osijek

10 Culture & EventsWhere to stay1131.08 Wednesday - 03.09 SaturdayA Land Without Boundaries…and…www.zemljabezgranica.com. An annual event dedicatedto mother earth and all her natural beauty. Take part inworkshops and performances that are inspired by forestand water; over 3000 children will participate and a uniqueinstallation of children’s works entitled ‘Let’s keep the coloursof water’ will be presented. The event takes place along thepromenade towards the Osijek Hotel and around the greenarea next to Bijela Lađa.03.09 Saturday - 04.09 SundayPudarinaGajić. Pudarina is the old name for the custom of keepinggrapes in fermentation between the Feast of the Assumptionand Nativity of Virgin Mary. Would you believe that this customwith a holy touch holds many interesting events such asflirtation between girls and boys? Around the Assumption,girls would usually be accompanied by older women and wouldgo to the cellar in the village of Gajić. During the day, theirsinging and cheerful yelling would drive away all the animalsthat were intent on eating ripe grapes, whilst the rest of thetime was dedicated to embroidery. In the evenings, boyswould join the girls who had waited for them the entire dayand together with pipes playing and singing, new loves wereborn. During this event, wine makers in the area will open theircellar doors and will offer wine tasting to visitors.02.06.2012. Saturday - 03.06.2012. SundayBaranjski bećaracThis is a true ‘ethno festival’ with folklore dance and musicthe prime attraction. Step into the rhythm as folk ensemblespresent their audacious national costumes and age olddances. See the tools blacksmiths, tailors and other peopleused back in yonder as well as horse and carriage rides andlocal wine tasting. This summer event has spread beyond thevillage of Draž and includes Topolje, Gajić and Duboševica.09.06.2012. Saturday - 10.06.2012. SundaySurduk festivalThis international cultural event takes place in the transitionfrom spring to summer in June. It is here that wine makersand artists combine and offer an unforgettable experienceto visitors with concerts, ethno fairs, ethno workshops, winefairs and more… in the villages ofBeli Manastir, Kneževi Vinogradi,Zmajevac, Suza, Karanac andothers. Visit www.surduk.comfor more information or contactBaranja Tourist Board (+385-31) 70 20 80.15.06.2012. Friday -08.07.2012. SundayĐakovački vezoviĐakovo, www.tz-djakovo.hr. Are you fashionably inclinedor do you prefer a taste of tradition? Either way, ĐakovačkiCinemasCineplexx D-3, Sv.Leopolda Mandića 50a (AvenueMall), tel. (+385-31) 65 90 00, www.cineplexx.hr.QOpen 15:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 23:00.CineStar Osijek B-3, Svilajska 31a (PortanovaCenter), tel. 060 32 32 33, www.blitz-cinestar.hr.QOpen 14:00 - 22:30, Fri 14:00 - 24:30, Sat 11:00 -24:30, Sun 11:00 - 22:30.vezovi is a well known cultural event that caters for the above.It’s a folklore show that offers visitors the opportunity tosee a range of diversely handcrafted and richly decoratedtraditional costumes. It attracts folklore groups from theSlavonija and Baranja region, as well as from other parts ofCroatia and abroad.Shrove Tuesday 2012.KakasutesVardarac. Pagan customs have been revived again in theVardarac village. Masked roosters tour around the village andgather gifts, mainly chicken eggs. They have the right to catcheverything that moves in any backyard so hosts commonlylock their chickens and give gifts to the roosters instead. In thecentre of the village a contest called ‘the beating of a rooster’is held where girls with their eyes tied up have to beat-up arooster with a stick. The winner is a girl who strikes the roosterwith her eyes tied up and as a gift she gets everything thatthe roosters were given throughout the village. All the giftsare gathered and they make a dish out of it at the dinner partywhere everyone eats and dances. Cockadoodle do!Pentecost 2012.The Spring March of Ljelje through GorjaniGorjani. Haunting! Spooky! Hmmm…According to tradition,the so-called queens of the village Gorjani in the Osijek-BaranjaTheatresThe Spring March of Ljelje through Gorjaniregion go around the village and perform a ritual made ofspecial songs as well as their famous dance of swords.This custom is called the Yearly spring march of queens or‘Ljelje’ which dates back to the beginning of the last century.It has been put on the UNESCO list of non-material culturalheritage.Children’s Theatre Branko Mihaljević (Dječjekazalište Branka Mihaljevića) H-3, Trg banaJosipa Jelačića 19, tel. (+385-31) 50 14 85/(+385-31) 53 07 66, djecje.kazaliste@os.t-com.hr, www.djecje-kazaliste.hr.Croatian National Theatre (Hrvatsko narodnokazalište) E-2, Županijska 9, tel. (+385-31) 22 0700, www.hnk-osijek.hr.Symbol keyP Air conditioningO CasinoT Child friendlyR InternetF Fitness centreK RestaurantD SaunaA Credit cards acceptedH Conference facilitiesU Facilities for the disabledL Guarded parkingG Non-smoking rooms6 Animal friendlyC Swimming poolUpmarketOsijek E-2, Šamačka 4, tel. (+385-31) 23 03 33,fax (+385-31) 23 04 44, info@hotelosijek.hr, www.hotelosijek.hr. This hotel has actually been around for27 years, but the facelift it recently received has made itlook brand-spanking-new. The gleaming glass of the hoteldominates the skyline of the Winter Harbor, and inside thehotel offers the services you expect from any quality fourstarhotel: a fitness center, wireless Internet, catering andconference organization, and on and on. There are somehotels closer to the center, but for comfort and luxury,including a prime location for Osijek’s Promenade, this isyour place. Q147 rooms (27 singles €117, 113 doubles€123 - 170, 6 suites €182 - 216, 1 Presidential Suite €446).PTHAR6UIFLGBKDS hhhhZoo D-1, Sjevernodravska obala bb, Tvrđavica, tel.(+385-31) 22 99 22, fax (+385-31) 22 99 11, zoo-hotel@zoo-hotel.com, www.zoo-hotel.com. The Hotel Zoo, acrossthe river next to the city zoo, is painted the color of a limeflavoredsports drink, the only shade you won’t find in jungleor savannah. But inside, it’s wood, marble and animal skin.Each room, including the dining room, is furnished with apredator or prey theme, leopard- or zebra-print, including yourfuzzy slippers. The motif is attractive, and many rooms havea view of the city across the river. The restaurant seats 250people and can be partitioned for banquets and conferences.One room is handicapped-accessible. Q18 rooms (2 singles460kn, 15 doubles 660kn, 1 apartments 710 - 810kn).PHARULGKW hhhhOld-school charmWaldinger E-2, Županijska 8, tel. (+385-31) 25 0450, fax (+385-31) 25 04 53, info@waldinger.hr, www.waldinger.hr. Housed in a handsome Art Nouveau buildinga few steps away from the Cathedral, this small-sized andintimate hotel conjures up the atmosphere of nineteenthcenturyOsijek’s belle-epoque. Plush red-and-gold carpets andsolid dark-brown furnishings provide an opulent feel, and eachroom comes with a reasonable amount of desk space anda fair-sized bathtub. Q16 rooms (1 singles €90, 14 doubles€131, 1 apartments €165). PHARFLGBKDWhhhhMid-rangeDrava D/E-3, Ivana Gundulića 25a, tel. (+385-31) 2505 00, fax (+385-31) 25 05 03, drava1@optinet.hr,www.hotel-drava.com. A small hotel off Gundulićeva, theDrava is close to a tram stop and is a short walk from themain square. Understated modern décor in the foyer givesway to skylit halls and brightly-colored, comfy rooms. Bedsare comfortably sized: single rooms have double beds andsome doubles have queen-size beds. A family might like oneof the business rooms, each of which offers a pull-out couchin a separate seating area. Breakfast is served in the dining/reception area. Rooms have satellite TV. Laundry serviceis available. Q11 rooms (4 singles €56, 7 doubles €84).PAR6LGXCW hhhMillenium G-3, Kralja P. Svačića 12, tel. (+385-31) 5313 30, fax (+385-31) 53 13 31, info@hotel-millenium.hr, www.hotel-millenium.hr. Intended primarily for businesspeople, the Millennium offers neat, simply-furnished roomswith satellite TV, a dining room and adjoining café-bar if youneed a pick-me-up after a long trip. If that isn’t enough,some rooms have bathtubs with massage-jets so you canrelax before heading out for a night on the town. Q17 rooms(4 singles 340kn, 10 doubles 560kn, 3 apartments 790 -890kn). PHAULW hhhSilver G-3, Martina Divalta 84, tel. (+385-31) 58 2535, fax (+385-31) 58 25 36, hotel@hotel-silver.hr,www.hotel-silver.hr. A new three-star hotel located just afew minutes’ walk from the city center, Hotel Silver offers awhole slew of amenities like guarded car park and meetingfacilities. As an added bonus, a night’s stay won’t breakthe bank. Located a stone’s throw from shopping centers,sports and swimming facilities and the football stadium, thisis a fine choice for accommodation near the center. Q21rooms (3 singles 190 - 390kn, 18 doubles 380 - 560kn).POHAULGKW hhhVila Ariston E-3, A.K.Miošića 6, tel. (+385-31) 25 1351, fax (+385-31) 25 13 50, ariston.d.o.o@os.t-com.hr, www.hotelaristonosijek.hr. A residential street roundthe corner from the train station is the tranquil location forthis rather classy small-hotel hideaway. The rooms - each ofwhich is named after a flower and comes with an appropriatelypastelly colour scheme - come with parquet floors, reprofurniture, deep sofas, and decently-proportioned desks. Themassage nozzles in the shower units should help to ease thestress of a day spent pacing the mean streets of easternSlavonia. Q10 rooms (10 singles €75, 10 doubles €105).PTHAFLGKDW hhhBudgetCentral E-2, Trg Ante Starčevića 6, tel. (+385-31) 2833 99, fax (+385-31) 28 38 91, info@hotel-central-os.hr,www.hotel-central-os.hr. The Hotel Central certainly livesup to its name. This comfortable hotel offers simple, clean andaffordable rooms right on the main square. The friendly staffcan even help you rent a bike from the hotel’s own service andsend you in the right direction for a relaxing day trip aroundOsijek. Prices are per room. Q32 rooms (16 singles €47, 16doubles €55 - 74). A6LGBW hhMursa F-3, Bartola Kašića 2a, tel. (+385-31) 22 4900, fax (+385-31) 20 76 30, mursa@zug.hr, www.zug.hr. Hotel Mursa’s prime attribute is its location. It’s just afive-minute walk to the hotel from the train station. Once youarrive, you’ll be greeted by a massive hotel full of small, yetneat and functional rooms. Many of the rooms have smallbalconies that offer an excellent view of the city, with thefortress and the river just in the distance. The large diningarea hosts breakfast in the morning from 07:00 to 09:00.All of these elements combine to make this hotel one of thebest choices for reliable, budget accommodation in Osijek.Prices are per person per night. Q125 rooms (50 singles€46, 70 doubles €39, 2 suites €82, 3 Presidental Suites€122). PHA6ULGBK hhwww.inyourpocket.comOsijek In Your Pocketosijek.inyourpocket.comosijek.inyourpocket.com2011 / 2012