IF YOU THOUGHT that the most beautiful sandy and pebble beaches are on the sea, you haven’t been on the banks of the Drava river with fairy-tale nature or at Lake Orahovac on the slopes of Papuk in eastern Croatia.

A mysterious island on the Drava

Only a few know about Kriznica, a mysterious island on the Drava, the last in the former Pannonian Sea. You can only reach Kriznica two ways, by an old ferry or a 250 meter-long suspension footbridge built in 1968. 

Fishers, recreationists, lovers, travel writers, bloggers, bird watchers, and swimmers love Kriznica, and during the hot summer, swimmers also don’t miss it. After cooling off in the river, which in this small area creates fairy-tale meanders, you can lie on the sandy beach all you want or play beach volleyball.

During the low water levels, when the Drava recedes, beautiful reefs remain, and the most beautiful are those made of fine sand near Sopje, a favorite swimming spot of the locals from nearby towns of Slatina and Virovitica.

If there is no rain, the Drava is mostly shallow in the summer months, so you can reach the sandy islands through the water, which is not deeper than 70 centimeters. 

We also have our little Switzerland

One of the most popular Slavonian beaches, Lake Orahovac, is located in Little Switzerland. Due to its position on the slopes of Papuk mountain, it is called Orahovica, a small town in the heart of Slavonia. Below the medieval town of Ruzica with a view of the Papuk forests, more than 250,000 swimmers from all over Slavonia enjoy there in summer.

It is ideal for those looking for landscaped swimming areas, enjoying recreation, and an all-day vacation. There you can camp, grill or dine at a restaurant. Although it is an artificial lake created in the middle of the past century by the construction of an embankment, due to the constant inflow of fresh water from its own sources, it is extremely clean, and on tests, the water is regularly assessed as excellent.