Vinkovci
Vinkovci is a
Croatian town in eastern
Slavonia (or westernmost
Srijem), with a population of 32,455 (2001) making it the largest town of the
Vukovar-Srijem county. Absolute majority of its citizens are Croats with 88.99% (2001 census).
Vinkovci is located on the bank of the
Bosut river, 19 km southwest of
Vukovar, 24 km north of
Županja and 43
km south of
Osijek; elevation 90 m.
Its
economy is primarily based on
trade,
transport and
food and
metal processing. Industries include foodstuff, building material, wood and timber, metal-processing, leather and textile. Due to the surrounding
farmland, also notable are farming and livestock breeding, and the town hosts a Crop Improvement Centre.
Vinkovci is the main
railway junction of eastern Croatia, of railroads leading from
Bosnia and Herzegovina toward
Hungary and from the capital
Zagreb toward
Belgrade. The large railway junction, after
Zagreb the second largest in
Croatia, underlies the importance of transit in Vinkovci.Vinkovci is also the meeting point of the
Posavina and
Podravina roads and the intersection of the main road (M1.7)
Županja-Vinkovci-
Vukovar and several regional roads.
The town features extremely rich cultural and historical heritage, the most interesting attraction being the pre-
Romanesque church on Meraja from 1100, with the coats of arms of the kings
Koloman and
Ladislas, as one of the most important mediaeval cultural monuments in Croatia.
The most famous annual event, one of the biggest in Slavonia, is the folk
music festival "Vinkovci Autumns" (
Vinkovačke Jeseni), which includes the
folklore show and the presentation of folk customs of
Slavonia. It is characterized by a number of original
folk music performances, beautiful traditional costumes, a beauty contest, competitions of the manufacturers of
kulen (smoked
paprika-flavoured
sausage), plum
brandy and other traditional foodstuffs, and especially by the magnificent closing
parade.
The site of Vinkovci was inhabited since the
Roman period. The town was known as
Colonia Aurelia Cibalae (also
Cibalis) and was the birthplace of
Roman emperors
Valentinian I and
Valens. The Roman thermal bath is still preserved as are several other Roman buildings located near the center of today's Vinkovci. A local textile factory and football club still carry the name
Cibalia, while a
dance music trio from the city named themselves
Colonia.
Vinkovci's
music school is named after
Josip Runjanin, author of the
music of the
national anthem of Croatia
Lijepa nasa domovino. The Vinkovci
gymnasium is named after
Matija Antun Reljković, a Slavonian writer who lived in the city in the 18th century.
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Vinkovci municipality within Vukovar-Srijem County |
Numerous hunting grounds south of the town attract a number of domestic and foreign huntsmen. Organized hunting, partly also fishing, is accompanied by comfortable accommodation facilities (hunting lodges Merolino and Grabarje) and a selection of local specialities.
The city and its surroundings were gravely impacted by the
war in Croatia. The city was close to the front lines between the Republic of Croatia and the
rebel Serbs, but it managed to avoid the fate of Vukovar (in the infamous
Battle of Vukovar). The eastern sections of the town were substantially damaged by shelling, and the nearby village of Cerić was almost completely destroyed. The most significant destruction in the center of the city was the city library which burned down to the ground.
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City map with street index Vinkovci,tourist info - CroMaps navigator
