Zagreb to Osijek - Day 8 - Thursday 4th September 2025 - Balkan-Georgia Trip - Day 8/34 - City 7/20 - country 6/11
- eusts6
- Oct 23, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
I didn't sleep well despite my early night. I had a bad nightmare where I lost my wallet. The nightmare was very realistic, so I jumped out of bed at 03:00, looking for my wallet in a panic. My wallet was safe and sound, but due to the adrenaline, I was now wide awake, so I started packing my bags.
I returned to bed and got up after very little sleep at 06:00, finished the packing, and went outside to post my postcards as the post office was just opposite. One final return to pick up all my bags and find the train to Osijek. On the platform, I befriended two Australian ladies, Sue and Penny. Panic alert: we were told our train was canceled, and we had to move, bags and all, from platform 3a to another. The conductor was in a panic; even though I could understand Croatian, he insisted on using Google Translate, getting flustered while explaining that we needed to change at Vrbovec. I stuck with Penny and Sue, and an older man with one leg decided to repeat everything in German too, so I thanked him in German and Croatian while these two ladies watched as I translated back and forth. The train was packed, and we didn't get seats.
We arrived in Vrbovec, which was under renovation. There were lifts being built, but I wasn't going to be able to use them just yet. On the second train, we found seats—me, Sue, and Penny—and we had time to chat a bit while we passed the flat landscape of Slavonia with endless fields of corn and sunflowers. I even had some snoozes and would open my eyes every so often to take a sip of water or a handful of peanuts while passing more and more endless fields of sunflowers and corn. Everyone got more relaxed, and the Croatian lady started talking to me too.
The train conductor, a lady, came up and was again using Google Translate, getting flustered while explaining that there was a bus in Josipovac that would take us to Osijek, and for the other cities in between, another bus. No amount of "razumijem" was going to calm her down as she kept yelling into Google Translate.
Finally, in Josipovac, the bus was waiting for us, and I contacted Marko, the owner of the accommodation, to say I was on my way. The conductor got on the same bus and started stressing about something else.
Osijek station was also under construction. There was a beautiful glass bridge which, in theory, I could just walk over to my destination, but in practice, it was closed off as it was not finished. I ordered an Uber taxi, and Omer, my driver, explained how his mother came from Tuzla. It was a relatively short drive, but with the weight of the bags and the heat, I would have been half dead.
When I arrived, Marko was patiently waiting outside. The apartment was a single room, a small studio at the back of the garage. It was clean and simple, with a sofa, a small kitchen that was too small to use, and a wooden platform with a ladder where the mattress was. I kept bumping my head on the ceiling.
After a shower, I walked into the city centre. On the way, I bought a krompiruša, which was also right next to a bookshop. I stood on the street, savouring every bite of the krompiruša and realizing that this was a brand new destination to me.
I took a wander around the bookshop. Even if I bought nothing, I always like to browse bookshops. I continued walking towards the cathedral, where I bumped into Sue and Penny again. We chatted briefly before diving into another bookshop, this time buying a postcard for Stanislav. After I found the post office, it was time for a beer.
I found a boat that was transformed into a bar in the marina and ordered myself an Osječko pivo. I would have just stayed there, but as if reading my mind, a message came in from Stanislav: "I had to visit the fortress."
I struck up a conversation with an Italian nearby but reluctantly drank up, paid, and made my way along the river Drava towards the fortress.
It was a nice walk per se, and I discovered another part of the city with nice cafés and restaurants. I was feeling disappointed that I would only have one day here.
I managed to witness a wonderful sunset over the river and city, and walked back towards the city away from the river and found a Mlinar, where I had two krompiruša and two spinach and cheese pitas, one of which I had for breakfast the next day.
I walked back to a café near the river and ordered a glass of Graševina, but it was not up to its usual high standards. I had found a wine bar on Google Maps and forced myself to go there, only to find it no longer existed. I decided to walk back to my room, and after half a bottle of red Plavac, decided that it was enough and called it a night.
In a word #Tired
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