We took an optional Viking tour called the Croatian War of Independence. We hoped to learn more about the complicated history of this region, but unfortunately, our tour guides were well-meaning but disorganized and not terribly knowledgeable.
When Croatia attempted to secede from Yugoslavia, Vukovar suffered through an 87-day siege, and the town was completely destroyed. DUring the battle shells were fired into the town at a rate of 12,000 per day. Vukovar was the first major European town to be destroyed since WWII.
Our main goal was to see the famous Vukovar Tower (shown at left).
Our first stop was a War Museum with many planes and vehicles used by the Croatians during the conflict.
One room displayed photos of Croatian soldiers on the walls along with various munitions.
Next, we visited a Memorial Center honoring the victims of the Serb's concentration camps. Thousands of Croatians died in this war, and horrifically, the Serbs removed over 200 people from the hospital to torture, and eventually shoot them. The memorial included an eternal flame and photos of the fallen displayed on the surrounding walls.
The Vukovar Tower remains as a symbol of the heroism of the Croatian people. The structure was hit 600 times, and it's amazing that it is still standing. Every day, the Serbs would shoot down the Croatian flag flying on the top of the tower. And every night, Croatians would sneak into the tower and replace the flag.
The damage is most noticeable inside the tower.
Of course, Croatia did achieve independence, but the town of Vukovar has never recovered.
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