fortunately, we did not have to go too far away; we were in Baranja after all.

In addition to great food, Vardarac is a village known for the "Kakasutes" event (beating of the rooster) – the final event of carnival ceremonies. The young men from the village dress as roosters and have the right to take away all the poultry from the yards, so people hide their hens and chickens and give them roosters instead. Costumed roosters then put patches on girls’ eyes, and they have to find the actual roosters to beat. At least, that is how it used to be, but in the meantime, the real roosters have been replaced with puppets. According to the folklore, the fastest girl to complete the task will be the first to marry. Interestingly, this custom exists just in Vardarac. It has almost gone instinct, but the local youth restarted it in 2003.

The next village on the route is Lug, which hosts the eponymous hotel and the Zlatni Bunar restaurant. After we were rejected in Vardarac, this is where we enjoyed the fishy delicacies, such as Counts’ perch. Lug is also known as the location of the Paprika Festival, which brings together the biggest Croatian fans of hot spices. Even Goran Vrabec was shocked last year.

We then go through Grabovac and arrive at Kneževi Vinogradi, where we take the roundabout to Karanac, the second part of the Baranja's tourist route. Karanac is an interesting village with three churches (Catholic, Orthodox and Reformed), two wineries (Svijetli Dvori and Szabo), several excellent family farms (such as Bakine Čarolije) and a famous restaurant – Baranjska Kuća, which was the location of our breakfast.

After a welcome drink, our host Bajo led us to the Street of the Lost Times, which was followed by a rich Baranja breakfast. Bread, lard, peppers, onions, pork greaves, sausages, “švargla”, bacon, everything was on offer. After the breakfast, we had enough energy to go to the top of Banovo Brdo, not through Kamenac, but via a field route directly from Karanac and attend (this time as spectators) another exciting sporting and entertainment event.

The sports and recreational club Žuti Šešir from Osijek organised Banovo Brdo Trk & Bic on the most beautiful Croatian wine route. The gathering place was the Belje viewpoint. Cyclists fought in a knockout competition on an 800-metre track, with a 100-metre height difference. Runners had to run eight kilometres, and they had a height difference of 200 metres.

Banovo Brdo was full of visitors, among whom I found my cycling colleagues from Serbia. An ideal opportunity to talk and draft new cycling plans. Spring has just begun, and the bike is a perfect means of transport for hedonists because you are too slow on foot and too fast in a car. How many hidden hedonistic corners, starting from the wineries to excursion sites to family farms have I discovered on my bicycle? It is difficult to count them all, but it is impossible to count how many more there are yet to be found.

And Baranja, although a relatively small region, is always a pleasant surprise, just when I think I got to know everything there is to know. There is that old poem about Baranja: “Who knows what kind of beauties Baranja has, we have to enjoy them. I have the feeling I have to discover them, and then I will be happier. We need to enjoy every moment; the challenges are in every corner."

More news on the Baranja region can be found in the Lifestyle section.

More and more Croats are starting to see the benefits of going about their lives in more rural environments, especially young people, according to a report from Glas Slavonije.

"It's certain that today, rural life offers unparalleled benefits compared to those it did ten or more years ago, when people left in their droves for the cities. The advantages of a peaceful and stable life that smaller environments provide, and the quality of life in such place, have equalled the benefits of life in cities and have potentially even exceeded them, and for an organised life we ​​need only a safe car,'' they are unique in their assessment of young Croats, who today in small villages are often managing to become the owners of valuable properties and pieces of land with gardens that a decade ago simply couldn't have even been dreamed of.

There is now more and more support to local families from self-government units when it comes to purchasing houses, offering free textbooks and meals in schools, subsidising kindergartens, subsidising the cost of staying in dorms, bus tickets and offering scholarships to almost all students, constructing new schools, clinics and specialist clinics, and offering harmonious conditions for sport. It isn't all that surprising that many younger Croats are now dreaming of life in the countryside.

One of the areas that really proved to be one of the first to see the need to invest primarily in people, and only then in property, is the Magadenovac Municipality, writes Glas Slavonije. This small municipality could easily be a model for many for the abundance of measures it has introduced in order to support life in the local area.

With 3,000 kuna for the first-born, 5,000 kuna for the second-born and 8,000 kuna being offered for the third-born child, the amount for each subsequent child is determined by the mayor personally in order to help that particular family more in accordance with their material condition. A few years ago, almost alone, with very little help from the state, they financed the kindergarten construction, for which parents pay 354 kuna per child.

The kids who attended got free textbooks while others across the country were only just starting to consider such an initiative. High school students also received financial help from the municipality if they were staying in student dorms. Croats with young families are increasingly turning to a more rural way of life.

There are already plenty of people interested in buying cheap houses in the area, and with the new school, which will soon boast an additional hall, a renovated kindergarten, as well as better communal infrastructure and many other measures, Mayor Darko Dorkić hopes that the negative trends we have been witnessing so far will soon turn around and take a more positive direction.

Apart from the fact that smaller houses in Slavonia and Baranja are sold very cheaply, young people are increasingly attracted to the fact that village life is ready and waiting to offer a life lived in peace and in coexistence with nature, and a garden in which they can grow fruits and vegetables.

The idea of breeding pigs and poultry for their own needs doesn't put them off either, recognising that such a lifestyle is not only healthier, but much cheaper than purchasing such items in the city would be. In such small communities everyone knows everything, so there is never any problem for children to go alone to school and to playgrounds, not to mention the fact that overall living costs are so much lower.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated lifestyle page.

November 15, 2018 - More welcome promotion for eastern Croatia, as Ashley Colburn, the Californian with an Istrian address, releases her latest video on the regions of Croatia, this time from Osijek-Baranja County.

Ashley Colburn, perhaps Croatia's best-known tourism promoter from the United States has been  in eastern Croatia, filming the latest episode of her video series, Ashley Colburn's Croatia, this time from Osijek-Baranja County. Colburn introduces the new video as follows:

In just under a few hours from Zagreb heading east, you will reach the amazing county of Osijek-Baranja. This area of Croatia is full of wine roads, agriculture, rich tradition and amazing Nature. Osijek is the 4th largest city in Croatia and has an old fortress which can’t be missed in the old town known as,Tvrda. Tvrda hosts many events throughout the year, so always be sure to see what is happening during your visit. Wine roads surround the small villages and traditional houses can still be visited where the wine is made and stored. Some houses have even transformed into tasting rooms. The oldest and largest wineries also are located in this county and have unique views of castles and the Danube River. Kopacki Rit Nature Park is full of more than 300 species of birds and other wildlife. You can take a boat tour through the park and enjoy the breathtaking nature. The Lipizzaner Stud Farm has two locations in Dakovo where you can see the horses take their morning run at Ivandvor or go into the city and see a touristic show. Throughout the county you will also find many small villages where you can explore castles and appreciate the Baroque and Tudor styles.

Ashley Colburn has been an occasional contributor for TCN over the years - check out her articles here.

The town pools in Beli Manastir in the Baranja region will again open their doors, but with a brand new design. Visitors will be able to swim there starting next summer – children will use a slide to enter the children’s pool, while the adults will even have a proper beach reserved for them, reports Lokalni.hr on November 13, 2018.

By adopting a decision on borrowing, the Town Council has approved a 6.5 million kuna loan for the purpose of reconstruction of town pools. The loan will be provided by the Croatian Postal Bank, which has offered the best conditions. The loan must still be approved by the Ministry of Finance and the government, after which the local authorities will start the public procurement procedure.

“The total investment is estimated at 9 million kuna, and the exact cost of the works will be determined after the public procurement procedure is completed. We plan to build a restaurant complex near the pools, which is something that is also needed by the town of Beli Manastir,” say sources from the town council.

The town pools in Beli Manastir were first opened in the late 1980s, when their construction was financed by the then Municipality of Beli Manastir and the Belje company. After the reintegration of this territory back into Croatia, they were given to several companies as a concession. They have been closed since 2016 and are currently in a dilapidated condition.

“During the session of the Town Council, a conceptual solution for the pool complex was presented, significantly different from the existing one. The existing children’s pool will receive new overflow channels and a slide. The pool complex will also get a pool with additional amenities, such as lying and sitting massage, a beach, waterfalls and a water slide.

A recreational swimming pool and all accompanying facilities are also planned. A wooden pergola will serve as a sunbathing area, and the complex will also get new changing rooms and sanitary facilities. Citizens of Beli Manastir and their visitors will thus get a modern and functional complex.

When it was just opened before the Homeland War, the complex had a large Olympic and a children's pool, while a smaller baby pool was added later. According to the current plans, the large pool will be replaced by the two aforementioned pools. The children’s pool will remain, so the complex will have three pools.

The new and reconstructed pools should be completed by the start of the 2019 summer season, provided there are no unexpected delays.

For more on the Baranja region, click here.

Translated from Lokalni.hr (reported by Suzana Lepan Štefančić).

The flavors of Eastern Croatia will be highlighted through a special gourmet week from October 17th to 28th.

Minister Gabrijela Žalac and Commissioner Corina Creţa held a dialogue with citizens.

The quest for oil begins in Eastern Croatia.

Something brand new in the works for Osijek?

"With this decision, we've showed our strength, our fellowship, and expressed our identity."

A large investment from one Osijek company with some praiseworthy environmentally friendly goals ahead.