Vukovar: Eltz Palace

Well, we got some DIY time at our tour stop in Vukovar. But only because Mui and I split off after Helena told the group where and when to meet.

Eltz Palace, which originally dated back to the 18th century, is considered to be one of the “… most monumental feudal architectural complexes in Slavonija, comprising the palace, former residence of the Eltz family; four baroque-style manor houses where the administrators of the large feudal estate used to live; farm buildings; the St. Roch Chapel; the Greenhouse (“Oranžerija”); present-day gallery; and gardens extending from the palace to the Danube.”

Our actual destination here was the Vukovar Municipal Museum, housed in the palace since 1966, but founded in 1946. At that time, the exhibits were in the mail coach building. During the Homeland War, which started in 1991, the complex saw heavy bombardment by the Yugoslav People’s Army. The palace was completely destroyed, as was much of the collection. Some of the 50,000 pieces held by the museum were either ruined to the point where no restoration was possible, or lost — never to be found again, or taken to Serbia. Diplomatic efforts returned some of the items to the museum, but they had to be exhibited at a different location for a while due to the damage to the palace.

The Municipal Museum returned to Eltz Palace in 1997. It wasn’t until the completion of a four-year restoration project in 2011, however, that the palace regained its pre-war appearance.

To say that our visit to the museum was a high-speed affair would not be an understatement. We had somewhere between 30-40 minutes to see what we could see on the three floors of the museum. I could have used another hour — two would have been better … especially after I found the traditional costumes and other ethnographic exhibits.

To make time for the exhibits, I skipped the screening of the video about Vukovar — before and after the war — that many in the group went to see with Helena. I’m sure it was interesting, but the audio was in Croatian, with Helena translating into English … which I could hear through the QuietVox headset as I wandered around. From a personal point of view, I am satisfied with my choice.

When our museum time was up, we returned to the Rinda, which was scheduled to leave Vukovar at 1:00p for today’s second port of call.

It was such a lovely-weather day, with the sun warming things up, that we decided to have an al fresco lunch at the Aquavit Terrace on deck 3 forward. We did have to put on our jackets when the Rinda started to move, but it never became uncomfortable. Definitely a pleasant way to cruise down the Danube.Les mer