The total value of the EU project Cross-border Historical Theme Route of Noble Families – HITRoute, the cross-border Interreg cooperation project with the neighboring country Hungary is 399.681,37 euros, it was created by the VTA Development Agency, the project holder is the City of Virovitica, and the partners are the City of Szentlőrinc and the Tourist Board of Virovitica. As part of the project, the Franciscan Park and city square in front of the church of St. Roko in Virovitica were reconstructed, 10 tourist guides were educated, the project’s mobile application and website were created and published, a medieval event was held with a demonstration of historical knightly skills, and a trilingual booklet with tourist spots of this historical route in Croatia and Hungary was issued.

Famous noble family Pejačević received the Virovitica manor in 1749 and they remained there for the next 90 years. In the center of Virovitica, on the site of a former medieval fortress, they built a castle (1800-1804), and received the noble title “Pejačevići Virovitički”. In the second half of the 18th century, the Pejačević family took over the patronage of the Virovitica parish, and equipped the church with new altars, statues and various works of art. They also founded a school
foundation managed by Virovitica Franciscan monastery.

The German princely family Schaumburg-Lippe began many economic activities in this area in the mid-19th century. They started sugar production and fish farming in Virovitica and became the owners of the wold in Višnjica. They were engaged in forestry, cattle breeding and agriculture. The family planted large vineyards, and started beer and champagne production in Slatina. From the noble family Pejačević they bought a castle in Virovitica and built an inn named “At Lippe’s Rose”. The whole area experienced the strongest economical growth in that time.

The arrival of the noble family Janković in Suhopolje influenced the urbanization of the settlement in many ways. Apart from the construction of the church, the Janković family began to build first buildings of the court complex in Suhopolje around 1750. Due to the large income from the Suhopolje estate, the Janković family was able to afford such a significant construction project. Through several renovations and extensive construction work, the former huge economic plant was transformed into an aristocratic castle surrounded by a park, following the example of the other European countries.

The monument complex of the current settlement centre dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. Nearby we find the baroque style church built in 1719, and the Eszterházy castle, built at the same time and expanded in 1770, the centre of the famous Szentlőrinc Manor. Since 2006, the Mayor’s Office has been operating in the castle. The manor officer’s apartment, built in the 18th century, the so-called Brantner-Koncz house is under the protection of cultural heritage management. The building was formerly a residential building, then a private museum of pharmacist Antal Brantner, now a museum operated by a foundation. The exhibition presenting the civic housing culture of the 19th-20th century, preserves the rich legacy and memories of dr. Miklós Koncz, the chief judge of Szentlőrinc. On the northern border of the town, next to the road, in the area of the cemetery, it was located the medieval centre of the settlement. From the 12th-13th to the beginning of the 18th century, the centre of the estate of the Knights Templar stood in a populated place, which was a smaller border fortress
between Pécs and Szigetvár during the Turkish wars.

Görösgalpuszta is an inhabited place belonging to the village of Nemeske along the road No. 6 between Barcs and Szigetvár. In the 1550s, a border fortress stood here, which was the scene of significant battles. Not only the chronicles, but also historical songs tell stories about it. The former castle is currently replaced by the Nádosy mansion. In the last third of the 19th century, the Nádosy family leased the Szentlőrinc estate and then made it world famous for its exemplary farming.

The Drašković family is an old noble family that branched out into several families during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They became the owners of numerous estates, castles, manors and city palaces. At Christmas of 1911, Count Ivan Drašković Trakošćanski bought the Pejačević Castle from Prince Adolf Schaumburg-Lippe. Although Count Drašković used the castle for some time, the life of a noble family never took place in it again. In 1930 the count sold the castle
and the park to the former municipality – the City of Virovitica today.

At the end of the 19th century, the Janković family branched into three families: Elemir Janković from Suhopolje, Gejza Géza Janković from Lukač and Aladar Janković from Cabuna. Gejza pl. Janković-Bezsan was the owner of the large manor estate Lukač (until 1928 when it was bought by Karoly Arpad). The seat of the estate was the manor built at the beginning of the 19th century. It acquired its present features mainly in his time and was originally called “Gejzindvor” (The Gejza Castle). Built in the spirit of calm historicism, it is one of the most elegant aristocratic country houses in the Virovitica-Podravina County.

The current settlement of Tarcsapuszta is in a suburban arrea of Szentlőrinc. In the Middle Ages, it was an independent village that was depopulated at the end of the Turkish occupation, during the liberation wars. In the 18th century, the wilderness was repopulated with the homes of those working on the farms located near the Szentlőrinc Estate. In the first third of the 19th century, more than three hundred people still used to live there. Today, it is still an agricultural centre, which is home to the farm of the Újhelyi Imre Vocational High School of Agriculture and Economics. Since 2020, it has been connected with Szentlőrinc via a bicycle path. Several old buildings of the farm and an office building built at the beginning of the 19th century are architectural monuments.

Miklós Zrínyi is a hero of two nations, while Szigetvár is the scene of their legendary struggle against the Turks. In 1566, Hungarian and Croatian soldiers stopped the world-conquering army of Sultan Suleiman by sacrificing their lives. Although the defenders died a heroic death, Sultan Suleiman also died here during the siege. Many monuments, and all corners of the city commemorate this battle of world historical significance. In addition to its history, the town is also famous for its spa.

Barcs is a border town of Hungary. It stands out from its rich historical past as one of the venues of Count Miklós Zrínyi’s winter campaign in 1664. The Dráva Museum mainly presents the historical and archeological monuments of Barcs from the beginning to the recent past. In addition to ethnographic monuments, the exhibition also provides space for the presentation of crafts related to the Dráva. Its thermal bath is a popular tourist destination for both nations. The Széchenyi Castle, built in 1873, and the family cemetery chapel are under monumental protection in Somogytarnóca, which belongs to Barcs.

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