If you’d like to get to know Požega better, we bring you this shortlist of the “must see” places. We are certain you will enjoy exploring our city not matter which time of year you visit. In this article, find out more about our baroque inner city, the lush green Požeška Gora hill and the sports and recreational facilities.
The baroque city centre
Even though the city is much older and the street layout we know today formed in the Middle Ages, it is the baroque style of the 18th century that dominates the city centre in the streets around the main square. The Holy Trinity Square can be the starting point of your city tour, where you will see the sights such as the typical one-story houses with vaulted arches, the City Museum, the Holy Trinity Column erected in the early 18th century to commemorate the 798 citizens whose lives were taken by the plague epidemics, the 13th-century monastery and church of the Holy Spirit, the St. Lawrence’s church with the 14th-century frescoes, Bishops palace and others.
The nearby cathedral square is just a few steps away and to get there you can walk through Cehovska Ulica Street, Ulica Svetog Florijana Street and Ulica Dragutina Lermana Street. These make the inner city centre and are just like in the past lined with patisseries, flower shops, shops with local delicacies and chocolates, shops and coffee houses.
When you arrive at the Trg Svete Terezije Square you will see the beautiful baroque St. Theresa’s Cathedral. With the slim, 63 meters high, bell tower it was built in the 18th century in honour of Croatian queen and Austrian empress Maria Theresia. Next to the cathedral, you will find the Museum of the Diocese where you’ll find religious works of art by some of the best known Croatian painters such as Ivo Dulčić, Oton Iveković, Miroslav Kraljević, Robert Frangeš-Mihanović, Nikola Reiser, Edo Murtić, Josip Vaništ, Ivan Rabuzin and Ivan Lacković-Croata.
Sokolovac
The Sokolovac (Hawk’s peak) is a hill not far from the city centre that got its name after the priest friar Luka Ibrišimović Sokol. It was right there where he managed to defeat the Ottoman Turks and finally liberate Požega. As a sign of admiration for the great victory, Croatian and Austrian emperor Leopold I. named him “Sokol” (the Hawk). To get to the top of the hill you can take the not too steep hiking path from the main square across the Kalvarija (The Way of the Cross) and the St. Anne’s chapel. On the top of the hill you will see a large cross erected in 1999 in the place of an older one build by the Franciscans in the 19th century. From the Sokolovac peak you can enjoy a beautiful view of the whole Požega valley all the way to the Krndija hill in the east and the Papuk Mountain Nature Park in the north and west.
Sports and recreational centre
Thanks to its position in-between rivers Orljava and Veličanka on one side and the Požeška gora hill on the other side, those who like to walk and hike in nature, will be very pleased with the possibilities!
If you are amongst those who prefer to do sports as well as outdoor activities at the appropriate sports grounds, we recommend you to visit the Sports and Recreational Centre located next to the walkway along the Orljava River. There you’ll find the football, basketball and volleyball playgrounds, a children’s playground, an open-air fitness centre, the shooting range and other sports facilities. Next to the sports centre you’ll also find the enclosed and outdoor tennis court.