A red deer wanders in Kopacki Rit. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Eagles are among the many species to be found on the Kopacki Rit Nature Reserve. @ Romulic and Stojcic

The marshy nature reserve of Kopacki Rit. @ Romulic and Stojcic

The paprika harvest in Baranja, where one village holds an annual paprika festival. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Paprika is one of the most important ingredients in the local cuisine. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Agriculture plays an important part in the Baranja economy. @ Romulic and Stojcic

The low, flat expanses of Baranja. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Local fish prepared in the traditional way. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Although meat dominates the diet, river fish are an important source of food. The Drava and Danube rivers run through the region. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Baranja, a region of unspoilt nature. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Preparing the meat in a typical Baranja village. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Traditional dress for pig slaughtering. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Tools for pig slaughtering. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Traditional pig slaughering. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Food preparation in Baranja. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Almost all parts of the pig are eaten. Here the liver and parts of the stomach. @ Romulic and Stojcic

'Slavonian chips' or Cvarci (pronounced 'chvartsi'), fried pig fat. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Preparing kulen, one of the most famous delicacies in the region. @ Romulic and Stojcic

A typical Baranja house in Karanac. @ Romulic and Stojcic

The majestic Belje cellars. @ Romulic and Stojcic

The expansive Belje vineyards under a blanket of snow. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Baranja is one of Croatia's most exciting wine regions. Here, the Kolar winery. @ Romulic and Stojcic

The vineyards of the Belje winery. @ Romulic and Stojcic

Agro-tourism is a large potential growth area for Baranja. The eco-ethno village of Karanac. @ Romulic and Stojcic

As part of its coverage of the Osijek wine and chocolate festivals, Digital Journal visited the small region of Baranja, close to the Hungarian border on December 8, 2014, in the company of local resident and celebrated photographer Mario Romulic.Romulic, together with his partner Drazen Stojcic, is one of the best-known photographers in the region, and an exhibition of his work toured the capitals of Europe as part of Croatia's EU accession, as previously reported on by Digital Journal . The Osijek duo are also credited with what many in the national press called the best promotion of Croatia with their Timelapse Croatia release in 2012 (see below).The Croatian region of Baranja has strong Hungarian roots and is less than half the size of its counterpart over the border, Baranya. Further separated by the rivers Drava and Danube, Baranya begins across the river from the Slavonian city of Osijek, crossing the river Drava, which is growing in importance as a Danube river cruise destination.Crossing the river brings one to a totally different world - of tradition, wine, gastronomy and the spectacular nature reserve of Kopacki Rit, a journey best described through the lens of Romulic.