Opatovac

http://www.lovas.hr/

Location (county, municipality)

Opatovac is one of the two settlements in the municipality of Lovas, on the river bank of the Danube, Vukovar-Srijem County. It is situated 17 km to the south-east of Vukovar, on the way to Ilok. Population is 412 (2001) (135 households). Area of the entire municipality is 42 km2.

Historical background and development

As a part of the Vukovar area, Opatovac has been populated throughout five thousand years. Important cultures here belong to the New Stone Age (Neolithic), but also to archaeological sites from the Bronze and Older and Young Age. Romans (R)?) also ruled this area.

According to historical sources, the village of Opatovac was situated on the current location and it was populated by the Croats. (12/13 century). It is believed that near Opatovac there was a Benedictineabbey (a monastery) and that the settlement got its name by the head of the monastery (opat). Opatovac lies on the river bank of the Danube, so it became more important because of the port and border crossing across the Danube (15th century). For these reasons it developed further into a trade and crafts centre. The name Opatovac was mentioned for the first time in the 14th and 15th century in written records under the variation of a Hungarian name Apathy, and the Croatian name remained even during the Turk rule.

Current situation (Economy, public institutions, tourism advantages, etc.)

After the Homeland war, economy in the municipality of Lovas, i.e. in the settlements Lovas and Opatovac, was almost fully destroyed. Owing to subsidies from the national, international and regional self-government, it has been almost fully reconstructed. Moreover, economic activity in the past few years has developed dynamically, with efforts of the municipality in an attempt of creating preconditions for its further development and strengthening by developing strategy and development plans.

Economy of Opatovac is based on crop and livestock farming, viticulture, fruit and vegetable growing, and on smaller related production capacities (wine production, processing and storing fruits). Key holders of economic development are family farms and smaller companies.

Infrastructure, which was fully destroyed during the war, has been almost fully reconstructed after reintegration, with great efforts and supports. In Opatovac there is a local board, a community centre, a primary school, children’s playgrounds, football field, sports centre, sport centres, hunting lodge, a post office. Setting up green islands in Opatovac (2010) proves orientation toward environmental protection

An accumulation was built near Opatovac, which solved the problem of rainfall water and created prerequisites for the national irrigation pilot project in the entire municipality area. Also, construction of the Winter port on the Danube has started.

In addition to development of agriculture, industry and small-sized entrepreneurship in Lovas and Opatovac, serious work has been also done on the development of tourism, where all stakeholders are involved.

Tourism attractions by importance (emphasis on sports related to the river Danube; monuments, events, hiking, cycling, eco-tourism)

Good traffic connections, beauty of the landscape, position on the Danube as an European corridor, construction of the Winter port on the Danube (23 moorings), vicinity of a hunting ground, accumulation of water Opatovac, hospitability of the local population, all these offer opportunities for development of selective forms of tourism (fishing, hunting). Rich tradition heritage, memorial and sacral facilities, archaeological site near Lovas are also resources for development of tourism.

Among sacral facilities, in Opatovac there is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy Rosary (1936), entirely reconstructed after the Homeland war. As in other settlements of this area, also in Opatovac there are memorial monuments of the Homeland war, memorial crosses and similar.

The Danubian cycling route goes through Opatovac.

Tourism and accommodation

In September 2009 the family farm “Ivana Bičanić” opened a tourism and catering facility, consisting of 7 apartments with 15 beds. The facility also includes a distillery and a tasting room for fruit brandies, and those who visit Opatovac also can find additional accommodation  in Vukovar and Ilok.

Source: http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opatovac_(Lovas); http://www.ypgd.org/arhiva/article.php?id=401; http://www.lovas.hr/; http://www.lovas.hr/images/stories/Docs/Lovas-2009-2010.pdf