Take me there: Osijek
Why go?
Ryanair's new destination in Croatia (it launches flights from Stansted on 4 April) is a likable, laid-back university town. It's the capital of Slavonia, a land of cornfields, vineyards and pastel-hued villages, famed for its cuisine. (Nope, we'd never heard of it either.)
What to do
Soak up the Hapsburg-era charm, baroque churches and cobbled streets of Tvrda, the old town. Take a boat tour through Kopacki Rit Nature Park, one of Europe's largest wetland habitats (kopacki-rit.com). Cycle through the winelands of Baranja (biljeplus.hr). In summer, join locals swimming off the sandbanks of the River Drava.
Where to stay
Maksimilian (from £35, maksimilian.hr) is a home-from-home B&B with heaps of character in an old Austro-Hungarian building in historic Tvrda. It also offers bike hire (€10 per day).
Where to eat
Be serenaded by a frog chorus as you dine on fish at Zelena Zaba, a riverside restaurant on the edge of the Kopacki Rit (Ribarska 3, 00 385 31 752 212). In Baranja, Josic serves Slavonian dishes, such as smoked fish, goulash and spit-roast venison, in a cosy underground wine cellar (josic.hr).
Insider tip
"The riverside promenade is lined with cool café-bars, some with open-air terraces," says Jelena Matkovic of hip design store Lega-Lega (lega-lega.com). "My favourites are Trica (facebook.com/caffetrica) and Brooklyn (Šetalište kardinala F. Šepera 8F)."
Give me a break
Home: Cornwall with the children
Luxury Family Hotels is offering discounted spring breaks at its seven child-friendly hotels until 3 April. For example, a two-night stay at Polurrian Bay Hotel, set on the cliffs of the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, currently costs from £199 per room on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis – a saving of £141 on normal rates. The hotel offers a crèche, pool and lots of family activities (luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk).
Away: Sunshine in Sardinia
Bag some early-summer sunshine on a break to Sardinia. Tour operator Sardinian Places is offering a week at the three-bedroom Casa Rosa, in the seaside resort of Cannigione, from £389pp – a saving of £169pp on the brochure price. The price is valid for a 3 May departure, based on six sharing, and includes return flights from Gatwick and car hire (sardinianplaces.co.uk/casa-rosa).
