Lipik

Lipik was one of the more fashionable spas of the Habsburg lands in the nineteenth century, built around a hot spring of unusually mineral water, with a bath house, a promenade, hotels and a glass-roofed pavilion. It was also the home of the Lipizzaner stud brought here in the nineteenth century. In 1991 the town sat on the front line and was shelled heavily; much of the historic centre was destroyed, and the stud's horses were evacuated under fire, with a number never recovered. Rebuilding has run since: the spa complex has been restored in stages, the stud farm is working again, and the town's own account of what happened is unavoidable.

What you actually see

• A nineteenth century Habsburg spa - built on a strongly mineral hot spring.
• A Lipizzaner stud - working again after the war.
• Destruction from 1991 - the town was on the front line.
• Restoration in stages - the spa buildings brought back over decades.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Some buildings are restored and others still are not, so the town reads as unfinished. The war is recent and personal here. Spa facilities are medical as much as leisure. Services are limited.

Nearby

Pakrac is next door; Papuk geopark is east.