The stadium Đakovo

The stadium in Đakovo is the town's football ground, located on Ulica kralja Tvrtka at number 2A, and it is the home of the local clubs and the place where Đakovo comes together for matches. It is a modest sports facility of the kind found in many Croatian towns in the east of the country: a pitch with stands on one or two sides, floodlights, changing rooms and a simple clubhouse. It is not a tourist attraction in the usual sense, and its interest lies in what it shows of local life.

Football is the most popular sport in Croatia, and in a small town like Đakovo the matches played here are social occasions. On match days supporters, many of them families who have been coming for generations, meet beside the pitch to follow the local team, and the mood is friendly and informal rather than intense. Younger players learn their game on the same grass, and the ground is also used for school events, sports days and community gatherings. A visit to a game, if one happens to be on during your stay, is a good way to meet residents and to see an ordinary side of the town.

Details such as fixtures, ticket arrangements and opening times depend on the local football league and the club, so it is best to ask at the tourist information office or check the club's announcements. Outside match days the stadium is usually closed to the public, and visitors should not expect a museum or guided tours.

The real draws of Đakovo lie nearby. The town is dominated by the Cathedral of St. Peter, a large neo-Romanesque church built by Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer in the 19th century, and the Strossmayer park next to it is a pleasant place for a stroll. Đakovo is also famous for its Lipizzan horses, kept at the National Lipizzan Stud Farm and the State Stud Farms Đakovo, and it hosts the Đakovački vezovi folk festival each summer, with embroidery, costumes, music and horse parades. The City Pools Đakovo offer a swim in hot weather, and the Papuk Nature Park lies not far away in the hills.

The stadium suits visitors who like to see towns through their sporting life, and it fits easily into a walking tour of Đakovo that continues to the cathedral, the park and the stud farms. Wear comfortable shoes, bring sun protection for daytime matches and be ready to chat with friendly locals in the stands.