by croatiaweek
November 11, 2025
in
In honour of Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Homeland War and Remembrance Day for the Victims of Vukovar and Škabrnja on 18 November, Croatian Railways (HŽ Putnički prijevoz) will once again provide free train travel to Vukovar.
Travellers will be able to journey free of charge from any railway station in Croatia to Vukovar and back between 17 and 19 November 2025.
This initiative allows citizens from across the country to pay their respects in Vukovar — a city that remains a powerful symbol of courage, sacrifice, and resilience in Croatia’s struggle for independence.
The Siege of Vukovar
Between August and November 1991, Vukovar endured an 87-day siege by the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and associated paramilitary forces.
The human cost was devastating. 2,717 people, including 34 children aged between seven months and 17 years, lost their lives. More than 1,200 were injured, and over 350 Croatian defenders remain missing.
Following the fall of the city on 18 November 1991, approximately 22,000 Croats and other non-Serbs were expelled from their homes. In one of the war’s darkest moments, 260 wounded soldiers, civilians, and medical staff taken from Vukovar Hospital were later found in a mass grave at Ovčara. The fate of others taken from the hospital remains unknown.
Special Train Services
On 18 November, regular train services will operate according to schedule, with additional trains running between Vinkovci and Vukovar to accommodate those attending the commemorations.
