Kopački Rit Nature Park

Kopački Rit is a nature park in eastern Croatia, in the municipalities of Bilje and Kneževi Vinogradi, north-west of the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, on the border with Serbia. It comprises many backwaters and ponds along the Danube and is counted among the most important, largest and best preserved wetlands in Europe. Part of it is a zoological reserve. Many bird species breed here, among them geese, ducks, great white egret, white stork, black stork and white-tailed eagle, and many others use the area as shelter on migration. The waters hold pike, ide, tench, bream, carp, catfish, pike-perch and perch, and red deer, roe deer, wild boar and European wildcat live on land.

Visiting Kopački Rit

Boat trips are by far the best way to see the park, and tours can also be arranged on foot or with a terrain vehicle, depending on the season and the water level; a boat route runs along Lake Sakadaš to Lake Kopačko. Boat tours generally run from March to November. Book boat tours and guides ahead, especially in peak season. The park is about 10–12 km north-east of Osijek.

Birds and seasons

Kopački Rit is home to the largest population of white-tailed eagles in the Danube basin (ten to twenty can often be seen if there is enough food), and black storks nest in mature trees far from people. Between roughly 260 and over 300 bird species have been recorded. Birdwatching is good from April to June and from August to October, the migration periods, and September brings the deer rut. In the north, Tikveš Castle holds an interactive exhibition.