During the 18th century, Austrian rulers assigned fertile Slavonian expanses to various noble families. At that time, many baroque castles and manors were built throughout Slavonia.

Castles in Slavonia have always been home to rulers, wealthy noble families and wealthy landowners.

They were mostly built outside the settlement. As such, they were the headquarters of large estates and lush gardens and parks.

The representative purpose of each castle conditioned its external appearance and internal spatial layout – for example, decorative facades, imposing staircases, ceremoniously decorated halls with mirrors, etc. – were given in the Baroque period.

The mansions were architecturally more modest buildings than castles, and were the homes of the lower and peasant nobility, pastors or canons. They were often the center of a manorial estate, so it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them from smaller castles.

There is almost no country in Europe that does not have an enviable collection of castles or mansions. The same is true in Croatia, and the most famous preserved castles in Slavonia are:

Eltz Castle in Vukovar

Hunting castle of Prince Eugene of Savoy in Bilje near Osijek
Turković castle in Kutjevo
Prandau-Normann castle in Valpovo
Odescalchi palace in Ilok
Esterházy castle in Darda
Pejačević castle in Našice
Hilleprand von Prandau / Mailáth Castle in Donji Miholjac

Each of these castles tells tales of charming nobles, fort builders, great conquerors, and court ladies. Explore the many hidden corners of this region through the historical tales of Slavonian castles!