A short but sweet tour of Baranja! Here’s what to see, where to eat and sleep near the Beli Manastir!

From east to west, these days I intensively visit interesting places. One of them was Baranja, where I enjoyed the natural and gourmet beauties.

Since this time the route was Beli Manastir, Karanac, Baranjska kuća, Belje Viewpoint, as well as the Monument of Batina battle, then I have to share them with you. Maybe you will need a weekend trip like this!

Baranjska kuća, Photo: Jelena Mirić, Adria.fun

There was no shortage of food and drink, so I would start from Baranjska kuća, a family ethno-restaurant located in the picturesque Baranja village of Karanac.

This is a restaurant where old and somewhat forgotten recipes such as snails in nettle sauce, roasted acacia flower, bean stew in an earthen pot, and classic specialties such as fish stew, shepherd’s pie, carp on forks, catfish stew with homemade noodles and many others, have been revived.

This time I chose catfish stew, but also homemade nettle and tomato soup. Well, it melted down my throat, and I secretly ate a strudel made from local cherries for my sweet tooth. The pancakes were also dangerously tempting. (That’s why now I have to go back to the gym to keep up the balance :D)

Baranjska kuća, Photo: Jelena Mirić, Adria.fun

When you get to Baranjska kuća, then it is logical to find good accommodation somewhere too, but before I move on to the accommodation, near the restaurant you have the Szabo winery, where you can taste wines at the same time, but also take a bottle as a gift or, as in my case, for “heavy working days“.

And if you overdo it with Graševina, Merlot, or Traminac, be sure to book rooms at Kod Baje, which are located 10 minutes away on foot or a few minutes by car.

The rooms are located in several buildings, everything is decorated in an antique style, and there is a wonderful yard and enough parking for everyone. What certainly makes it special is the Baranja breakfast with rich autochthonous dishes such as homemade sausages, cheese, prosciutto, cream, salad, eggs, and even jams and crackers. Ugh, I’m hungry again…

Kod Baje, Photo: Jelena Mirić, Adria.fun

And then, when you’ve had a good night’s sleep and eaten well, I advise you to visit the Monument of Batina battle, which was built in 1976 in memory of the participants in the Battle of Batina in November 1944.

The memorial complex includes the monument to the Red Army “Victory“, the work of the academic sculptor Antun Augustinčić, erected on the site of the fiercest battles (the so-called “bloody hill 169”), the Memorial House with two exhibition rooms and a permanent museum exhibition about the Battle of Batina, and Memorial park and common grave with the remains of 1,297 Red Army soldiers.

Monument of Batina battle, Photo: Jelena Mirić, Adria.fun

If you like an active vacation (I don’t count the trained sipping of good wine) then you are in the right place!

Why? Because Baranja has developed cycling trails, bird-watching tours, photo-safari, boat and canoe rides, fishing, train rides, walking and wine tours, museums, plenty of activities for the youngest, and the most important thing is that everywhere you turn, nature is untouched, and the landscapes are phenomenal.

They say that a lot of artists got inspiration for their works through the valleys of Baranja! Speaking of which: it’s a must for you to check out the viewpoint on the Karanačko hill because it has one of the most beautiful Baranja landscape winds along an 8-kilometer-long wine road.

Vineyards on the Karanačko hill, Photo: Jelena Mirić, Adria.fun

Given that it is a few hours from Zagreb and the rest of Croatia, by the time you read this you could already be halfway to Baranja, so let’s go while we’re still young!