I didn’t know this was exactly what I needed – calm water, air that smells like childhood, and a silence broken only by the call of a heron. Kopački Rit welcomed me like an old friend who asks for nothing, just quietly sits beside you.

The road brought me to Baranja with no big expectations. I thought it was just another swamp, just another protected area. And then – silence. Real silence, the kind you forget about when you live in cities and calendars. Here, time flows differently. Everything is slower, more peaceful – in sync with how nature breathes, without any rush.

I walked along the trail through the forest, between glistening water surfaces. Under the little wooden bridges, fish glided by, while cormorants sat on the branches, watching the world. I didn’t disturb them – I was part of that day. Part of the RIT.

I met a guide, a man who has worked there for 20 years. He told me about wild boars, deer, and the over 290 species of birds. “You just have to stop and listen,” he said. And he was right. Kopački Rit doesn’t reveal itself to those who pass through quickly. You have to stop, watch, and breathe with it.

The most beautiful moment came at the end of the day – the sun was setting, the water turned golden, and I sat on a bench feeling like I had come back to myself.

I left Kopački Rit with the sense that I had touched something ancient, wise, and important. Something that can’t be bought or photographed. It can only be experienced.

If you need a reset, go to the rit. It knows what you need.