Bilje

Bilje (in Croatian) or Bellye (in Hungarian) is a village and municipality on the outskirts of nature park Kopački Rit in the region of Baranja, Osijek-Baranja County, Croatia, situated 8 km northeast of Osijek.

Name

Its name derived from the Slavic word "bilje" ("herb" in English).

Geography

The municipality of Bilje include following settlements:
*Bilje
*Kopačevo
*Kozjak
*Lug
*Podunavlje
*Tikveš
*Vardarac
*Zlatna Greda

Demographics

There are 5,480 inhabitants in the municipality (2001 census), including: [http://www.dzs.hr/Hrv/censuses/Census2001/Popis/H01_02_02/H01_02_02_zup14.html]
*55.11% Croats
*35.05% Hungarians
*4.49% Serbs
*1.13% Roma
*1.08% Germans

Features

Chief occupations among the population are farming, livestock breeding and food processing (a mill). The manor with the park represents the major tourist attraction; the park is protected as a horticultural monument.

The neighbouring village of Mece is the centre of one of the oldest industrial-agricultural cooperative farms in Europe Belje.

Kopački Rit, situated at the confluence of the Drava and the Danube, the unique preserved wetland area in this part of Europe is not far from Mece. The area surrounding Kopački Rit offers rich hunting grounds for high game (deer in particular) and equally opulent fishing grounds.

See also

* Osijek-Baranja County
* Baranja

External links

* [http://www.bilje.hr/ Official site]
* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/HR/0/Bilje.html Bilje]