Kopacki Rit Nature Park

Kopački Rit is one of the largest and best-preserved wetlands in Europe, a vast floodplain where the Drava flows into the Danube in the far east of Croatia, in the Baranja region. It is a nature park and a Ramsar site, and its lakes, reed beds, ponds and flooded forests hold one of the biggest breeding bird populations in the continent, more than 230 species, including white-tailed eagles, spoonbills and vast heron colonies.

This is the Croatia almost no foreign visitor reaches, and it is the opposite of the coast, flat, green, watery and quiet. You visit it by boat, on organised tours from the village of Tikveš, or from the viewing towers and trails at the edge of the reserve. The boat trips run through the channels and out onto the lakes, and the birdwatching is genuinely world-class in spring and autumn.

In the middle of the reserve sit the ruined Tikveš castle complex and old royal estate, once a hunting lodge of the Yugoslav royal family and Tito, now slowly being reclaimed.

For photographers, this is a long-lens destination, the birds and the deer are the subjects, and the golden hour over the reed beds is exceptional. Bring binoculars if you have them, and check tour times before driving out. Combine it with Osijek and the Baranja wine road for a full eastern trip.

Every spot here is mapped and verified. Share this guide if it helped plan your trip.