Daruvar

The Romans knew the springs here as Aquae Balissae and built baths on them; the water still comes out at around 45 to 50 degrees and the spa complex in the park has operated continuously in modern form since the eighteenth century, when the Jankovic family built the manor and developed the site. Daruvar is also the centre of the Czech minority in Croatia, descendants of families who settled here from the 1820s onward - Czech is taught in local schools, there is a Czech newspaper and cultural association, and the town's brewery, founded in 1840, sits in that tradition. The manor, park and baths make a compact centre.

What you actually see

• Roman springs still in use - Aquae Balissae, water at 45 to 50 degrees.
• An eighteenth century spa - developed by the Jankovic family.
• A Czech-speaking community - settled from the 1820s, with schools and press.
• A brewery from 1840 - part of the same history.

When to go

Year round; the spa operates in all seasons. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The spa is a medical and rehabilitation facility as much as a leisure one, which shapes the atmosphere. Parts of the complex are dated. The town is quiet and off the main routes. Brewery tours need arranging.

Nearby

Papuk geopark is south-east; Bjelovar is north-west.