Follow the river through Virovitica-Podravina on the **Drava river heritage drive**. Stop at the **Pejačević Palace** in the town of Virovitica. This grand house is surrounded by a park with rare ginkgo trees and wooden bridges. Inside the palace you can see how noble families lived a hundred years ago. The museum shows old hunting tools and elegant furniture from the past. It is a place that feels very peaceful and full of history. You can sit on a bench in the park and listen to the birds in the old trees. The town around the palace is quiet and very friendly. The plains are full of golden wheat and tall corn fields. On **Križnica island** you can see red deer in a protected nature park. To get there you must take a cable ferry across the river because there is no bridge. This is a fun experience for anyone who loves old ways of travel. The roads are straight and lead to the **Jankovac forest park**. Here you can find a big waterfall hidden in a green mountain valley. There are also old glass-making ruins deep in the forest. The river banks are great for cycling and watching rare birds like the black stork. Visit the **Pustara Višnjica** estate to ride Arabian horses and see the massive herds of fallow deer. For a taste of history explore the **Drava Story** visitor center in Noskovci which is located in an old summer mansion. If you visit in late summer the "Rokovo" festival in Virovitica brings the town to life with night concerts and local food stalls. Don't leave without trying the "Podravina honey" or visiting the **Jankovac Mountain Lodge** for wild game stew. The road from Virovitica toward the Papuk mountain offers the best transition from river plains to ancient forest hills.

Virovitica Podravina highlights

Part of these road trips

Follow the routes that cross this destination

The Scenic Route

The Heritage Drive

Is this a good destination for road trips?

We're curating expert road-trip insights for this destination — check back soon.

When is the best time to visit?

Detailed seasonal travel advice is coming soon.

How long should I spend here?

Our itinerary team is building personalised duration guides — coming soon.

What are the top attractions nearby?

A curated list of must-see nearby highlights is on its way.

History of Virovitica Podravina

This county was the personal playground of the **Pejačević** counts, who built a massive yellow palace that looks like a miniature Schönbrunn. The family filled the region with rare trees and exotic plants, creating an **Arboretum** in the middle of the Slavonian plains. Their influence extended beyond the palace, as they funded local schools and hospitals to modernise the surrounding villages. It was a place of high luxury where the elite came to hunt and feast. The Drava river here is wild and unpredictable, constantly carving new islands and sandbanks into the land. At **Križnica**, the river loops so tightly it creates a peninsula that can only be reached by a swaying suspension bridge or a cable ferry. This isolation has preserved a unique ecosystem where rare waterfowl and river otters thrive away from human interference. It is a borderland where the water decides the shape of the road every single spring. Hidden in the **Papuk** mountains is the Jankovac valley, a mountain paradise named after a count who gave up his city life to live in a cave. He built the lakes and the **waterfall** that now serve as the county’s crown jewel. The count was an early environmentalist who spent his final years documenting the flora and fauna of the mountain for future generations. It is a region of deep hunting forests, ancient river stories, and surprisingly **grand architecture**.

Virovitica Podravina