Noble Route of Slavonia and Podravina

Slavonia and Podravina, unexpectedly beautiful, unexpectedly close, and unexpectedly green, are the slogans of the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board, each of which, individually and together, tells a wonderful story about this unique destination. About 150 kilometers from Zagreb, the destination is the perfect place for a 'weekend getaway', but also for a longer vacation that you want to spend combining history and the present, untouched nature, and experiences that will take you back in time. One of the most significant tourist products of this destination is certainly the Noble Route, which connects the greatest attractions of Virovitica-Podravina County over 80 kilometers - renovated castles and manors that are now hotels, museums, or interpretation centers whose contents will be enjoyed by all generations.

"Our Noble Route is a multiple award-winning content that combines cultural and historical heritage with two UNESCO areas - the Papuk Mountains and the Drava River, and offers a break from everyday life, peace, relaxation and an authentic experience of the destination combined with an active vacation. One route, eight locations and, as we like to say, noble enjoyment, connects cities and villages, providing the opportunity for a unique experience of history and the present, traditional and modern, which always delights modern travelers" - says Martina Jakelić, director of the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board, adding that a special Noble Route booklet was explicitly created for this attraction. It presents all the locations on this route, and next to each there is a space for a stamp for the location. Pay special attention to this because, over time, collecting all the stamps will reveal a surprise - a free overnight stay at this destination.

In a small picturesque village in the Podravina part of this county, the famous poet Petar Preradović was born in the 19th century. His birthplace is now a beautiful interpretation centre where you will learn all about his life and creativity through interactive experiences. You can easily sit at a school desk and write a verse of your own poem with pen and ink, see how his uniform looks on you, hear all the details of the Illyrian Revival, but also how his poems were set to music.

You will also learn a great deal about his military career in the Austro-Hungarian army, during which he earned the title of nobleman. The poetic and noble story in Grabrovnica will delight all generations. The visit to the centre takes place with an expert guide, and as you ponder the impressive life story of this poet, the path will lead you to the beautiful city of Virovitica.

Elegant and modern, Virovitica is today one of the true pearls of continental Croatia. An incredible blend of history and the future, once known as 'Little Venice', will delight you along the Noble Route. The main attraction is undoubtedly the Baroque-Classicist Pejačević Castle, built in the early 19th century. Its history is fascinating (and turbulent), and it is named after its first owners, an influential family of the time, the Pejačević family. The castle doors are open, so on this Noble Route, be sure to take a peek inside and indulge in the modern and multimedia exhibition of the Virovitica City Museum.

The permanent exhibition is awe-inspiring, featuring the Wooden Age exhibition, which takes you through the past of the life of Mikeš (an indigenous inhabitant of Virovitica), customs, but also the interaction of farmers with the nobility that significantly shaped this region. In the museum, you will also see the Pejačević lineage in the best possible light, learn about how this region developed during their time, and hear stories about the not-so-distant past when Virovitica transformed into the city it is today. While exploring the Pejačević Castle, be sure to cross the bridges that lead to the entrance gate. They, too, tell their stories and leave every modern traveler breathless.

And when you get in the car, leaving the Pejačević Castle behind, you have already been 'intoxicated' by this wonderful Noble Route. The information you collect along the way opens up a hunger for new things in an incredible way. And while I think that the Pejačevićs were not 'even crazy' when they built their castle in Virovitica, the road leads you to Suhopolje. And once again, it is a fascinating place and a peaceful oasis for life, and the Janković Castle is also located there.

The castle has experienced turbulence throughout its history, and its current appearance is mainly due to Elemir Pl. Janković, who 'digitized' it and surrounded it with a spacious park, after a Hungarian noblewoman rejected his proposal. Today, the castle houses a Visitor Center, which, among other features, offers 30 specially designed rooms that combine modern and traditional elements, as well as a wellness center.

Summer houses have long been built in harmony with nature. Thus, in the 19th century, the summer residence of Count Drašković was built, not far from the Drava River, but also Papuk, hidden in the green belt of the picturesque village of Noskovci. Throughout history, the summer residence has changed in purpose, often serving as a primary school and an apartment for teachers. In the 21st century, it has evolved into the Drava Story Visitor Center.

In an irresistible setting, the summer house features a section for accommodating visitors (a modern hostel for families and groups) and an educational section where visitors are introduced to the worlds of butterflies, owls, fish, birds, and amphibians. Special features include the recovery areas for birds of prey, such as the osprey, and the stork nests where they await their young at this time of year. The visitor centre is a wonderful place where you can learn about how the past, present, and future converge in a natural environment along this Noble Route.

Near the Drava Story there is another stop on the Noble Route where the past and present come together incredibly. Pustara Višnjica was first mentioned at a time when nobles in this area were building castles and summer houses, as an agricultural estate (pustara - a type of agricultural land used for grazing livestock). This unique place - the plain connecting the Drava and Papuk - was ruled by two noble families: the German princely family Schaumburg-Lippe (known, among other things, for starting the production of sparkling wine in Slatina and for buying the Virovitica castle from the Pejačević family in 1841) and the count family Drašković (Ivan Drašković), who very quickly turned it into one of the most developed estates of its kind in Slavonia. At that time, Višnjica was a settlement with 200 inhabitants, thus representing a model of sustainable development and a place considered the most developed in its category at the time in Slavonia.

At that time, this estate had an elementary school, a shop, a clinic, and various social and cultural activities (cinema and theater performances), sports facilities (bowling alley, playgrounds). Interestingly, the electricity needed for the factory and household at that time was produced from renewable energy sources. History says that the idyll in this area lasted until the second half of the 20th century, when Pustara became deserted - the population moved out, and the buildings remained neglected. Today, Višnjica is a unique place for every modern traveler - a hotel, an estate, a restaurant, a stud farm and a farm.

While you are on the Noble Route, leave enough time to enjoy Pustara Višnjica because you will find it difficult to resist what it has to offer - from local southern young rooster or pheasant, to the fusion of tradition and modernity, to breaded deep-fried carp, goulash, strudel that you will easily rate as the best in the world.

And so, assessing the richness of the Noble Route, visiting all the locations mentioned so far, you will think that you have seen the best of the best. If we are talking about castles and manors, yes, but when it comes to nature, the beauty of this route is yet to come. On the way to Jankovac, stop in the picturesque village of Voćin. Known as a Marian sanctuary, Voćin is the birthplace of nobleman Josip Janković, whose story will lead to the Papuk Nature Park – a UNESCO World Geopark.

In Voćin, visit the modern Geo Info Center, a multimedia visitor center. Here you will not 'meet' a nobleman, but a small ammonite Toni, whose adventure through the past you will experience in a 20-minute animated film in the 6D cinema. Along with the film, a circular walk through this center offers excellent lessons in history and biology, where you will learn a great deal about the geological development of Papuk, including the location of the first natural monument in Croatia, the petrified rock of Rupnica.

From Voćin, along the Noble Route, head deeper into the Papuk region. This is a mountain that UNESCO included in its network of geoparks in 1999. On its northern slopes is the Jankovac Forest Park, which enchanted the nobleman Josip Janković with its impressive beauty as early as the 19th century. On the ruins of the former glass factory, he built a wooden castle in which Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer also stayed.

The castle no longer exists, but the nature in this place is unique - two mountain lakes tell their own stories and the circular Count's educational trail (2.5 km long) leads you to another exceptional attraction of this locality - the 35-meter-high Skakavac waterfall, which plunges into the Kovačica stream. With the waterfall, you return to the place from which you started your exploration, and when you are there, be sure to stop and take a break with an eno-gastronomic experience. Finish your noble route in noble style at the Jankovac Mountain Lodge - with a plate of beans or the 'Forest on the Table' menu, through which you will experience the refined flavors of mushrooms, game and berries, which can be seen growing on Papuk in late spring.

Photos: Nikola Zoko