Where the Danube kisses the sky stands Šarengrad and its fortress!

Šarengrad, rich in history, was inhabited since ancient times by various peoples such as Thracians, Illyrians, Celts, and Romans.

This area has had significant buildings throughout the centuries, including one of the earliest monasteries and a small but respectable defensive fort on the banks of the Danube.

The oldest known name of the settlement, Athya, comes from the Hungarian palatine Athyae, who built the monastery and church of St. Spirit, originally entrusted to the Templars, and later to the Benedictines. Unfortunately, the monastery was demolished by the Tatars around 1240.

At the beginning of the 15th century, Ban Mačvanski Ivan Morovićki rebuilt the monastery in the Gothic style, and around 1420 it was settled by Franciscans from Bosnia, who got the vineyards at their disposal.

Church and monastery of St. Peter and Paul Šarengrad, Photo: Adria fun

During the Turkish rule, from 1526 to 1690, Athya was under occupation, but after the expulsion of the Turks, the reconstruction of the settlement, monastery and church began. The new church, known as “St. Petri Šarengradini“, was mentioned in 1726, which marks one of the first recorded names of Šarengrad.

Ban Ivan Morovićki fortified Athya with a fortress on the steep slope of Fruška Gora around 1390. During the Turkish rule, the fort remained intact because it was crucial for maintaining the authority over the settlement.

Šarengrad fortress, Photo: Adria fun

When it was built, it was twice as big as it is today, but part of it collapsed over time due to the erosion of the Danube. Today, the fort is known as the Old Town.

Šarengrad fortress, Photo: Adria fun

Where the Danube kisses the sky is written on the board when you descend the winding road towards Šarengrad on the way from Vukovar to Ilok and when that mighty river appears in your field of vision in all its beauty.

You can have a view worth a million euros if you decide to visit this beautiful place.