Daruvar, a small town of nearly 9,000 people in northeast Croatia is my place of freedom. It’s the only place I can ever remember that made me feel truly grateful for being alive.
Growing up, I frequently traveled to Daruvar because my mother was born and raised here and her entire family continued to live here even after she emigrated to the United States.
From 1991-1995 the Croatian War of Independence was raging on in Yugoslavia and my entire extended family, as well as all of the inhabitants of Daruvar, were in the midst of horrendous warfare.
One of my first memories of visiting my Baka (grandmother) in her Daruvar home was the facade of her house. At first glance, it was just a house. But upon further inspection I discovered large imperfections in the stone. Gaping holes and tiny precise holes scattered the exterior. It was an old house so I thought perhaps it was beginning to chip away. “No,” my cousin told me, “they’re from the war—it’s parts of bombs and bullets.” I looked closer and it made sense.
My cousin went on to explain that during this time, our family often hid under tables, or in the basement, with the blinds pulled, the television news on mute, and with immense fear in their hearts. He said that the buzzing of planes just above was an every day occurrence and the sound of bombs hitting the ground was deafening. He told me about spider webs, explosives thought to expel diseases, lighting up the sky.
Even more heart-wrenching was what he described they saw when they emerged from hiding— total and utter destruction. Buildings were flattened, shrapnel was lying all over, and sometimes there was even blood. After one of the attacks, my cousin said that a man covered entirely in blood sought refuge in my Baka’s house.
Although all of this carnage and sadness makes it sound like Daruvar isn’t a positive or uplifting place, it truly is. Daruvar is my place of independence because through my visits here, I have seen what it has become.
During my time here as a young adult, I saw new buildings erected, war monuments built, and a feeling of revival in the air. I witnessed tourism increase due to their updated and improved natural hot springs—water believed to heal. Rehabilitation spas began to sprout up. Energy and life was beginning to fully breathe into Daruvar. I truly feel that I saw the town slowly transition from a place of wreckage to a place of strength and healing.
The most remarkable thing I gained from my trips here was a true appreciation for life.
Once, when sitting at an outdoor cafe in downtown Daruvar, a middle aged woman passed us and my Croatian relatives said hello to her. They told me later that she lost her entire family in the war—her husband and her little boy. Another man, who was very old and walked with a hunchback propped up by a cane, passed us sometime later. My family told me he was severely injured in the war.
I was absolutely amazed that everyone here had a story. Everyone was affected by this horrific war in one way or another, but everyone picked up the pieces and managed to go on. The people, the buildings, the town itself, refused to wallow in sadness and instead, chose to prosper. And they did.
The transitions of this small town and the relentless pursuit of a life of happiness here have given me immense inspiration to live my life to the fullest. I am moved to live every day with gratitude and to appreciate the small gifts life gives me. Daruvar is my place of independence because my time here has allowed me to discover how incredibly lucky I am to simply be alive. And even though I, too, have scars on my exterior, I am not afraid to wear them as a reminder of my past and an inspiration to be better than I was before.
About the Author: Kat is a travel enthusiast having traveled to well over a dozen countries and to four continents. Her favorite travel experience was camping in the Sahara desert of Tunisia and riding camels there too! When she isn’t writing, she is playing with her two rambunctious dogs and dining out with her hubby.
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Great post, Kat! Daruvar is so little known out of Croatia, that it makes me happy to see and read this post. True, war is long gone, and although there are still scars, it’s great go see that people move on and try to rebuild there life. Thanks for sharing!
Great post. I just found a letter written by a girl I knew from Daruvar 30 years ago. She would be about 50 now. I don’t know what happened to her.
Unfortunately this war has put us 20 or maybe even more years in past! Except bad memories concerning the war you had there nice and relaxing atmosphere with your family.
It is good that life has continued there!
Thanks for sharing!