Municipality of Erdut
Population
The municipality of Erdut is located in the far east of Croatia, on the right bank of the Danube. The municipality has four villages: Dalj, Erdut, Aljmaš and Bijelo Brdo. According to the 2011 census report, there were 7 308 inhabitants. The largest village in the municipality is Dalj (3,937 inhabitants), where our primary school is located. There are 605 inhabitants in Aljmaš, 1961 inhabitants in Bijelo Brdo, and 805 inhabitants in the village of Erdut. The municipality of Erdut is special because Croats, Serbs and Hungarians have lived there together since the time of Austro-Hungary, nurturing their own traditions and customs.
Dalj – Sights
The village of Dalj is known as the birthplace of the scientist Milutin Milanković. Today, there is a science center with a small museum in his birth house where you can learn more about the work of this world-famous astronomer.
The two tallest buildings in Dalj are its two churches – Orthodox and Catholic. The Orthodox Church is dedicated to St. Demetrius, and the Catholic Church to St. Joseph.
Since the Danube River flows past Dalj, it is definitely worth to take a walk along its banks. The promenade in Dalj is about two kilometers long. If you get hungry, Dalj has one of the most famous restaurants in the county, called Stari mlin.
Dalj is also the seat of the municipality of Erdut, and most of the inhabitants are engaged in agriculture.
Milutin Milanković
Milutin Milanković is a famous Serbian geophysicist, astronomer and civil engineer. He was born in Dalj on May 28th, 1879, and died in Belgrade on December 12th, 1958). He finished high school in Osijek, and studied civil engineering in Vienna, where he received his doctorate in 1904. Until 1909 he worked as an engineer in Austria, and then as a university professor in Belgrade. He is the founder of the Department of Celestial Mechanics at the University of Belgrade. He was a regular member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. He is highly esteemed in world scientific circles and is the most quoted Serbian scientist of all time. One crater on the moon and one on Mars and one planetoid are named after him. It is best known for its ice age theory, known as the Milanković cycles.
Erdut
Erdut is known for a medieval fortress from the 15th century, the remains of which rise on a hill above the Danube. All that remains of the medieval city are the ruins of two towers and a wall. The round tower is the best preserved, almost in its original form.
In addition to the tower, Erdut also has the Adamović-Cseh castle from the 18th century, which is now part of the Erdut winery. There you can taste famous wines from Erdut and see the old wine cellars. The Erdutski vinogradi winery has the largest wine barrel in use in the world. The village of Erdut is surrounded by vineyards and the Danube River.
Erdut barrel
Erdut vineyards are located in the embrace of the Danube. Erdut vineyards are dominated by white grape varieties that occupy 75% of the area. The most common varieties are Graševina, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Rhine Riesling and Traminer.
In the Erdut winery, probably the biggest attraction is the Erdut barrel. It is the largest barrel in Europe still in use. The volume of the Erdut barrel is as much as 75,000 liters. It is made of Slavonian oak, dried for several years, and in 2001 several motifs were carved on it, the central one being The Last Supper, on which wine was also drunk. The barrel is always full and there is always Graševina in it because Graševina is a trademark of the vineyards, and thus of the Erdutski vinogradi winery.
Aljmaš
Aljmaš is a small village located near the confluence of the Drava and Danube rivers. In the center of the village is the church of Our Lady of Refuge, which was first built in 1708. After the church was demolished during the war, it was rebuilt in 2004. It is recognizable by its swan-shaped tower. In front of the church, a large Advent wreath is prepared at Christmas time, where one Advent candle is lit every Sunday with Christmas carols.
Every year, on the feast of the Assumption, thousands of believers from all parts of Croatia come to Aljmaš. In addition to the church, they also visit Calvary with the Stations of the Cross.
There are also various associations in Aljmaš, such as the Voluntary Fire Brigade, the Cultural Arts Society, the Kayak Canoe Club, the Women’s Association and the Fishermen’s Association.
Food and specialties in the municipality of Erdut and Osijek-Baranja County
Slavonians have always known how to turn the wealth of fields, forests and rivers into a delicious snack. Many occasions among Slavonians were the reason for great celebrations. This is how special dishes were created during harvest work, births, engagements, weddings, and church holidays. Among the more famous dishes are fish stew, carp on forks, shepherd’s stew, chicken stew, homemade soups, sarma, turkey with mlinci, flakes with cabbage and many other dishes. Also, these areas are known for cured meat products such as homemade kulen, sausages, ham, bacon and cracklings. At the end of each good lunch, sweet treats were served: gužvare (poppy seeds, walnuts, carob), donuts, dumplings with plums, tašci, homemade pies (with cheese, apples or cherries) and various small cakes. Of course, all this delicious food should be watered with a good drop of white and red wine or homemade plum brandy.
Kulen and gulash
Slavonian kulen is an original Croatian cured meat product created by drying of pork intestine stuffed with a mixture of spices and finely chopped selected pork, on smoke. Kulen is recognizable by the bright red color it gets from ground peppers. Kulenova seka ( Kulen’s sister) is also known, made from the same meat as kulen, but it is smaller and elongated in shape.
Goulash is a type of thick veal soup. It contains a number of ingredients, including potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, pepper, hot peppers and the like. It is cooked for several hours. One of the main foundations is fried onions. Various other combinations are also known from meat such as mutton or pork. The origin of this dish is from Hungary, where it is one of the national specialties.
Authors of the text (in order): Tajana Sundić, Aleksej Čičovački, David Perić, Marko Bocka, Branislav Bandić, Ema Jung, Ella Zetaić, Luka Đerđ