2 stops in walking order

Fortress

A vast star-shaped Habsburg fortress on the Sava, built between 1715 and 1780 to face the Ottoman Empire across the river. It never saw a serious siege and today its 33 hectares hold galleries, a summer stage and long grassy ramparts perfect for a stroll. The town beside it is quiet, but the annual Brodsko kolo folk festival draws dancers in traditional dress from across Slavonia.

~1 h 30 m at this stop

Museum

The Ružić Gallery inside Brod Fortress showcases sculptor Branko Ružić's spare wooden figures alongside a rotating collection of 20th-century Slavonian artists. The Vauban-star fortress itself — one of the largest baroque strongholds ever built along the Habsburg military frontier — makes the visit worth an extra hour along the Sava ramparts.

~1 h at this stop