tip: Go down the Spačva, take a break in a hunter's cabin that dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, camp next to the river and try the spirits, kulen, sausages, and cracklings, made here from the black pig.
In Nijemci, find out which way the Bosut flows Legend says that when speaking of the Bosut, which starts in the Slavonian plains and serpentines through Srijem, the ancient Romans said that they had a river in their empire that flows one way in the morning, and another in the afternoon. Truly, the Bosut sometimes flows so calmly that even the slightest dash of wind can change its direction. Nature fans can see that for themselves if they visit Nijemci, a calm municipality in western Srijem, surrounded by endless fields and forests. Spring is the ideal time to take the Sveta Katarina tour boat, or one of the boats you can rent. Ride down the nearby Spačva, and explore the Spačva forest, the most comprehensive habitat of common oak in Europe, which has left a deep mark in the tradition of Slavonia and Srijem. In Nijemci, you will best feel how the
tame landscape of Srijem can calm a person. You will be thrilled by the abundance of plant and animal life, especially birds, which you can have a good look at from the Sopotac site. You can explore the fields and forests on bike, and on the calm rivers, you will come across fishermen patiently waiting to catch carp or pike, but equally happy if they catch any of the twenty types of fish. In April, Nijemci are in the sign of the Flower and Horticulture festival, and you can experience all the beautiful traditions and customs, which also include the unavoidable, irresistible, and abundant spread during the Easter holidays.
Photos: the locals nurture traditional customs (top left); a view of the "Croatian Amazon" (right); the St. Katarina boat (bottom left); the Church of St. Katarina (bottom middle).
February - April 2015
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