DARUVAR – CRANE'S TOWN
Four gold, two silver and one bronze recognition from the Croatian national tourist board confirm that the town Daruvar is the most decorated small town of continental Croatia. The combination of greenery and urban architecture, cultural diversity and fertile vineyards are one of the reasons that contributed to the flattering title.
Daruvar, famous spa town with the
tradition of health tourism for over two thousand years, the town boasts
with an enriched combination of greenery, new and historic buildings and a rich selection of touristic and recreational facilities. Certainly You
can complete Your experience with the traditional gastro offer and with
the wine tasting.
In ancient times, it was the capital of
the Iassan Republic, during the Romans a widely-known patrician thermal health resort – Aquae Balissae which means „very hot
springs“. In Turkish times it was an important strategic point,
later a market town and in the time of the counts Jankovich, who are considered the founders of Daruvar as it is today, the town was
transformed into a centre for crafts and trade.
Daruvar in Hungarian means Crane's town
and was named after Antun Janković built a baroque castle and called
it Daruvar, and since then the name Podborje disappeared.
Daruvar spa with its long tradition, rich
tourist offer, the Daruvar wine road and recreational areas which are
located within the newly opened Thermal water park Aquae Balissae make the town an interesting place to
visit for many local and foreign visitors.
Two large decorated parks and the Roman
forest in the town center which discreetly blend with the town
architecture make the town one of the greenest urban areas in
Croatia.
As a manufacturing and trading center, the town Daruvar also developed into a prominent cultural center
that hosts many cultural and entertainment events.
Traditional annual festivals which are
held in Daruvar are: Vincekovo (opening the season of vineyard
works), Vinodar (the most significant festival of wine of town
Daruvar and its vintners), Darfest (festival of entertaining music),
FLIG (international festival of brass music), Dožinky – harvest
ceremony (the most important festival of Czech minority), MASKA
(theater festival for kids) and Martinje (Ceremony of wine baptism).
Photography by: Darko Kokot, Predrag Uskoković, Ratko Vuković