Popovac Municipality: Trails, Wine Culture and History
Accommodation in Popovac Municipality
Popovac Municipality can be explored in different ways: with a long hiking route through several municipal areas, a wine route in Baranja, and places whose history dates back to the 18th century and earlier. Local traditions and the landscape of the fields also shape the experience. Before choosing your holiday apartment, you can consider whether you would like to focus your stay more on outdoor activity, culture or regional experiences.
Gesellschafts- und Kulturhaus, Sitz der Gemeinde Popovac
Photo: Belirac via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hiking and getting around
The Baranjska planinarska obilaznica runs through the areas of the municipalities of Popovac, Draž and Kneževi Vinogradi. The route is 28 kilometres long; walking it takes about nine hours, with short breaks. This makes the hike a practical focus for anyone planning to cover longer distances on foot during their trip. Take the full distance into account when planning your day, including the three municipal areas mentioned.
From Popovac, you can also set out on one of the wine routes in Baranja. If travelling with children, you can use your fellow travellers’ interests as a starting point—such as outdoor activity, regional culture or a bike ride. eBike Baranja offers several suggested routes. Along the way, you’ll find restaurants, wineries, cafés and cultural attractions as places to stop.
Churches, shrines and history
In Popovac stands the parish church of sv. Josipa, dating from 1778. Another religious site is Svetište Marija Lurd, the only Marian shrine in Baranja. Oral tradition dates its origins to 1916, during the First World War. The two sites offer different historical points of reference for understanding the area’s cultural character.
Below the village of Branjina lies Studenac, one of the oldest Orthodox open-air shrines in Croatia. The history of the ancient Brana monastery is also part of the area’s historical context: traces of the monastery were found in the immediate vicinity of Branjina, and its existence is associated with the middle of the 11th century. Together with the church and Marian shrine, these places offer a reason to make your stay about more than just outdoor activities and to explore the area’s religious and historical sites as well.
Fields, regional cuisine and traditions
The OPG Milan Šarić estate is located above the village of Popovac on Zlatno brdo in Baranja, in eastern Croatia. From its terrace, beneath its pergolas and by its pool, you can enjoy an unobstructed view across the fields of Baranja. The estate also has a tasting room with a capacity of 30 people.
A recurring culinary event is the Fišijada in Popovac: held every September, it sees women compete to prepare Fišpaprikaš. Popovac also has a strong local angling community associated with the Karašica. This gives you another choice when planning your trip: a long hike, a wine route, or an interest in regional cuisine or angling traditions.
Choosing the right focus for your stay
If you’re looking for a holiday apartment in Popovac Municipality, your preferred focus for the trip can help guide your decision. Popovac is a starting point for exploring the wine routes, while the Baranjska planinarska obilaznica also passes through the areas of Popovac, Draž and Kneževi Vinogradi. If you’d like to combine several of these themes, you can treat each experience as a separate part of your stay rather than combining them into a single route.
More destinations: Beli Manastir Municipality, Donji Miholjac Municipality, Draž Municipality, Erdut Municipality, Semeljci Municipality, Šodolovci Municipality and Belišće Municipality.
Go to the wider travel overview: Osijek-Baranja County.
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