Voćin (Šarengrad) – guardian of the Danube

The fortress of Voćin was built in the 15th century by the Croatian ban Ivan Morović, one of the first members of the Catholic “Order of the Dragon”, the dragon-bearing knights of King Sigismund of Luxembourg. From Pope Innocent VII he received permission to build a Franciscan monastery on his estate as well, and friars of the province of Bosna Srebrena moved into it. Standing on the bank of the Danube, the fortress served as a key barrier against the Ottoman advance.

Over the centuries Voćin changed hands many times, the last of its owners being the counts Eltz, who held numerous estates around Vukovar and Ilok. Only after it was abandoned in 1736 does the name Šarengrad appear for the first time; it is thought to derive from the Hungarian Szerenvar, which would translate as “the town of Srijem”. The name Castellum Athya (Atija) is mentioned here and there too, but very little information about it is available.

Voćin was girdled by thick walls of hard brick, with a ditch running around them. Not much of the fortress is left today, but the location is exceptional and still breathes the spirit of ages past. The view of the mighty Danube is spectacular. This is one of the easternmost points in Croatia. The only place further east than Šarengrad is Ilok, about 6 km away.

Two paths lead up to the fortress, an “upper” and a “lower” one. The “lower” one starts from the village. It is said to be steeper and unmaintained. We saw tourist signs for both, so the situation may be better now. We chose the “upper” path, along which you can drive right up to the ditch below the fortress, but since the last stretch was rather muddy and the turning place somewhat steep and overgrown, we decided to leave the car at the “Y” junction by the last house. From there it is some 200 m on foot to the fortress. The last part of the climb is a little steeper.