Grape Harvest Festival in Sremski Karlovci | Tourist Calendar of Serbia

Karlovac Grape Harvest is a traditional event in Sremski Karlovci, consisting of a commercial and cultural-artistic part. Since the grape harvest mostly begins in September or early October, the Grape Festival is also held during that time.

The aim of the event is to promote and preserve the centuries-old tradition of viticulture, as well as to enhance tourism. The three-day program, from Friday to Sunday, takes place in the center of Sremski Karlovci, at Branko Radicevic Square, where several stages are set up for the occasion. In recent years, alongside the main stage featuring famous music performers, there are also theater and tamburitza stages dedicated to the bohemian culture of this region.

During the harvest, between 50,000 and 100,000 visitors gather in Karlovci. Some come for the rich music program, some for the entertainment for the youngest visitors, but most come for the high-quality wines of Karlovci. The most significant part of the program is the sales exhibition of grapes, wines, and authentic souvenirs.

The tradition of grape cultivation in Srem dates back to the time of Roman rule, which the local population is particularly proud of, and the secret recipe of Karlovac Bermet is passed down from generation to generation by winemakers.

It is said that the Roman ruler Marcus Aurelius Probus is responsible for the grapevines in the area of Fruška Gora, and according to legend, he drove his soldiers to vineyards instead of to war, and his love for wine cost him his life.

Karlovac wines have been renowned worldwide for centuries. The first written records of trade with the Hungarian court date back to the 15th century, and they later reached Vienna. It is known that in the mid-19th century, local wines exceeded the boundaries of Europe and began to be exported to America, all thanks to Bermet.

According to unofficial data, this wine was even included in the wine list of the most famous cruise ship, Titanic. Although the fertile soil is suitable for various grape varieties, the aromatic dessert wine has made Sremski Karlovci famous. Initially made as a remedy, it soon became a trademark of this region and has been a protected brand of the Republic of Serbia since 2007.

Today, Sremski Karlovci is home to several top-notch private wineries, each of which preserves the secret recipe of Bermet. It is a red wine with a high alcohol content, spiced with medicinal herbs and dried fruits, and some wineries also produce white Bermet. There is also the Patriarchal Winery, whose wine is most commonly used in church services throughout Serbia.

Among other grape varieties, there are Cabernet Sauvignon, Frankovka, Probus, Sila, Italian and Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Portogizer, and many others.

The atmosphere of this unusually beautiful town, whose center exudes a past immortalized by the famous Karlovac Gymnasium, Theological Seminary, and Patriarchal Residence, greatly contributes to the Grape Festival. These buildings testify to the preservation of Serbian culture and tradition, as well as the establishment of the first Serbian gymnasium and seminary, at a time when the southern lands of Serbia were ruled by the Ottomans.

The event originated from the customary folk celebration marking the beginning of the grape harvest and was revived in its current form in 1992. It was postponed in the previous years due to the pandemic, and information about the next event can be obtained through the media.