The east of Croatia made for enjoyment and relaxation.
If not already, now is the time to discover it
In Srijem and Slavonia, summer is interwoven with gold. It is the ideal season for a long and relaxing vacation with light summer wines from Srijem and delicious traditional food. We bring you five stories that will inspire you.
Love Story from Vinkovci
Not only do they have the most beautiful love poem, people of Vinkovci have also the Šokci Romeo and Juliet. The Vinkovci Romeo is the well-known Croatian writer Ivan Kozarac who in the last year of his life wrote his anthological poem “I Caressed Brunettes and Blonds”. It is devoted to his dearly missed ‘Juliet’, cousin Marija Kozarac. In the picturesque Krnjaš in front of the writer’s birth house, along the Bosut river, there is the monument to the young couple. You will simply have to make a selfie.
The Story of the First Šokci Lady
This was the title of Katarina Horvatović of Županja, married to the Englishman Fredy Hepburn, one of the owners of a tannin factory built at the end of the 19th century. The Englishmen brought to the region also new customs and new sports, so that tennis and football were played in Županja for the first time, which is witnessed by the monument to the soccer ball. Around Županja, the surrounding villages are connected by the Golden Thread Road where you can discover forgotten customs, trades, traditional gastronomy and excellent brandy. True rural idyll!
The Odescalchi Castle, author: TZ VSŽ
Story of Museums and Castles
The first recorded date in history of mankind is 22 February 2898 B.C. It was recorded by the old people of Vučedol. You will discover the most beautiful stories about them in the contemporary Vučedol Culture Museum, an obligatory stop when on the way from Vukovar to Ilok. It was built at the archaeological site where between 3000 and 2500 B.C. this advanced civilisation thrived. You must also visit the Eltz Castle housing the Vukovar Municipal Museum and the Odescalchi Castle housing the Museum of the Town of Ilok.
Story of Rivers in Srijem
The ancient Romans had a story that in their empire there is a river flowing in one direction until noon and in another in the afternoon. If you observe the Bosut when there is just the lightest breeze, it will seem to you as if this calm Srijem river has changed its direction. This is only one of the stories on the most beautiful rivers in Srijem. From the centre of Nijemci, navigate on the Bosut and Spačva, and discover the beauty of the Spačva forest at Virovi, while for an entirely different experience you can choose to navigate on the panoramic boat on the Danube with a view of Vukovar. When packing your suitcase for Srijem and Slavonia, do not forget to take your bathing suit. River beaches are wonderful.
Vina, author: TZ VSŽ
Wine Stories from Srijem
Although it seems that vineyards have always existed on the territory of Srijem, the first Ilok Traminac vines were planted in 1710 by the noble Odescalchi family. In its old cellars in the centre of Ilok, almost 200 years before Bordeaux and Burgundy, the family filled the wine into special containers thus protecting its reputation from the dealers. The attractive Principovac excursion site and the Old Cellars are an integral part of the Ilok Wine Road with another twenty wineries and their superb wines, as well as best price-quality ratio in Croatia. Regardless if you are wine expert or just a beginner, the historic Ilok is created to be enjoyed. The ancient Romans called it Delicium Mundi or the World’s Pleasure for a reason.