Named after the river Lonja, which feeds into the Sava, Lonjsko polje (“Lonja Field”) is an area of flatland on the east bank of the Sava that is prone to seasonal flooding. The resulting marshlands and semi-sunken forests are a haven for herons, storks and many species of migrating birds. The polje’s drier bits of grazing land and forest are roamed by the spotty-skinned Turopolje breed of pig, and stocky Posavlje horses.

Quite apart from the fauna, the polje is edged by some of Croatia’s most attractive traditional villages, with ramshackle timber houses lining the main road. Many of them have been beautifully restored, resembling the kind of fairy-tale houses where you might imagine a wolf disguised as your grandma peering out from behind the curtains.

Now under the protective mantle of the Lonjsko polje Nature Park, the are is well supplied with marked trails leading from the riverside villages into the polje, where - depending on the season - you might find grassy plains, glittering lakes, and water-sodden woodland.