Valpovo

Coordinates: 45°40′N 18°25′E / 45.667°N 18.417°E / 45.667; 18.417
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Valpovo
Town
Grad Valpovo
Town of Valpovo
UTC+1 (CET)
Websitevalpovo.hr

Valpovo is a town in Slavonia, Croatia. It is close to the Drava river, 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Osijek. As of 2021, the population of Valpovo is 7,406, with a total of 11,563 in the municipality.[4]

Name

In Hungarian the town is known as Valpó[citation needed] and in German as Walpach.[2] In antiquity, it was called Iovalum. [5] There are several suggested etymologies. One is that it comes from the Latin root *Iov-, meaning "divine". However, the ending can't be explained by Latin. One explanation is that it comes from the Indo-European words *yow and *h2elut, so that it means "magical beer." The other, more likely, is that it comes from the Indo-European roots *yow and *h2elom, so that it means "magical herb", whatever plant that signified. Perhaps the simplest explanation is that it comes from the Indo-European word *wel, meaning "valley", whatever "Io-" meant.[6][unreliable source?]

Demographics

The settlements in the municipal area of Valpovo are:[4]

In the census of 2011, the absolute majority [clarification needed] were Croats.

Town of Valpovo: Population trends 1857–2021
population
6805
7390
7126
8154
8888
9159
8900
9033
8920
9483
10515
11509
12107
12607
12327
11563
9784
18571869188018901900191019211931194819531961197119811991200120112021

History

Valpovo Culture Center

The town is first mentioned in 1332.[2] In June of 1543, during Sultan Suleiman's campaign into Hungary, Valpovo was besieged, taken, and annexed to the Ottoman Empire. It was initially a kaza centre in the Sanjak of Pojega until 1601. It was later in sanjak centre in Kanije Eyalet until Austrian conquest in 1687.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Valpovo was part of the

1st Cossack Cavalry Division. The operation was as disastrous as it was ambitious. Yugoslav partisans of the 3rd Army (Yugoslav Partisans) continuously harassed and delayed the Cossacks. Shortly after the end of World War II, officials in the communist Yugoslav regime established a labor camp for Germans which operated until May 1946.[2]

Economy

Economy is based on farming, livestock breeding, forestry, wood and timber and foodstuffs industries; close to the town are oil and natural gas deposits. Valpovo lies on a regional road that connects it to Osijek and Donji Miholjac, as well a road to Belišće and to Bizovac through Ladimirevci.

Attractions

Located close to the banks of the Drava river (5 km), Valpovo was an ancient dwelling of feudal families. Major

tourist attraction include important cultural and historical heritage, (remains of a mediaeval fortification, the old brickwork bridge, churches) and a landscaped park, protected as a horticultural monument. Prandau-Normann Castle: Count Normann-Ehrenfels and Baron Prandau-Hilleprandt had a magnificent castle that was rebuilt seven times. They planted 121 herbal sorts on 250,000 square meters. Valpovo's park is one of the most beautiful in Slavonia
.

The most important annual event is the Valpovo Summer (

Vučica, Drava, as well as on lakes and fishponds; hunting grounds are offered nearby. Slavonian specialities, venison and freshwater fish
, and quality wines add to the visitor opportunities of the Valpovo region.

References

External links

45°40′N 18°25′E / 45.667°N 18.417°E / 45.667; 18.417