A historian by trade, Domagoj Hajduković knows a lot about the past. But as the first openly gay elected official in Croatia, he’s also part of history. “Historians don’t usually make history,” he tells Pink Ticket Travel. “We write it or write about it, but we don’t make it.”
But make it he did. When the Parliamentarian came out in 2020—four years after he was first elected to national government—there was no blueprint for him to follow, no feedback from fellow LGBTQ+ politicians, no support from his community. In fact, Hajduković hadn’t even planned to come out. He only publicly shared his orientation after the media learned that he’d been assaulted by a fellow member of his party—who, Hajduković later revealed, was an ex.
As homophobia and hate-based violence continue to be a problem in Croatia, a country of almost four million people, Hajduković has become a beacon of hope for many LGBTQ+ Croatians. “If this outing helped anybody, this is the hugest achievement of my career and life,” he says. “I would like to have … made it easier for other people to run for public office, to out themselves, to be what they are.”
Hajduković says he wants to use his parliamentary position to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Same-sex marriage is still not permitted in Croatia, for example, though there are civil unions available. Hajduković still hears the occasional slur from fellow members of Parliament.
Still, he loves sharing his country’s culture and history with the world. Pink Ticket recently spoke with the charming MP about his personal Croatian travel tips.
What is one misconception that foreigners have about Croatia?
Croatia is not Eastern Europe. I suppose the misconception would be, “Oh, yeah, you’re coming to the Balkans.” You’re not. There are good roads, good quality of services. Mostly, of course, I hope it will surprise you for the better.
What’s the most unique thing about Croatia that tourists should know more about?
Most of the people coming to Croatia don’t know what a fusion of cultures and influences we are. When it comes to cuisine, for example, we are a special brand. We are East meets West, and vice versa. Oriental influences are very strong. I think you wouldn’t expect that, really. We’re a European country, a Mediterranean country, in Central Europe. You wouldn’t expect such a blend.
Outside of Zagreb, what is your favourite town or city to visit?
Other than, of course, my home city of Osijek, right? Other than that, you have a very small city at the border between Croatia and Slovenia called Ozalj [about an hour and a half away from Zagreb]. One of the oldest hydroelectric dams in the world, Ozalj Dam, is located there. In archaic Croatian, the dam is called Munjara, which means a “factory of lightning,” because the symbol for electricity is lightning. It has a beautiful lake. You can go boating if you like. It also has a very old, very historically significant castle, Gradina Ozalj (Ul. Zrinskih i Frankopana 2, Ozalj). The Kupa River flows nearby. It’s a rather shallow river with a pebble bed—a very clear river with extremely good fish. If you like to row, hike, fish, camp or go cycling in nature, this is the place to go.
But there are other places to visit. For example, Fužine is on the highway if you’re travelling from Zagreb to Rijeka. If you like hiking and mountaineering, this is the place to go. In the centre of Fužine, at Hotel Bitoraj (Ul. Sveti Križ 1, 51322, Fužine), you will taste dessert that was probably baked by angels, as one of my friends put it. It’s a homemade strudel made with wild forest berries. So if you’re into desserts, try that. If you’re not, then try bear meat. Bear is underrated.
When is the best time to visit these places?
Well, winter definitely is off. You may like the snow and everything, but then your options are quite narrow. The last time I went was summer 2021. I went there with my current partner.
What are some places that a nature lover might want to visit?
Let’s start with the north. There’s a place called Trakošćan Castle (Trakošćan 4, 42253, Bednja). It’s a beautiful medieval castle at the top of a hill surrounded by a magnificent park, a few lakes, and very dramatic surroundings and ambiance. You can ride a carriage up and visit the castle, which is a museum. It was also owned by one of the oldest Croatian noble families [the Drašković family]. Then you can go to the top and see Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia all in your palm.
Then, in my part of the country, there’s one of the largest ornithological spaces in Europe. This is just across from my home city. It’s a nature park called Kopački rit (Kopačko Jezero, Kopačevo). It’s a marshy area with a huge population of birds. Many bird watchers come, photographers as well. This is one of the rare parts of Europe that was preserved in the way it was a thousand years ago. Large parts of Europe were actually swampy marshy bogs in the past, but due to human intervention, they were turned into fields and forests and so on. So, this is a part of living history.
If you like to see diversity in a relatively small space, then visit the island of Brač.
In Brač, you can see everything from sandy beaches and pebble beaches to caves, deserts, mountains. In particular, Zmajeva špilja (Murvica, just 10 minutes from the Bol, the largest town on the island) is a very famous cave. There are other caves nearby that were used a long time ago by the socialist regime as military staging areas. Nowadays, of course, they’re open to the public. At the top of the island, you have a desert, which is quite unusual for Croatian standards, to have a desert on an island. But you have the feeling that you are in the Sahara. And if you like nightlife, and if you like more urban things to do, you can also visit the town of Bol. [For cocktails on Brač, visit Cocktail Bar Bolero on the Bol waterfront; for dancing, visit Benny’s Bar (13A, Put Vele Luke, Supetar, on the other side of the island); and for recuperating, visit Hotel Lemongarden (Perića Kala 1, 21403, Sutivan).]
Is there a book by a Croatian author that you might recommend to someone travelling there, for those moments on the beach in Brač, or along the lake in Ozalj?
Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, for example, is an author that drew heavily on our Slavic heritage and our Slavic mythology. Her stories have a moral and clear message, too. I would maybe consider them light reading if you’re coming to Croatia. If you want to do some heavy reading, read Miroslav Krleža or Ivo Andrić, who is a Nobel Prize winner.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
