Croatia’s Vukovar Seeks Post-War Image of Peace and Prosperity

Driving towards Vukovar from the west on the wide, new road into the city, a variety of business premises, gas stations and large port cranescan be seen standing side by side alongside the banks of the River Danube.

Vukovar may still be seen as a symbol of the wartime destruction of the 1990sbut today it seems like any other town in the area. However, the'Croatian Stalingrad', as it was once called due to the resistance of its defenders and the enormous destruction it sustained while it was besieged more than 30 years ago, still bears the scars of its past.

Vukovar makes headlines these days mainly due to continuing inter-ethnic tensions which are usually highlighted around the anniversary of the fall of the city when Croatia's political elite come to visit, or as a negative example of emigration. But locals would like the city's reputation to be reconsidered and updated.

"Today, the situation is actually much better than it was, although one can notice the growth of prices of everyday goods as well as of real estate. But then again, they are less high in comparison to the prices in other cities," said Ruzica Dufek from local property agency Vukovarka.

"Until five years ago, apartments were sold for up to 400 euros per square metre; now they are around 600 and above. A good location and a new building can be sold for 1,000 euros per square metre," she added.

Vukovar now looks as a peaceful and orderly place. Photo: BIRN/Vuk Tesija

The relatively low prices are due to the fact that salaries are lower in this part of Croatia, which has an impact on the prices charged for real estate.

About five percent of real-estate transactions involve foreigners who have no family connections toVukovar but have decided to move here, at...