Osijek

May 14th We visited the town of Osijek. Osijek is located in Eastern Croatia, near the Drava River. It is a town scarred by the war, but is slowly being rebuilt to its previous beauty. Here we noticed that there are huge differences in leisure and recreation than in Zagreb. The town is very family oriented and our guide said that it was a very safe city. We went on a walking tour and were able to see many oppurtunities for exercise throughout the town. Near the river there is a pedestrian and bike path. No cars are allowed on this level. Many people were riding bikes with children secured in seats on the back. The majority of the kids who were in the seats or on their bikes had on helmet. Near the pedestrian and bike path there were soccer fields, tennis courts, skating areas, playgrounds, and parks.

We saw people of all ages taking part in tennis lessons or games. Parents were playing with their children on the playgrounds, not just sitting and watching them from afar. Many younger girls were skating around not just in the parks, but on the sidewalks in the city as well. We also noticed rowing equipment near the river. There was a lot of green space in Osijek. The town seemed to appreciate lesiure and exercise more than the residents of Zagreb. Zagreb is more of an urban city than Osijek. We have only seen two workout centers on the outside of Zagreb. There are people riding bikes, but it is used for travel, not exercise. We do know that there are tennis courts near our hotel, but we have not visited them yet.

While we were there the town was having a street festival. Families were all around listening to music and enjoying food and carnival attractions. In Zagreb we passed by a concert one night (for a political campainging), but it was not targeted to families.

Upon intering the city, there were recycling bins for various materials. We have not seen this in Zagreb.

Osijek, though stircken by war, is a very lively and youthful town.

-Rachel