November 3, 2022 – November is always a difficult month in Vukovar. The feelings are a mix of pride and gratitude, sadness and hope. All further aggravated by the sudden interest in what goes on. And while the city often only gets one weekend of attention, people here live, work, and thrive every day. Just another example of that is a young lady called Valentina, who not only decided to take the plunge and start a business with her partner but was brave enough to do that in tourism. Yes, in Vukovar. In the beautiful area of Vučedol.

Could you tell us about yourself and your project?

I'm Valentina, I'm 28 years old, and I grew up in Vukovar and lived here all my life. I studied public administration, and I graduated in 2020. I worked various jobs until I found one in the profession; now I work as a school secretary. I often go to holiday homes with my friends to take a break from work and the hustle and bustle of the city or to escape from everyday life. The cottage, located 3 kilometers from the town of Vukovar, in the forest of Vučedol, has become our oasis of peace and a corner where all worries disappear. I thought it would be good for other people who visit our city to have their own oasis of peace, so I decided to open a vacation house called "Vučedolska Golubica" (The Vučedol Dove). Just as the dove symbolises peace, our home also exudes peace due to its location in beautiful nature.

What inspired you to start something of your own?

Thinking about my hometown, my fellow citizens, visitors, and tourists who come from different parts of the world, I realised that our holiday home is all they need to spend quality time resting and relaxing. From there, they can take a short walk to the Vučedol Culture Museum, the beautiful Danube, and the island that can be seen from the shore, the wonderful wine road. People who enjoy walking and cycling will love the proximity and accessibility of all the sights and amenities.

What were the main challenges of starting such a business?

Every beginning is complex, and so was ours. I was always thinking about how to start a business, how to advertise, how to do marketing, and how to show people all the great things they could experience here... Really, there were a lot of challenges because I didn't know where to start. After we took the first step, though, all my worries disappeared. The visitors who came rated us very well and gave us the strength and motivation to be even better and more persistent in our goal. We strive to be better every day.

How does your location in the east of Croatia affect the development of your business?

Vukovar is located in the very east of the Republic of Croatia, in our beautiful Slavonia. Our city has a lot of historical stories and events that every individual should learn about to experience Vukovar as we, the people of Vukovar, share it. For us, the city of Vukovar, a hero city, is our strength.

Our location is challenging since we are not at the coast. Visitors do believe that it is much better to go to the sea, but I can convince them with photo evidence that we also have our sea, our beautiful Danube. In summer, free boat transportation to the island (Vukovar's Ada) is organised. And it boasts a diverse world of content for all ages and desires. 

Are you happy with your progress so far?

I am satisfied with what we have done so far, even though we are at the very beginning. The house has two floors, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a bedroom with panoramic windows upstairs, while downstairs, there is a large living room and dining room. We are planning to build a children's playground on the property, as well as a swimming pool. We currently have a jacuzzi, an area for barbecuing, and a fire pit for outdoor cooking.

What is the situation with this type of tourism in Vukovar?

Most of our visitors come to Vukovar from Croatia. The reason is that few foreigners know our city's history and what it has to offer. I recommend everyone who hasn't been to visit us and see all the cultural sights of our city and take a break from everyday life in beautiful nature. Indeed,we are surrounded by fantastic nature and have wonderful things to offer.

Are you connected with other similar businesses in Vukovar?

In the city, there are many renters, but we are unfortunately not connected. I want to connect with others to reach a place where everyone would present their suggestions and criticism so that together we can keep up with the times and take off into new business ventures.

What is it like to live in Vukovar, and what is unique about the area of Vučedol?

I would describe life in Vukovar as a priceless gift. Most of us from Vukovar know what the city experienced in its past and how it rose and became a wonderful, peaceful, small town over time. Next to Vukovar, which exudes uniqueness because of everything it has experienced, you can find Vučedol. This area is a peaceful natural oasis where our holiday home has found its place, adorned with untouched nature and the beautiful wild coast of the Danube, which is incredibly charming for fishermen. Of course, cyclists won't be disappointed either because a cycling route through Vučedol goes all the way to Ilok, following one of the most beautiful cycling routes in Europe.

Why should people visit your holiday home?

After all, it can be concluded that our vacation home exudes uniqueness and peace, and gives you a touch of home. It's a place where you feel like it's your home. Why? Because it provides peace, security, and a sense of freedom. Visit us, come to us, and see how you can get immense quality, warmth, and acceptance for a small price. We will be at your disposal throughout your stay, ready for any questions and always helpful.

How can they reach you?

Book your stay on Whatsapp or Viber at +385989532320 and follow us on Facebook at Kuća za odmor Vučedolska golubica.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

October 16, 2022 - The patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfiri, called on the Orthodox believers from Vukovar to remember their sacrifices in prayer, but also the sacrifices of their Catholic neighbours because, he said, the one who respects the sacrifice of another is equal to the one who sacrifices himself for another.

As Index writes, he called on the believers to pray for the sacrifices of others. "They are our role models, and those who commit violence against helpless people, whether in war or peace, are worthy of all condemnation and contempt. That is why I invite you today to light a candle for all our suffering Orthodox brothers and sisters, but also to light a candle for all the innocent Roman Catholic Croats who have suffered; let us pray for our brothers and sisters who have suffered, but also for the Roman Catholic Croats who have suffered," urged Porfirije, who served the holy liturgy in the presence of numerous Serbian Orthodox bishops in the Vukovar Cathedral of the Holy Father Nikola, where he consecrated the renovated temple and Parish Hall.

He called on the believers to pray for every sacrifice, for every innocent victim in Vukovar and the city of Vukovar itself because, he said, prayer and Christian forgiveness are the only way to heal all wounds. He asserted that people live in Vukovar whose differences are small and insignificant, there are incomparably more similarities than differences, and the Christian faith brings them together but also binds them.

"When in prayer for our sacrifices, we also remember our martyred neighbours, Catholic Croats, God will rejoice over us," noted the Serbian patriarch.

He said he constantly lights a wax candle in his heart for the victims in Glina, Varivode, Grubori, and other places where Serbs suffered. "In the same way, I pray and light a candle for those who perished at Ovčara, Škabrnja, Lovas, Sotin, and many other places of execution."

"We also pray for all those who disappeared from 1991 to 1995, in the terrible and unfortunate war in these areas, regardless of which nation they belonged to," he said in his address to the believers, inviting them to join him in prayers.

There is no other way but prayer and forgiveness, he asserted. "As children of God, we must not leave it to those who have levers of power from this world to solve the issues of our lives, arrange our mutual relations, past, present and future because," as he said, "at the very least it can be said that the goals of these leverage different from the goals of the Gospel."

At the end of the liturgy, Patriarch Porfirij was presented with the award of the Holy Despot Stefan Štiljanović, patron of the Diocese of Osijekopolska and Baranja. Decorations were also given to other deserving people, including SDSS president Milorad Pupovac and one of the party's founders and longtime president Vojislav Stanimirović.

The Cathedral of Saint Nicholas was built in 1737. On the night between September 18 and 19, 1991, the temple was severely damaged in an explosion. The renovation lasted from 2009 to 2014 and was financed entirely by the Croatian government.

The comments of Vukovar mayor Ivan Penava

As Index further reports, after commemorating the 31^st anniversary of the death of Major General Blago Zadro, the mayor of Vukovar Ivan Penava was asked to comment on Patriarch Porfiri's message that it is necessary to pray for all victims from both sides, without distinction. He stated that the call to pay homage to innocently killed victims is a step in the right direction and that he welcomes it, but that the situation in which the Serbian Orthodox Church decided to promote the war criminal Vojislav Šešelj remains unacceptable.

"As a believer, I respect all religious institutions, including the Serbian Orthodox Church, but everyone must be aware that the moment you promote the war criminal Vojislav Šešelj, you close the door and that this is a story that is not welcome in Vukovar, said Penava.

He points out that "he would like Zagreb to become more aware that the story of Vukovar is also the story of Croatia" because he believes that it is not good for Vukovar to always be "on some sort of buffer or advanced position, while everyone else suffers from political correctness."

"If there must be a line below which we do not go, I think that everyone in Croatia will agree that Vojislav Šešelj and the Chetniks are the line that we will never agree to. I hope this attitude is a generally accepted value in Croatia because otherwise today's commemoration of Blago Zadro loses its meaning, said Penava.

He wished the citizens of the Republic of Croatia of Serbian and any other nationality to feel good in the Croatian state, and to respect their religious customs and culture, but that all of this "has nothing to do with Greater Serbian hegemony, aggression against Croatia, pretensions towards other people's territory and all other things which we witnessed 30 years ago".

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

October 12, 2022 – We have written about Vukovar before. You might know a little about how its history affects those who live there, what they do, or what happens in the city year-round. You might even be planning your weekend there. Maybe you’ll let the place change you like it changed Paul. In any case, when you do go, make sure you stop and honour its Danube.

This city and the river are one. The Danube is why people settled in the Vukovar area, Vučedol, as early as around 3000 BC. The Vučedol culture revolved around the riches provided by the river – fishing was, of course, a big part of their daily lives, and the kind of soil on which the settlements were built was especially fruitful thanks to its proximity to the river. The Vučedol settlement was only a couple of hundred metres away from the riverbank. If you visit the museum built on the actual site, you will surely see what it means to be so close to the Danube and to be close with the Danube.

Steve Tsentserensky

The Vučedol Culture Museum is the perfect place to start your Vukovar Danube tour. It was opened in 2015 and received an award for its architecture in 2016. It is among the few museums built on the actual site of the single culture it represents. If you would like to learn a little about how people lived in the area five thousand years ago and why they were just as cool and important as Egyptians, treat yourself to a visit to the museum. As a reward, you will enjoy some exceptional rooftop views at the end of your tour.

Steve Tsentserensky

If you were to follow the Danube from Vučedol towards the city centre, it would ensure the perfect itinerary. Firstly, you could stop by the Memorial Cemetery and light a candle for those who have given their lives for the Homeland. During autumn, just taking a walk there will be peaceful and serene, and on the way out, you can buy a little bag of roasted chestnuts to warm your soul. The next logical stop would be the Watertower. You can take the 198 stairs to its top or the panoramic lift. Either way, the journey will make you truly understand the sacrifice of Vukovar’s heroes, and the Danube will again display its grandness.

Vukovar Tourist Board

From there on, you can take the side streets and visit the Franciscan monastery and church on the hill or follow the main road to arrive directly at the baroque streets. These were initially built during the 17^th and 18^th centuries and were preserved and rebuilt time and time again, keeping their recognisable decorative look. This is the heart of Vukovar. You will find the shops of many of its small businesses and entrepreneurs nestled right under the famous arches. Take a right, and you will find your way to the riverbank yet again. Follow the newly built promenade, which will take you past the shopping street, the Municipal museum with its lovely open backyard, and finally, to the recreation part, where you’ll often find locals walking, cycling, skating, or catching some sun rays. You can even engage in our favourite pastime and sit down for a cup of coffee or two, followed by a beer or two, while overlooking the Vukovar Ada, making sure the Danube flows in the correct direction.

Vukovar Tourist Board / Marko Balaži

And just like the baroque street is the heart of the city, Ada is the heart of Vukovar’s Danube. In Croatian, the word ada means river island. And that’s what it is. And so much more. It’s a place of gathering, relaxation, recreation, pure fun, and joy. It’s Vukovar’s home in the summer. It’s the unique spot from which you can observe the silhouette of the city, almost feeling like the city is watching over you. If you enjoy camping, this is where you want to be. Perfectly calm during nighttime, full of life during the day. In Vukovar, there are two types of people – those who have their boats and those who take other boats to reach Ada. Usually starting in June until late August, boats will go up and down the river all day to take everyone to the island and back, and they will do it free of charge. In the middle of the island, facilities are set up so you can enjoy a quick bite or a refreshing drink between swims, naps, or rounds of beach volleyball.

Vukovar Tourist Board

Finally, if you would like a taste of the river along with a little glimpse into the culture, we recommend that you visit Vukovar either in June during the Danube Fest or in September for its Autumn Festival. On both occasions, you will have a chance to experience local tradition and way of life and taste some of the best products brought by the river and the soil of Vukovar, made possible by the crafty and hard-working hands of its experienced and knowledgeable home and fair, sometimes competition, chefs.

Vukovar Tourist Board / Vedran Barić

We could continue telling you of the riches the Danube provides for Vukovar, but we will leave some to your imagination and discovery. If you happen to visit this December, stay tuned for the dates of TCN’s presentation of a very special little something that we’ll call the Vukovar Card.

Vukovar Tourist Board / Marko Balaži

If you are only tuning in now, check out the previous editions of the Croatian Danube series - Aljmaš parts I and II, Erdut, and Dalj.

How good is your knowledge of eastern Croatia? Take the CROMADS test above - how many places do you recognise?

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.

September the 27th, 2022 - For the first time, the Zagreb Tourist Board will mark World Tourism Day outside of the capital city, looking to Eastern Croatia and choosing Vukovar.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Tourist Board of the City of Zagreb (TZGZ) traditionally celebrates World Tourism Day every single year, and this year will be the first time it will do so outside of the City of Zagreb, presenting the long-standing educational high school project "Culture of Tourism" in Vukovar. As such, in cooperation with the Croatian Association of Tourist Journalists and Writers in Tourism - FIJET Croatia, the projects of the students of Zagreb will be presented within the a programme called "Culture and tourism in the revival of the continental tourist offer".

The Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Martina Bienenfeld, said on this occasion: "World Tourism Day is celebrated on September the 27th under the auspices of the UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation), so I'd hereby like to send my sincere congratulations to the entire tourism industry of Zagreb and Croatia. In accordance with this year's slogan, Rethinking tourism, we focused on our "Culture of tourism" project, which we're implementing in cooperation with the City Office for Education, Sport and Youth.

With this project, we're involving young people in participating in environmental protection programmes, raising their quality of life, preserving ethnological, historical and cultural heritage, raising the level of hospitality and creating a welcoming climate, and with their great work, they're showing how well tourism can truly be thought through. With an emphasis placed on year-round tourism, Zagreb has a developed, sustainable, equal and responsible tourist offer and has achieved great tourist results in the previous part of the year. Cooperation with Zagreb's high school students provides the foundations for shaping the future of tourism in a way that makes it sustainable, stronger, more inclusive and empowering both for our city and for the country as a whole."

Through the systematic education of Zagreb high school students for whom tourism and catering are not primary, the Zagreb Tourist Board hopes the "Culture of Tourism" project will succeed in its aim to raise the students' awareness of their own city and introduce young people to its touristic, cultural and natural potential. Over the years, all schools in the City of Zagreb have participated in the project, and this year there were six of them. They will present their projects in Vukovar this year.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

September 27, 2022 - The fall of Vukovar on November 18 1991 is marked every year all over the country. Some previously unseen footage, including a tour of the hospital, shows the true horrors and suffering of war on that fateful day. 

The horrendous images coming out of Ukraine over the last 7 months have shocked the world, with millions of Ukrainians forced from their towns and villages, their homes destroyed. 

The images have reawoken some brutal memories among people in Croatia, especially eastern Croatia, which experienced similar aggression in the Homeland War from 1991-5. 

I am just back from the east, where I recorded the first TCN video podcast with Englishman Steve Gaunt, who has lived in Vinkovci since arriving in Croatia in 1991 to fight as a volunteer for Croatia in their war of independence. 

Steve has a fascinating story which you will soon be able to watch, as we recorded for more than an hour in his magical English pub, The White Boar, in a field in the middle of nowhere in eastern Croatia. 

Steve was wounded in the fighting, but carried on, despite losing a foot. He was also very active with the media as a photographer and helping out the international media, in particular ITN News. He formed a great relationship with ITN News anchor, the legendary Michael Nicholson, who gave him a lot of the uncut footage of his reporting as a parting gift. 

Steve has decided to publish that footage on his YouTube channel, Steve Gaunt - you can subscribe here. PLEASE NOTE - these images are VERY disturbing.

The videos are all from November 18 1991, the day that Vukovar finally fell after a brutal 87-day siege. The scenes of people trudging through the ruins of the city and being led out into exile are truly harrowing.

Even unedited, the footage is compelling viewing, and the level of detail it captures makes it an important historical reminder of what happened that day.

But the most harrowing is the third video of the three, as Nicholson and his camera crew have a tour of the basement hospital where around 600 patients (including 12 babies born in horrific conditions) somehow managed to exist from day to day, despite there being no basic supplies such as running water for over a month.

The interviews with the heroic doctors are testament to the bravery and dedication of true heroes working in the most appalling conditions. But what makes the footage even more terrifying is what happened next.

The same day as Nicholson and his team visited the hospital, Vukovar fell, and the Serbs entered the hospital. Some 200 were taken away and murdered. According to Steve, these included the heroic doctor in the lead photo. 

The female doctor who gave the main interview survived, as did the injured baby, who is now married. 

September 13, 2022 – There are doctors, and lawyers, and business executives… and then there are florists, and artists, and Mess. Vukovar’s underground scene might be a bit like a certain city that suffered a nuclear catastrophe in 1986, but something is cooking. If you try hard enough, you can learn about it today from the creative minds behind Mess. Mess is what they are, Mess is what our interview was. Mess is all you need to know, it’s all we can say, it’s nothing, but it’s enough. This colourful group of young individuals somehow got together and decided to start producing hip hop. In Vukovar. 365.

What is Mess all about?

Mess is a music collective and Telegram group with a focus on rap, but we dabble in various genres.

Our members are Kien, Kari Gasparov, Sky Kole, Sveti Melodije, Ivica Šetač, Glone, and 2 much-respected telegram bots (all our birth names).

How did that happen, what inspired the movement?

We met on a night out by chance, talked, and found out that we share a love for hip hop and music in general.

Not long after that, we agreed to meet in the spaces of Youth Peace Group Danube where they had a music studio, and those gatherings became Mess.

Not, that’s what it looked like on the surface, but the reality is that Trun was behind it all. It connected us metaphysically to channel his agenda and enter the collective consciousness of this city, possibly even beyond.

We only found out after 3 years when he appeared at an after-party to tell his truth.

Can you tell us more about Trun?

Dall-e2 and Pegla (Mess)

Trun? Trun is a powerful entity that lives mainly in the 6^th dimension but possesses the ability to appear in the third dimension as well, though exclusively in after-parties. We were able to learn about his form with the help of another one of our friends, Dall-e. Dall-e is an AI image generator that creates art based on briefs where you can indicate the subject, the style, and more. We had a chance to Beta test the program and are thankful for the gift of Trun.

What message are you sending through this project?

We don't send messages, we send messages through things.

The overarching message would be that we live in a society.

What is your main product?

Our main product is music, we are not really planning anything else, except Mess merch.

What is the underground scene like in Vukovar?

The scene in Vukovar is something like Chernobyl, with only mutants and strong genes remaining, we might be something in between.

On a serious note, though there has been some interest, we believe that it is not strong enough to call it a scene.

Attempts to create a vibrant alternative scene in the city have so far been unsuccessful and miserable.

Are you connected with anyone else, how does that work?

We are not really connected with anyone, nor do we have any plans to do so, that can only happen if we vibe.

How is your music perceived in Vukovar?

From time to time people say “good stuff”, that’s all we know.

Some of you have left Vukovar, how is it living abroad?

“I know that over there is better, but over there is not mine”. - Coby.

What about home then, what would you change?

The city is as it is, we can't change anything there, but if we could, we would like to see a livelier alt scene, we’d like it if everyone had more money and there were more people.

Who was your inspiration?

The late Ringo.

Tell us about your latest drop.

It’s called Inžinjer, give it a listen. The cover art was directly inspired by the line

Kontam da sam nekad mogo bit inžinjer

Al’ povuko me mulj iz Panonske nizine.

(I wish I could have been an engineer

But I was pulled by the sludge from the Pannonian plain).

Tools used: Dall-e2 for the background representing the sludge and Photoshop for blending and text.

For more, make sure to check out our Lifestyle section.

If you are in or from Vukovar, do something interesting, and would like to be featured, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Subject 365.

September 8, 2022 – While the Adriatic coast is still almost exclusively a summer destination, other parts of Croatia strive to fill the gap. Among them, Vukovar is indeed full of life, 365 days a year. The local tourist board shared some of their insight for season 2022 so far. Year-round tourism in Vukovar is the mission, and it seems that it’s been going well.

CNTB has been working to stregthen continental tourism, and Vukovar is a step ahead. As they put it in the local tourist board, this city is not a seasonal destination anyway, though its highlights are a higher number of tourist arrivals in spring and autumn. Statistically speaking, the number of overnight stays is an indicator of the success of a season, but in Vukovar, even one-day visitors should make the count, it's just that it is difficult to count them accurately.

Significant sports events as well as manifestations and festivals generate an increased number of arrivals and overnight stays (Vukovar Film Festival, Svi zaJedno Hrvatsko NAJ).

In the period from 1^st January until 31^st August, 19.605 arrivals and 33.005 overnight stays were recorded in Vukovar. Out of the total number of overnight stays, 24.641 were domestic guests and 8.364 foreigners. The number of overnight stays compared to the same period last year is 113.93% higher in total. The number of overnight stays of foreign tourists increased by 63.26%, and of domestic tourists by 139.12%. Such a large overnight index of domestic tourists is the result of the return of students' visits for a two-day tour of Vukovar, while in 2021 they would only come for one-day visits, without overnight stays.

As for arrivals, the total amounts to 19.605, of which 2.744 were foreign guests, and 16.861 were domestic. Last year, there were 13.756 fewer arrivals, because in 2021 there were no student excursions that included overnight stays, so they are not recorded here. Looking at arrivals and overnight stays in 2022 without students, the total number of arrivals was 9.188, of which 2.725 were foreign guests and 6.463 domestic. This means that this year 10.398 students visited Vukovar. Comparing the indexes of arrivals and overnight stays, it is apparent that in the total amount, arrivals exceeded last years' by 57.9%, and overnight stays by 36.60%. The number of foreign tourist arrivals increased by 97.89% and domestic by 44.52%. In terms of overnight stays, the increase of foreign guests has been 61.59 %, and domestic guests 24.18 %.

The people of Vukovar have always lived on and by their river, and they still spend a lot of time on its waves and banks. It is increasingly attractive to guests from other parts of Croatia, and numerous guests from all over the world on river cruises sail down the Danube.

In 2021, 125 river cruise ships docked in Vukovar with 11.349 passengers. For 2022, 339 cruisers were announced, at the level of 2019, when 351 cruisers docked.

The Film Festival of the Danube countries - the Vukovar Film Festival, which is in many respects unique - has returned to the banks of the Danube in its full glory. It is the only film festival that literally takes place on the Danube and thus offers a unique experience. It was designed to promote and expand the creative rise of filmmakers from the Danube countries. The 16th edition of the Festival was held from June 29 to July 3, and it brought over 50 of the latest acclaimed and award-winning films from prestigious international film festivals.

Vukovar was an important destination for film festivals this summer. Another film festival premiered on July 29 and 30 - Klein Film Festival. Klein is a film and music festival, which is conceived as an international festival of short feature, documentary, and animated films up to 20 minutes long. The festival is a tribute to Hugo Klein, a theater professor, theoretician, and psychiatrist born in Vukovar.

Summer in Vukovar is unthinkable without swimming in the Danube on Vukovar Ada, a sandy island opposite the city that is ranked among the ten most beautiful and interesting beaches in Croatia on rivers and lakes. This year too, free transportation was provided for all those looking for refreshment and an escape from the heat and scorching city asphalt. The Vukovar Ada is a great place for camping and beach volleyball, and good fun in a pleasant company is guaranteed.

An interesting program called Danube Garden Summer Nights has been designed for this year, with good music, delicious food, and refreshing drinks under the Danube stars. A total of four concerts during July and August were held on the summer stage by the Danube, which in its magical ambiance was a hit place this year for pleasant socialising, fun, and enjoying the beauty of Vukovar nights. There was also a cinema under the stars, a motorcycle party, and numerous other cultural and similar events. It is no small thing to live in a city through which the second largest European river flows! It should be emphasised, celebrated, and simply lived with the Danube, as the people of Vukovar show by example.

As autumn approaches, preparations begin for the 15^th Vukovar ethno fair, which will be held from September 23 to 25 at Republic Square. Craftsmen from all over Croatia will join the fair again this year at the 6^th Flavours of Croatia fair, organised by the Vukovar Artisans Association, where they will prepare and present their autochthonous dishes. Brewers and representatives of the German and Austrian minority communities as part of the 5^th Vukovar OktoBierFest will also showcase their products. There is no better place to promote beer and brewers than Vukovar and its fair - after all, the first beer was produced in Vučedol.

During the fair, the Association of Tourist Guides of the City of Vukovar is organising a free guided tour of the city for the local population and visitors for the fifth year in a row, on the occasion of World Tourism Day, which is September 27. This year, costumed guides will take us back to the old times in the city.

All photos by Vukovar Tourist Board.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.

September 5, 2022 – Even though the summer is not yet completely gone, and many tourists are still spending their days at the beautiful beaches of the Adriatic Sea, September is a special month all around Croatia. In Vukovar, a replica of a Roman ship sails in on Tuesday the 6^th of September to tell stories of the Roman times.

With events popping up left and right, celebrating wine, movement, food, art, and a lot more, you will find something to do wherever you go. Among them, the coast of the Danube and Vukovar shine yet again to show that eastern Slavonia is, in fact, full of life 365 days a year.

Interreg: The ship's route and programme

As part of the international Interreg project Living Danube Limes, on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, a replica of a Roman ship from the 4^th century will sail into Vukovar. The ship started its journey on the Danube Limes on July 15, 2022, in Germany, and after having sailed through Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, it arrived in Croatia. The crew, made up of international volunteers, has sailed to Batina, Aljmaš, and Dalj in Croatia on the way to Vukovar, and after a two-day stay in Vukovar, the ship will continue its journey towards Ilok and further down the Danube to the Black Sea. The Croatian partner of the project is the Institute of Archaeology, which, together with the City Museum of Vukovar and the Vučedol Culture Museum, participated in the organisation of this event in Vukovar.

Vukovar Municipal Museum: The programme in Vukovar - the arrival of the ship on Tuesday, educational workshops, lectures, and a pub quiz on Wednesday

On this occasion, the Vukovar Municipal Museum prepared various content for all ages, from workshops for children and adults, and lectures on the topic of making a ship replica to a museum pub quiz. It should be pointed out that the replica of the ship will be available for viewing by all interested visitors on both days. They invite all citizens to join in and experience the atmosphere of the Roman era in the 21^st century.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August 30, 2022 - At the junction of Slavonia and Srijem, through vineyards and hills, forests and plains, through museums and monuments, where the Danube kisses the sky, on September 3, a new BRUTAL bicycle race is coming. After a successful race in Beli Manastir, in Baranja, BRUT arrives in Vukovar. It is a 25 or 50 km race through vineyards, fields, forests, and unpaved roads.

In addition to the race itself, on September 1 and 2, we can expect a bicycle tour of the Bata-Borovo industrial heritage as well as street art murals as part of the VukovArt program, a tourist tour around Vukovar, a children's race and a traffic safety workshop, and of course, evening entertainment programs on the 2^nd and on the 3^rd day of the event.

The full program, as presented on the official website of :BRUT, will look like this:

September 1, 2022 :BRUT Murali starting at 16:00 - 18:00 tour of the city of Vukovar and murals on buildings by bike.

September 2, 2022 :BRUT

Small children's races starting at 10:00 and duration until 12:00, city center Vukovar.
Preschool kids, 100m races.

Traffic safety - joint action with the Ministry of Interior and PD Vukovar.

September 2, 2022 :BRUT Sights starting at 16:00 a tour of the sights in the city of Vukovar – a tourist tour by bike and then a gathering in the bar "Vukovarsko naj".

September3, 2022 :BRUT Vukovar  

:BRUT official race map

Start of the race on September 3, 2022 at 16:00h (registration of participants from 14:00h)
Start - zone target: Salaš Goldschmidt (on the road between Vukovar and Sotin)
Length 25 km and 50 km (choice of route on the trail)
The path is circular in shape. Cyclists ride 1 lap in the 25km race and 2 laps in the 50km race.
The time limit (time-cut) is 3:00h (until 19:00h), and everyone who does not complete one lap in 80 minutes will not be able to go to another and will be counted time for :BRUT Vukovar 25.

After the race, lunch and drinks are provided for all participants and :BRUT Chill with a DJ, fun and socializing. 

For an awesome weekend of walking, cycling, and enjoying the sights and events, we encourage you to apply here (participation includes the start package, meal and drink, and guaranteed entertainment).

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August 5, 2022 – The Vučedol Culture Museum in Vukovar remains a truly special place. Its unique location, architecture, and the dedication of those who make things happen there day after day, all keep drawing you back and leave you longing for more. This time, the invitation is out for all who like anything digital, 3D, and in general thinking out of the box. A new interactive exhibition nicknamed Vučedolac izvan okvira (The Vučedol Man Outside His Box) is open until the end of August.

Tportal followed up with the author of the exhibition, Darko Bilandžić, who is also the head of marketing at the Vučedol Culture Museum. He points out that, thanks to their approach to marketing and the possibilities of the digital world, he decided to offer the museum’s visitors a digital insight into the life of the prehistoric people of Vučedol.

Photo: Vučedol Culture Museum

“The people of Vučedol were advanced as a culture and in many ways ahead of many at that time. We could say that they thought outside the box. I believe that we have passed the time of static museums, which require visitors to walk through them and read the materials next to the exhibits. In addition to improving our website, we decided to go a step further and create an interactive exhibition using augmented reality technology”, says Bilandžić.

He explains that ten tablets are available to visitors, which they can use to scan ten posters to find the corresponding 3D, audio, text, or video content.

“With this type of presentation, we want to get even closer to the younger generation and keep up with the modern ways of presenting museum material, and thus further build our digital archive. I must admit that the feedback of our visitors pleasantly surprised me, as it clearly shows how important it is to continue working in the direction of new technologies”, says Darko Bilandžić.

He adds that even as a child he was interested in advanced technologies and that robots were his favourite toys.

“That passion for new and advanced technologies always stayed with me. Back in 2016, at the Vučedol Culture Museum, we had visitors take a virtual walk through the museum with the help of VR glasses”, he recalls.

He added that the “trigger” for greater involvement in the digital presentation of cultural material was the coronavirus pandemic when many museums were closed.

“It made apparent that a lot of museums were not ready for online work. We saw our chance there and I dove into learning and education, and this exhibition is the first result of that”, he says proudly, adding that without digital technologies in the future it will be difficult to imagine the operation of any museum.

Photo: Vučedol Culture Museum

This marketing expert believes that augmented reality offers museums unimagined opportunities for development and getting closer to citizens of all ages.

“We especially want to get closer to young people and get them interested in everything that the Vučedol Culture Museum offers, and it offers many things that define today's life and reality”, concludes Darko Bilandžić.

Darko is a marketing expert who has a passion for a reality that is virtual, augmented, or extended. If you would like to know more about that, make sure to check out TCN’s interview with Darko on Culex, a successful VR company that he co-owns.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.