GFE Stumpes: Vukovar, Croatia (4/5/2026)

Sunday, April 5, 2026 (continued)

This afternoon we are in motorcoaches on the way to Vukovar, Croatia for the included shore excursion called Osijek Citadel & Vukovar’s Eltz Manor Museum. The funny thing is, today we did not go to Osijek Citadel. We did not mind, because we were there in 2021, when it was its own shore excursion. We had also been to Vukovar, but not to the Eltz Manor Museum.

A huge basket of plants in Vukovar

You cannot get a photo of Eltz Manor
when you are directly in front of it (KSS)

Door knocker at Дворац Елц/Eltz Manor
(1749-1751, for the noble German Eltz
family, owner of the Vukovar fief); the
manor was confiscated by the Communists and
then heavily damaged during the 1991 Battle
of Vukovar/Croatian War of Independence

Since 2014, the manor is home to the
Градски музеј Вуковар/Vukovar City
Museum, which began in 1948 with the art
collection donated by Dr Antun Bauer,
pictured here with some of his artifacts

Heading up a staircase

Woolly mammoth ilium (part of the pelvis) bone
found in the nearby village of Mohovo

Bowls from the archaeological site of (3000-2200 BCE)
that is only 5 km/3 miles downstream from Vukovar (KSS)

A leather boot from Vučedol with intricate
stitching and came in right and left versions (KSS)

Document titled Primus Acquirens Dominii Vuckovar/
First Owner of Vukovar Domain (1728)

Painting (1752, by Joseph Melber) of
Anselm Casimir Franz Count Eltz and
a cabinet (Historicism style)

"Roman Catholic Tabernacle" (1777, attributed
to Karl Weber in Baroque style) (KSS)

Likely German ruby red glass

German salt-glazed stoneware jug or stein (KSS)

Fischer & Mieg Lobster Serving Dish (c 1873-1918)

Photo of the Vukovar Water Tower before
the 1991 Battle of Vukovar (KSS)

The water tower has been left in its damaged
condition as a reminder of the war (taken 8/23/2021)

Bata shoes: in 1931 Czech industrialist Tomáš Baťa built
a factory and worker-town on the outskirts of Vukovar,
changing the city into an industrial powerhouse, producing
shoes, rubber, and tires, and providing housing, schools,
and hospitals for its thousands of employees; in 1945 the
Yugoslav state nationalized the factory and rebranded it
as Borovo, which now is an independent business

Products of Borovo, including the 'Borosana'
shoe on top and the 'Startas' sneakers

Part of the permanent exhibit on the Battle of
Vukovar and the Croatian War of Independence
using artifacts found in the ruins of buildings (KSS)

Gate topped with the coat of arms
of the noble House of Eltz

The Vukovar Train Station remains in ruins,
although the sign is new

Silos Priljevo grain silos have been reconstructed
and are operational, signifying the importance
of the region as the breadbasket of Croatia

The former Bata factory once employed 24,000 workers
with infrastructure to provide for their needs,
Borovo now has less than 1,000 employees;
many blocks of housing have been abandoned;
but wait... there is a solar farm!

Now we are in Osijek; Tatra T3PV.O tram features an
"Eco City" wrap by Unikom, promoting waste separation

Crossing the Drava River in Osijek

We ended up in Bilje where we were to have
home visits in small groups

Our group ended up near the "Rainbow Kindergarten"

Our hostess, Snježana/"Snow White," lives in the house
on the left, but has an Airbnb on the right

She offered cake and cherry juice, and,
of course, homemade Rakija/strong fruit brandy;
she spoke of her experiences as an Eastern
Orthodox married to a Croatian Roman Catholic
and having to move to Germany during the war;
after the war they were allowed to stay in
Germany until it was deemed "safe" to return
to Croatia: while there are still echoes of
the intolerances against the Orthodox in
Croatia, life has been much better

Oops, too bright as Kent toasts with his rakija

Osijek is famous globally for its premium, sustainable
Croatian oak forests, and is a hub for wood processing
and international lumber export

Viking Rinda Dinner: Cream of Broccoli Soup
with toasted almonds

Pečeni svinjski vrat s ajvarom/Croatian Roasted Pork Neck
with Ajvar/roasted red pepper sauce, potato and Savoy cabbage

Čupavci/Croatian chocolate coconut cake

Tonight's entertainment was a Croatian Tamburica Band;
the instruments being a family of long-necked lutes, although
many are shaped like guitars, and one is as large as a bass (KSS)