October 9, 2020 – Even though rural areas in Croatia are not as popular as urban ones, they also hide immense traditional beauty. Check out the Eco Ethno village Strug, a perfect place to enjoy nature and traditional Posavina dishes in the company of many domestic animals.
Rural tourism in Croatia has a lot to offer. One of such beautiful rural areas is the Eco-Ethno village Strug, a rural tourist estate known for its magical scenes of idyllic countryside.
Rainy and cloudy day at the Eco-Ethno village Strug / Donatella Pauković
And yes, by saying the countryside, it is a village with an unusual surrounding of untouched nature, dirt, mud (when it rains), and domestic animals. But it all makes the experience of visiting unique and real!
Calmness and relaxation
The Eco-ethno village Strug is located in a small village of Plesmo in the heart of Posavina and is part of the Nature Park Lonjsko Polje. The name Strug was given after the eponymous Posavina canal that flows in the area.
The whole estate contains several decorated traditional oak houses for staying overnight, and a restaurant with traditional dishes overlooking the small excavated pond, and a large pasture where Posavina horses graze and run freely. The whole atmosphere at the estate is so calm and relaxing you almost feel like you're ruining it. You can feel it in the video below:
To complete the atmosphere, the rooms and apartments are decorated in an authentic ethno style but are equipped with a television, safe, central heating, air conditioner, and a refrigerator. In this remote village 30 minutes away from the closest small town of Novska, it is difficult to catch a mobile signal, but the cottages and the restaurant have free wireless internet.
Traditional oak houses (in the distance) and a wooden shed (on the right) / Donatella Pauković
The restaurant can be visited whether you want to have lunch, dinner, or just enjoy an afternoon coffee watching the domestic farm animals, which makes a perfect weekend getaway.
The whole atmosphere at the Eco-Ethno village Strug is calm and relaxing / Donatella Pauković
A small eaves and a terrace in front of the restaurant that can be used when it's hot and sunny / Donatella Pauković
Food heaven
The restaurant offers many Posavina traditional specialties, of which the most prominent is venison. Deer in cranberry sauce and boar in the plum sauce are dishes that must be tasted here, and river fish specialties such as perch, catfish, and pike are also offered.
The interior of the restaurant / Donatella Pauković
For an appetizer, they offer a traditional type of pasta called “trganci“ with sour cream and baked bacon, and an interesting side dish, which is not common in restaurants – polenta with sour cream. For dessert, Posavina specialties are also served, such as dumplings topped with sour cream and poppy seeds or plums.
The food they serve originally comes from the local area, and, as they say, "it is prepared in a traditional domestic manner according to long-forgotten recipes of the Posavina region".
Deer in cranberry sauce and boar in the plum sauce, along with homemade dumplings and gnocchi / Donatella Pauković
The restaurant's wine offer includes excellent wines from the nearby Moslavina region, which is known for its Škrlet wine sort. In the Eco-ethno village Strug, Škrlet is an indispensable part of the menu.
The restaurant is quite large and it often hosts various celebrations, and even weddings, as the country landscape represents a beautiful setting for wedding photos.
A view on the small lake from the restaurant / Donatella Pauković
Domestic animals' property
Also, the Eco-Ethno village Strug is located near the architectural heritage village Krapje, and not far away is the stork village of Čigoč, which we described in an article dedicated to Lonjsko Polje, so the visitors are offered plenty of other activities.
Visiting the Eco-ethno village Strug, one gets used to the presence of many domestic animals that enjoy grazing there. The sound (and the smell) of domestic animals such as chickens, roosters, ducks, geese, and rabbits surround the farm.
Poultry at the Eco-Ethno village Strug / Donatella Pauković
However, the main “stars“ of the Eco-ethno village Strug are unquestionably Posavina horses. Six of them live here and freely feed on the grass on pasture, while people only occasionally give them corn.
Some of them are retired racehorses. They are tame and lovely because they are used to people, especially children who visit the village as part of school trips. Until recently, there was also the possibility of horseback riding, but these activities were stopped due to the current pandemic.
But regardless, it is a real pleasure to just watch them through the large windows of the restaurant, and maybe approach them and tease them.
Posavina horses / Donatella Pauković
Posavina horse / Donatella Pauković
Whether you want to escape in nature or replace the usual environment with the rather unusual touch of the countryside where you don't have to think about anything, the Eco-ethno village Strug will not disappoint you.
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