Croatia: Vukovar and Ilok

Life goes on after the war

The curator of the Vukovar Museum, Ruža Marić, kindly let us stay in her home and showed us around town, then took us out for dinner! She spent 7 years in exile during the Serbian occupation, during which time the old museum was destroyed completely but for the shell. Even though only a small portion of the museum has been restored, it is here that we attended the annual celebrations of Vukovar and it's heritage, spending the night listening to Strauss on the banks of the Danube, a novel experience.

Museum entrance

Piano and tree on the banks of the Danube in Vukovar

The Vukovar Museum before the storm

Continuing east to Croatia's most eastern inland point, Ilok, we were again met with generous hospitality: after a personalised 2 hour tour of the town we were allowed to camp on private land on a hill overlooking the Danube. We were then shown to the cherry trees where we proceeded to feast all evening before collecting some more for breakfast!

Cherries, mmm

Ilok was less badly damaged during the war and an old fortress, castle, franciscan monastery and wine cellars remain.

The wine cellar at the base of the castle in Ilok - over 100m long!