Daruvar

Daruvar is an unusual inland town where Roman spa heritage, the Baroque legacy of the Janković family and a living Czech tradition all fit into a compact walking itinerary. Count Antun Janković built the three-winged, sixty-room castle between 1771 and 1777; its name, associated with the Hungarian word for crane, eventually became the settlement’s name. A monumental male ginkgo, now protected as an individual tree, stands before its entrance and serves as a local emblem. A few minutes south, Julijev Park begins around the thermal complex, where the earliest plantings appeared beside Antun’s Bath around 1762. Its historic bathing buildings and roughly sixty plant species share the grounds with Antun Augustinčić’s bronze Bather from 1927. Thermal water still shapes daily life at Daruvarske Toplice, while Czech dishes, wines from the Daruvar vineyards and locally brewed Staročeško beer add a distinctly regional flavour. Daruvar rewards visitors who look beyond wellness: the castle, museum, landscaped parks, vineyards and traces of Roman Aquae Balissae form one coherent town story.

Daruvar developed around the warm springs of Roman Aquae Balissae, although its present centre owes much of its character to Count Antun Janković and the growth of spa tourism. The crane from the Janković coat of arms remains the town symbol, and its Hungarian name is also linked with the name Daruvar. A substantial Czech community added another distinctive layer, still visible in local language, cooking and brewing. The historic core works particularly well on foot because Janković Castle, King Tomislav Square, Julijev Park and Daruvarske Toplice form a close, connected ensemble.