Osijek to Vukovar - Day 9 - Friday 5th September 2025 - Balkan-Georgia Trip - Day 9/34 - City 8/20 - country 6/11

The Danube with Serbia across the river

I took a gamble; the train journey was 5-6 hours from Osijek to Vukovar, including a change and a long wait in Vinkovci. Due to ongoing works, the train was probably also canceled. On top of that, it would take me 30 minutes to walk to the station with my wonky suitcase, so I decided to order an Uber. It was 40 euros well spent with Mario, and I forfeited my pre-bought train ticket. The taxi drive was just 30 minutes, and I ended up arriving at 11:30. Not knowing what the outcome would be, I contacted the owner of the apartment, and she actually let me in! It was a beautiful small apartment overlooking the river Danube with a view of Serbia on the other side.

Coffee with a view

I quickly gathered things for my day in Vukovar—my diary, camera, and small rucksack—and walked along the river, enjoying the peace. My first stop was a wonderful café where I ended up ordering a total of four cappuccinos. I just relaxed by the river in proper ćejf style, enjoying the amazing view.

A moment of ćejf

The place had the un-original English name "riverside" I realised that my last coffee was actually in Zagreb two days previously.

Vukovar in 1991 pictured in the museum

I headed into town and found the museum, with lots of old artifacts dating from the Celts, the Romans, the Ottomans, and even woolly mammoths! They unsurprisingly had a special exhibit for the war of 1991, which caught me off guard. I had to sit for a while, rewatch the film they had on a loop, and try to comprehend what happened.

Pissing statue

I left the museum, passing a statue of a boy pissing, not unlike the Manneken Pis in Brussels, and a statue of Franjo Tuđman too.

Franjo Tuđman

Despite its scars it is a very beautiful city with nice porticos remeniscent of Padova.

Vukovar at its best

I continued onward, and the water tower suddenly came into view, completely pockmarked by bullets but still standing. I continued toward the tower only to discover that it had been turned into a tacky tourist attraction.

Vukovarski vodotoranj-Vukovar Watertower

While I was tearing up watching groups of Asian tourists pose, Alan, the waiter from the coffee place, waved at me. At first, I looked behind me, as he was so enthusiastic I thought he had seen a good friend, but he started marching towards me, explaining he also worked at the tower too.

Vukovarsko Pivo

I decided it was time for a drink and quickly found a nice terrace at Vukovarsko Pub. I spoke to two young guys who were Ukrainian and working on one of the river cruise ships.

New friends

I quickly transferred indoors where I struck up a conversation with Ante, Milan, and Zoran, and we actually started talking about politics, not good, especially in Vukovar. Several beers later, I headed to the Boso supermarket and picked up various supplies like bread, cheese, and Graševina wine.

Graševina

Back at the apartment, I put on a load of washing, which, honestly, I should have done when I arrived in the morning. The cheese and bread were excellent washed down with the wine. Then, satisfied, I went to bed.

#Vukovar #Hrvatska #Croatia

In a word #War