Ilok is a city where culture meets history meets wine

Written by: Katarina Anđelković

Follow the roads meandering between the vineyards and let them take you all the way east to where the Danube kisses the sky. Discover Ilok, Croatia’s easternmost gem where culture meets history meets wine. A testimony to the long continuity of living in the area, Ilok tells stories from the Middle Ages, the Roman and Ottoman times and all that came between and after. Its wine is fit for royalty and its landscape makes for the perfect cycling routes. The route between Vukovar and Ilok, on- or off-road is one of the more scenic parts of the 138 kilometres of the Croatian portion of the Eurovelo 6 cycling route. 

Once in Ilok, start by exploring the mediaeval old town where you’ll find the remains of St. Peter’s Basilica from the 13^th century and the mediaeval castle, church, and friary of St. John of Capistrano from the 14^th century, the fortress and walls erected by Nikola Iločki from the 15^th century, and the turbe and hamam from the Ottoman era in the 16^th century. The heritage of the noble Odescalchi family from the same period has also been preserved, with a castle and the old wine cellars. Witnesses to the later periods include the residence of Baron Brnjaković and the chapel of St. John of Nepomuk from the 18^th century, as well as a beautiful park and public gardens from the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

The focal point of the old town, the Odescalchi Castle now houses the Ilok City Museum with a modern concept of exhibits, which includes archaeological, mediaeval, ethnographic and gallery sections and an atrium as an open-air museum, as well as subsequently opened sections that focus on the wars of the 20^th century and the ethnography of Syrmia.

Enjoy a taste of the local cuisine at one of Ilok’s prime spots. Visit Principovac, the 19^th century Odescalchi country estate located a few kilometres out, serving gourmet food and golden drops of wine in a setting that incorporates modern touches, maybe head to one of the more traditional venues in the old town, or the renowned hotel Dunav at the very bank of the Danube.

To round it all off, do what Ilok does best and visit one of its wineries. There are quite a few around, eager to serve their finest wines and tell their best stories. The aromatic and sweet Traminer is the most celebrated variety, which has been served at the celebrations of the British royal family ever since Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.