Ilok is located along a bend of the river Danube and is the most eastern town in Croatia located on the border with Serbia. In the Middle Ages Ilok was a ‘castrum’, a town with high walls, towers and fortifications. In the 15th century a church and monastery were build inside the fort dedicated to St. Ivan Kapistran, a Franciscan monk that united the Christians against the Turks, he was buried here in 1456. In the 16th century Ilok became an important administrative and military centre of the Turks, and they added baths and mosques to the fort.
Historically an interesting fact is that Ilok is the last Royal town in Croatia, because it was the capital of the Kingdom of Bosnia ruled by one of the richest landowners and the most important person of the Hungarian – Croatian Kingdom, Nikola Iločki (Miklos Uylaki), he was also the titular king of Bosnia from 1471 untill his death in 1477.
In the time period of Ottoman rule Ilok was the administrative centre of ‘Sanjak of Syrmia’ (Croatian: Srijemski sandžak), an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire formed in 1541, part of the Budin province (Hungary). The fort is the longest war fortification system preserved in continental Croatia and is almost 1.5 kilometers long.
Recently the church and monastery have been renovated, and between these two buildings part of the walls have been preserved and can still be seen today. In 1683 the Austrian emperor donated Ilok to the military commander Livio Odescalchi for his role in the battle for Vienna. He erected the U-shaped Odescalchi-palace. Today the palace houses the Odescalchi-collection, offices, and the city museum with an archaeological and ethnographic collection.
The ancient wine cellars near the castle are known throughout Croatia where wines from Ilok are produced, like its dry white Traminec.
Opening hours
Tuesday – Thursday 09:00 – 15:00
Friday 09:00 – 18:00
Saturday 11:00 – 18:00
Monday closed, Sunday announced visits (group visits only)
Address
Ilok Town Museum
Šetalište O. Mladena Barbarića 5
32236 Ilok, Croatia
Contact
telephone + 385 32 590 020 / 592-966
e-mail info@mgi.hr
website www.mgi.hr (museum castle Ilok)
website www.turizamilok.hr (tourist information town Ilok)