Back to the rural roots in secluded and beautiful Eastern Croatia

Enjoy a combination or rural delights of Eastern Croatia, from the delightful Ilok to the wetlands of Lonjsko polje. Understand how the locals used to live and how they live now, also how they worked the land or what tools they used. From clay workshops to the traditional fishing schools savour the best of these secluded and serene areas…

Take a moment to learn a few facts about the place you are about to visit.

Slavonia and Ilok

This is the pancake-flat Eastern region of Croatia, where the Danube kisses the sky and where rivers abound. Slavonia is also the agricultural linchpin of Croatia that has all the natural beauty and the gourmet appeal often overseen by the tourist masses. It is a perfect setting for your rural getaway.

Bordered by three major regional rivers (Sava, Drava, and Danube), this part of the country holds strong historical connections with Hungary, Serbia and Germany. Most of Slavonia’s allure lies in this cultural mix that makes it closer to central Europe in terms of customs, food, wine, and many other ways…

Ilok - it is a place where the days are long enough for you to savour them fully, where time does not fly and where you soak in all this unique natural beauty. Here the blue Danube with its backwaters shows its full strength and the slopes of Fruška gora depict some of the most famous wine roads in the country. Take a walk through the historic center of the town with the fortress and the church of St. John of Capistrano plus the Odeschalci castle where the Ilok Municipal Museum is located.

To fully experience this city do reward your palate with the gourmet specialties handpicked from the Danube gastronomy and far-reaching hospitality.

Try out the traditional specialties like Ilok kebab, fish paprika stew etc. while toasting the meal with the best European Traminac wine variety right in the Eco-estate awarded the title as one of the European Destinations of Excellence, located on a protected archaeological site along the Danube river banks, not far from the center of Ilok. This is where in addition to comfortable accommodation in rural Srijem houses Ribarska kuća (Fisherman’s house) and Kuća kod stare Majke (The House at the Old Mother’s) you will also get to fully unwind and relax on the deck chairs overlooking the Danube, opt to go fishing or cycling along the river, or gaze at a beautiful starry sky. 

Lonjsko polje

Lonjsko Polje (English: Lonja Field) is a 506-sq-km stretch of wetland in the Posavina region, between the Sava River and Moslavačka Gora mountain. Situated along the Lonja River, a Sava tributary after which the park got its name, this huge water retention basin is famous for its diversity in terms of flora and fauna. The local villages pride themselves on their traditional 19th-century wooden architecture, and the area is divided into several villages. Čigoč is primarily famous for being a „stork meeting point “, where these birds nest, and is also dubbed as the „first European stork habitat“.

Čigoč is also home to a small ethnographic collection owned by the Sučić family. The collection was created by preserving family traditional items and it contains approximately 400 different objects related to the people's way of life in this part of Posavina region from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The collection includes various antique forms of ceramic and wooden vessels, woodworking tools, transport aids, fishing tools, etc. Most noteworthy are the valuable forms of textile handicrafts such as national costumes, bed linen and towels decorated with rich Posavina embroidery. Visitors are given the opportunity to purchase embroidered arts and crafts items because the loom is still in operation. If the old owners are around you can also take a dab at weaving the loom yourself.

The area from Čigoč to the heritage village of Krapje is the most notable and visit worthy, Krapje being known for its well-preserved traditional wooden houses as well as fishing and hunting locations and opportunities. Check out the covered external staircases, porches and pillars, and various farm buildings with their barns, drying sheds, pigsties, and hen houses - a true rural and secluded vacation treat.