Serbia

Serbia, country in the west-central Balkans. For most of the 20th century, it was a part of Yugoslavia. The capital of Serbia is Belgrade (Beograd), a cosmopolitan city at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers; Stari Grad, Belgrade’s old town, is dominated by an ancient fortress called the Kalemegdan and includes well-preserved examples of medieval architecture and some of eastern Europe’s most-renowned restaurants. Serbia’s second city, Novi Sad, lies upstream on the Danube; a cultural and educational centre, it resembles the university towns of nearby Hungary in many respects.

This was a family trip with Serbia Inspired Tours. A week trip 10th -17th May, 2019. Perfectly organised with a very good driver and guide Ms Nina. A beautiful place with lots of stories. A trip that taught about life! Lets wander the place now...

9th May, 2019..An Evening in Belgrade on our own....

We took a group ticket card for bus. People in Serbia mostly dont speak English. Only few people can really help out guiding. Therefore, when you are planning for the trip, specifically mention you need an English speaking tour guide.

It was raining and we all were tired due to flight. Had time only to visit Nikola Museum.

Nikola Tesla Museum:

A visit to the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade (Muzej Nikole Tesle) should be on anyone’s Belgrade itinerary who likes science, being shocked with electricity, lightsabers is young or is young at heart. Dedicated to the life and works of Nikola Tesla, the museum is a great way to explore science history while honoring one of the region’s most important figures.

It’s a small museum (I stayed about an hour), but one that manages to both be educational and truly delightful at the same time. I was a bit hesitant before going since I’d already visited the National Museum in Belgrade and I wanted to avoid museum fatigue, but I thoroughly loved my visit. I can’t recommend this short but super cool museum enough.

Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest inventors of the 19th and 20th century. He was an Orthodox Christian Serb born in a town that is now part of Croatia, but he spent most of his life in the United States. Nevertheless, he is considered a Serbian hero by the country, and the airport in Belgrade is named after him. His inventions included the induction engine, which made using alternating current practical. Nearly every machine in your home was influenced greatly by his work.

The museum is opened from Tuesdays-Sundays from 10 am until 8 pm every day. The museum is closed on Mondays. Tickets are 500 RSD (about $5 USD). Children under 7 years of age are free. Groups of ten or more can get discounted tickets for 300 RSD (about $3). Groups must be booked in advance.

Technically, you can tour the museum on your own. However, I highly recommend the tour, which is the only way to see the film which sets up the information you need to appreciate the museum and the electricity experiments, which are the highlight of a trip to the museum.

The guided tours are held in English and Serbian, and they last about 45 minutes. The film is about fifteen minutes, followed by a demonstration of different induction engines, and then about twenty minutes of electricity experiments. Afterward, I browsed the museum on my own for about fifteen minutes before heading out.

After the film and the tour guide explain the science behind Tesla’s inventions, the real fun begins! We played with Tesla coils, made lightbulbs light up like lightsabers, and some people volunteered to get electric shocks! The Museum includes a demonstration of electricity experiments using Tesla coils. The rest of the museum focuses on exhibits of Tesla’s life and works.

10th May, 2019: BELGRADE DRIVING and WALKING TOUR

The tour starts with drive through Prince Milos street, one of the most important streets in Belgrade, which is also home to major administrative buildings such as Government of Serbia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as several embassies. We will pass by the Former Army Headquarters Building also known as Serbian General Staff, that was partially destroyed during NATO bombing in 1999.

The tour continues with a visit to the Museum of Yugoslavia with an invaluable collection of more than 75,000 artefacts representing the fascinating, tumultuous history of Yugoslavia. Memorial complex is divided into three parts: Museum May 25th – the first purpose-designed and built museum in Belgrade, given to Josip Broz Tito as a birthday gift from the City of Belgrade, The House of Flowers – resting place of former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito and his wife Jovanka Broz, and The Old Museum – with the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Yugoslavia.

The Museum of Yugoslavia was founded in 1996 as a replacement for two previous institutions: the “Josip Broz Tito” Memorial Center and the Museum of the Revolution of Yugoslav Peoples.

What’s interesting is that the Museum of Yugoslavia is one of the most popular tourist spots in Belgrade. It makes sense, since this is a perfect destination for those curious about the Yugoslavia period and Tito’s presidency. The Museum claims that its mission is to provide objective facts and try to show “both sides of the coin” when it comes to this once magnificent country.

The Museum of Yugoslavia consists of three buildings: 25th May Museum, House of Flowers and the Old Museum. All three are worth visiting since they all hold various exhibitions throughout the year, as well as screenings of documentaries and different lectures. Also, each will teach you about a portion of Yugoslavia’s culture.

Today, over 17 million people have seen the exhibitions and tens of thousands of people come to visit each year.

Namely, it is especially interesting to Yugonostalgics. Yugonostalgia is a psychological and cultural phenomenon of nostalgic emotional attachment to idealized desirable aspects of the SFRY and what Yugoslavia once was. It’s typical for this region and you will hear many people call themselves Yugonostagics. Therefore, many of them enjoy visiting this museum and reminiscing about the past times.

The complex is located in Dedinje, a part of Belgrade not too far from the city center. The buildings that make it up are:

25TH MAY MUSEUM

The 25th May Museum building was actually given to Tito as a 70th birthday present by the city of Belgrade. It was projected by architect Mihailo Mika Janković. You will notice that this is one of the examples of modern architecture in Belgrade.

Today, the 25th May Museum is the entrance to the museum complex. Its most significant part is the large showroom on the first floor. In the past it was usually reserved for young people and their conversations with artists. Today, it’s various in content now.

Besides the Federal Executive Council building, this is one of few truly Yugoslav buildings. That means that all republics had a role in its decoration. The Slovenes gave suggestions when it came to windows and Venetian blinds, the slabs in front of it are made of Brač stone from Croatia etc.

Another important part of the complex is the park surrounding it. It contains many sculptures and statues which were once in Tito’s residence, all made by famous Yugoslav artists.

HOUSE OF FLOWERS

The House of Flowers may be the most famous building out of all three. It was built as a winter garden for Josip Broz Tito.

Now, it’s known as the location of his mausoleum. He himself explicitly requested to be buried in the House of Flowers.

Tito’s funeral was one the biggest state funerals in history. Representatives coming from 127 different countries and 700,000 civilians attended the funeral.

This part of the Museum had one of the most authentic exhibitions about Yugoslavia – a collection of over 22000 Relays of Youth. If you’re a bit of a Yugoslavia enthusiast, you probably know what a Relay of Youth is. If not, here’s a quick rundown.

Every year, a relay race was held in SFRY in honor of Tito’s birthday. The race would usually start in Tito’s birth town Kumrovec and it would go through all major towns and cities in Yugoslavia. Finally, it would arrive in Belgrade on May 25th, which was a national holiday called Day of Youth, as well as the day when Tito’s birthday was celebrated.

Additionally, each relay carried a baton with a birthday pledge to Tito. The race would end with Broz preparing a formal welcome for the racers in front of his presidential residence and later, on the JNA Stadium. The Relay of Youth was a symbol of brotherhood and unity, as well as a symbol of loyalty to Tito.

The mausoleum is open for visit and every year on May 25th, people from the entire former Yugoslavia come to Belgrade to pay their respects.

P.S. If you decide to go yourself, remember to also check out the balcony with the amazing view of Belgrade!

OLD MUSEUM

Finally, the Old Museum is the place where you can see many gifts that Tito received from leaders around the world and Yugoslavia as well. Therefore, the exhibition is split into two sections: gifts Tito got from foreign delegations, appropriately called “Trip around the world”, and gifts from the Yugoslav territory. One of the most impressive presents is definitely the rock from the Moon, which Tito got when the crew of the Apollo 11 came to Belgrade in 1969.

There was also a separate exhibition dedicated to the gifts Tito got from royal families around the world. The presents include jewelry, cigar cases, golden cups, a fragment from the wall of the Angkor Thom temple in Cambodia etc. An interesting present that was not displayed was a pair of parrots Queen Elizabeth II gave to the Yugoslav president, along with the instructions about how he should take care of them. However, the story behind the gift is explained as part of the exhibition.

Even though over 40 museums in Belgrade are open for public, the Museum of Yugoslavia is the most visited one. The complex doesn’t fail to draw people to this former country and its culture. The former residents of the SFRY, as well as foreigners, still visit the Museum of Yugoslavia on a regular basis.

With over 75000 items, it is rich in content and exciting to see. From displayed photographs to weapons and paintings, it’s guaranteed you’ll leave the property with a more clear image of the former Yugoslavia. If you want to find out as much as possible, schedule a guided tour and allow a professional to walk you through the exhibitions.

A short drive will take us to Saint. Sava Temple, the second largest Orthodox church in the whole Europe with stunning crypt and main dome filled with mosaics that will leave you completely breathless. On the same plateau you will see as well the statue of Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest scientist of all time, and the building of National Library, built during the WWII.

On the descent into Belgrade, the St. Sava Temple protrudes from the top of Vračar Hill like the city’s crowning jewel. But its grand white marble and granite facade topped with copper domes contains a secret: The second largest Orthodox temple in the world is largely incomplete inside. With a story that rivals that of Barcelona’s famously incomplete Sagrada Família, Belgrade’s St. Sava Temple is an eternal work-in-progress—one that’s existed in various stages of creation for more than 100 years.

The plan for the temple was laid in 1893, in a spot chosen for its significance to the life of Serbia’s first archbishop. Born into royalty in the late 12th century, Rastko Nemanjić gave up his crown as a teenager in favor of a life of simplicity and service. He escaped at night to Greece’s Mt. Athos, where he became a monk, took the name Sava, and dedicated his life to the growth of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

His efforts won Sava the title of Serbia’s first archbishop, so it makes sense that after his remains were burned on Belgrade’s Vračar Hill by the occupying Ottomans during an uprising in 1594, the St. Sava Temple would rise from the exact spot where his ashes fell. Construction on the temple began in 1935, around the same time that construction on the Sagrada Família—begun more than 50 years earlier—was being slowed substantially by the Spanish Civil War, 1,200 miles to Belgrade’s west.

But the desecration of Sava’s body wasn’t to be the final tumultuous moment in his story. Like in Spain, politics and war would slow down the construction of Belgrade’s icon-to-be. World War II brought both German and Allied bombings to Belgrade, causing work on the temple to stall for decades. The space inside the walls that existed to date was put to work by German forces during the war . . . as a parking lot and later, a storage space.

Serbia plunged into socialism as a part of Yugoslavia after World War II, and, as a result, the site of the temple became property of the Yugoslav government. “After the war, the Communist authorities didn’t want to give this place back [to the Serbian church] for 40 years,” said Mladen, an employee at the temple who I found tending a display of prayer candles. “They were exterminating the Orthodox church. But after 40 years, our patriarch got the permission to continue with the construction. He had written 88 times to ask.”

Works on the temple finally continued in 1986 after a 35-year delay. And enthusiasm for the project was at an all-time high. The temple walls soon reached their final height, and a 4,000-ton copper dome was raised to the top of the building from the inside in a painstaking process that took 40 days to complete.

And then Yugoslavia began to fall apart. In 1991, progress on the temple would come to a 10-year halt when the region plummeted into war yet again. “Our Patriarch Pavle, his opinion was that it was more important to help people,” Mladen said. “We had many refugees, many people who needed help. So he stopped the construction again and after 10 years when all of that was ended, construction started again in 2000.”

Today, the city of Belgrade still exhibits visible signs of its decade of strife—the Yugoslav Ministry of Defense building remains a crumbling ruin from a 1999 NATO bombing. But less than a mile southeast of the bombed-out brick shell, the St. Sava Temple, spared any significant damage in the Yugoslav Wars, is closer to completion than ever. In 2000, construction on the temple began for the final time, funded by donations from a consortium of Serbia’s largest businesses, coupled with the small givings of ordinary people. Though the exterior of the building was completed in 2004, a step inside the temple today reveals just how much work there remains to be done. To the average eye, the temple’s gaping nave is still little more than a concrete hall, with surrounding brick walls and pillars shrouded in plastic. A gallery on the building’s left serves as a chapel, where a mix of temporary and permanent iconography adorns the space.

But at the bottom of a pristine marble staircase, the temple’s completed underground crypt is a stunning—and somewhat unanticipated—sight. The archway-accented room gleams with ornate gold chandeliers, Murano glass mosaics, and stunning frescoes—it’s even warmed from below by a heated floor. This worthy underground discovery won’t come as a surprise to the seasoned visitor to Serbia, though. An exploration of Belgrade requires a patient effort itself—the city’s coolest cafes and burgeoning cultural scene remain hidden amongst the streets of its graffitied neighborhoods.

It may not resemble much more than a construction site now, but it doesn’t take Gaudí’s wild imagination to envision what the St. Sava Temple will look like upon completion. Plans for the building’s interior include a colorful combination of mosaics, wall paintings, and stone reliefs. The 17,000 square meters of mosaic work is expected to take eight years to complete alone, even with a team of 90 artists and assistants on the job. With current Russian backing for the interior design, it’s likely that the St. Sava Temple will beat its Spanish counterpart to the finish line—the latter estimates its own completion for the first third of the 21st century but makes no promises.

The narrative of Sava’s life remains widely shared amongst the ever-enduring Serbian people. “We say that it’s a true fairy tale, because who would leave the throne?” Mladen asked. “Imagine? That someone would not choose to rule . . . to choose to pray and serve for all. For our people, he is truly the biggest. He didn’t want to be that, but God’s plan was different.” So it is appropriate then, that Belgrade’s St. Sava Temple would weather decades of obstacles and finally stand nearly complete today, its own version of a Serbian fairy tale.

We continue our drive towards Slavija Square – one of the most famous squares of Belgrade, that will lead us to the city center. On our way to Republic Square, and the heart of the city we will see several important buildings for Serbians such as: Yugoslav Drama Theatre, SKC, St. Marco Church, National Parliament, Old and New Palace, hotel Moscow, Palace of Albania.

On the Republic Square, which is considered to be the main meeting point in the city itself, you’ll see National Theatre, National Museum and the monument dedicated to one of the greatest Serbian rulers prince Mihail Obrenovic. From here we will start our walking tour through the main shopping and pedestrian street zone called Knez Mihailo Street. This crowded and lively street will lead us firstly to the oldest restaurant in Belgrade named “?” where a quick break for refreshment will be made, and then we are heading to Kalemegdan fortress, dominant Belgrade attraction to finally see the rivers and the main symbol of the “White City” called Victor Monument.

Belgrade Fortress:

The Belgrade fortress, built on a white ridge above the confluence of two big rivers, destroyed and rebuilt over and over for 16 centuries, still stands as the symbol of Serbia’s capital

If you have already visited the capital of Serbia, then you know the city’s symbol, the monumental Belgrade fortress on the white ridge above the confluence of the Sava and the Danube, rising above the city and protecting it.

If you haven’t seen Belgrade yet, you simply must visit the capital of Serbia and tour Upper and Lower Town of the Belgrade fortress and stroll through the Kalemegdan park. In the shadow of high towers you will feel the spirit of history that is still alive in this place. The “Victor” monument – victor over time, oversees the rivers and guards the river banks.

The Belgrade fortress was built during a long period of time from the 2nd to the 18th century. Destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, the fortress has become the symbol of the city that keeps raising and growing.

To know the history of the Belgrade fortress means to know the history of our people and to understand the way of life in today modern Belgrade. Armies, people and conquerors have left their mark, hence the historical layers that were left by Romans, Serbs, Turks, Austro-Hungarians lying one beneath another.

The Romans had built the first fortification in the 2nd century and later it was home to the Roman legion IV Flaviae which protected the area. It suffered devastation by Goths, Huns, Avars and Slavs. Sometime during that tumultuous time, the ancient Singidunum was created. It was erected on the very same white ridge after which it was named “BEO-grad” (WHITE-city).

Today the Belgrade fortress comprises of Upper and Lower Town and the vast field in front the very fortress that Turks named “Kalemegdan”, joining the words “kale”, which means city, fortress and “megdan”, the Turkish word for field. The most beautiful and most spacious park in nation’s capital once used to be a field where battles were fought with enemies.

The beauty and significance of this place can be conceived only if you visit it. Beneath every footstep made in the Belgrade fortress lies more history than it can be found in history books. The so-called “Roman well” that was actually built in the early 18th century hides numerous stories. Most of the gates leading into the city are preserved, as well as the Sahat tower (eng. Clock tower) that still today looks like it looked the day it was built.

One of the rare preserved monuments of Islamic architecture in Belgrade is Damad Ali Pasha’s Turbeh in Lower Town. There are also Big Gunpowder Magazine and Hamam – Old Turkish Bath. Those who like the history of war shouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit the Military Museum in Lower Town and the Nebojša tower – the medieval canon tower that Turks transformed into a dungeon.

The view of the city from the rivers Danube and Sava is breathtaking. You will see the monumental “Victor” rising above the walls of the city, the symbol of Belgrade and victory over time. Bronze sculpture of a nude man holding a pigeon and a sword, the work of sculptor Ivan Meštrović, was set on occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Salonika Front breakthrough.

Belgrade fortress still stands defying the time and hiding numerous legends. It is inviting you to discover at least some of them and find out why the views from the Kalemegdan are truly everlasting.

Ružica church:

The church of the Holly Mother of God, better known as Ružica (Little rose) is a unique and beautiful church located on the steep slope between Lower and Upper Kalemegdan, near St. Petka church. A medieval church of the same name existed on the site in the time of Stefan Lazarević. It was demolished in 1521 by the invading Turks. Today’s church was a gunpowder magazine in the 18th century, and was converted into a military church between 1867 and 1869. Heavily damaged during the First World War, the church was renovated in 1925.

Ružica church features a unique interior with ornaments made of weapons and ammunition from the First World War, with a chandelier made of sables and bullets. The chamber has impressive acoustics thanks to it’s rounded cave-like shape.

The path in front of the church entrance connects what once were the upper and lower parts of the city – the people’s town and the noblemen town, passing by walls and below towers.

This church was featured on various charts of the most original and beautiful churches in the world. Come and check out for yourself! 🙂

GETTING HERE:

You can get here only on foot, it’s situated in the middle of Belgrade’s central park Kalemegdan. The easiest way is from the restaurant Beogradska terasa, through the stairs below Jakšić tower, or through a small gate beside the Despot’s gate (Observatory). If you’re coming from lower Kalemegdan, take the path beside the fountain leading to St. Petka and Ružica churches.

Statue of Victory:

The statue of the Victor is one of the most famous landmarks in Belgrade, located in the Belgrade fortress at the place where the medieval castle stood once. It was erected in 1928 to commemorate the Kingdom of Serbia’s war victories over the Ottoman Empire (First Balkan War) and Austria-Hungary (World War I). It is one of the most famous works of Ivan Meštrović. The name of the statue represents the Victory of Liberty.

The statue holds a falcon, on watch for the new threats on the horizon, in one hand, and a sword of war, ready to counter these threats in the other. It’s looking forward across the confluence of the Sava and the Danube, and over the vast Pannonian plain, towards the very distant Fruška Gora mountain, towards the (at the time) Austro-Hungarian empire, and it is probably the most powerful, most popular visual symbol of Belgrade.

FUN FACTS

The statue was originally supposed to be placed on the Terazije square, but ended up at the Belgrade Fortress after people complained about its nudity.

The statue is pointed towards Austria, it is unknown whether this was done on purpose or not.

The statue is slightly inclined, there are a couple of angles from which that can be seen.

Kalemegdan is Belgrade’s central park and fortress complex lying on a hill overlooking the Sava and Danube confluence, on the eastern side of the river Sava. This has been the sight of the ancient Roman city of Singidunum, the medieval and Turkish era Belgrade and was converted into a park in the mid 19th century.

Underground & Dungeons of the Belgrade Fortress:

The environment inside was totally different from outside. Especially, music was a little bit scary. I could hear the sound of victims tortured, their screams and sounds of the instruments used. It created an environment which was totally unknown to me.

"More than 60 instruments and descriptions of torture methods which served to punish offenders in medieval history will be exhibited at the Belgrade Fortress, in the casemates of the Military Museum," the agency said.

The exhibits are "life-size replicas of medieval torture devices from private collections of European collectors and historians."

The instruments were widely used for interrogations and punishment in the 16th and 17th century, and in some cases, similar devices were even used in the 20th century.

The victim used to be handcuffed and legs used to be tied. He used to be in a laying postion and then the torturer used to poke them with sharp instrument. Sometimes they used to set fire from down so that the victim's skin can be burnt.

The victim was made to sit on the sharp part of the instrument and his leg were tied. As the weight of the body put huge pressure, the sharp part of the instrument slowly entered inside the victim's rectum.

The witch chair was used for women whom they believed to be guilty of witchcraft. Most of the instrument was used to punish women in the medival time in Europe.

The Spanish tickle torture was used to take out the skin of the prisoners back. They used to hang the prisoner by tying his hand and then to use this instrument from taking out the skin of his back.

The chastity belt was used for making sure that a woman is not going to have physical relation with other men. There used to be a lock in the belt. The key belonged to the husband or the father. So many women died because of the infection caused by this belt. Woman also used this belt during war time to protect themselves from getting raped.

The iron shoe.... Although it looks like slipper, but it was used as a torturing instrument. Mostly it was used for some kind of house arrest. The victim couldn't move with it. Most of the cases, it caused infections and could also break the bones inside the victim's feet.

And many many more...

We just couldnt handle ourselves inside seeing these instrument and came out. We thought how the people suffered which made us shiver! Brutal world!

11th MAY, 2019 - BELGRADE-MONASTERY KRUSEDOL-FRUSKA GORA-SREMSKI KARLOVCI-NOVI SAD-BELGRADE

Located 84 km from Belgrade, Novi Sad is the second largest and most important city in Serbia.

MONASTERY KRUSEDOL:

Historical and cultural role, sacristy’s value, famous iconostasis and inner frescoes of Krušedol Monastery mark it out from others as one of the most important monasteries of Fruška Gora. It is located on the southern slope of Fruška Gora Mountain and National park, not that far away from Belgrade and Novi Sad, only 10 km away from Hopovo monastery. These two monasteries are the most visited religious centers of “Serbian Mount Athos”. Many tourists and lovers of history and architecture visit Krušedol and Hopovo every year.

You may judge about the importance of Krušedol when find out how many important persons were buried here: all the Despot Branković family, ktetors of the Monastery, King Milan Obrenović, first Serbian king of newly formed State, Princess Ljubica, patriarch Arsenije III Čarnojević, whose main deed was saving Serbian people during the Great Migration in the 17th century, and famous commander Stevan Šupljikac. 

Krušedol monastery was built in the first half of the 16th century as endowment of the last Serbian Despoty family Branković, Despot Đurađ and his mother St. Angelina of Serbia, members of the last Despoty family. Monastery’s Church, devoted to Annunciation, is exceptional for its baroque architecture and preserves the most important baroque pictures of Serbia.

Sremski Karlovci is located only 12 km away from Krušedol and represents a real gem of Serbian culture and spirituality. Baroque city center, Patriarchy, Cathedral of Saint Nicolas and Catholic Church of Saint Trinity, first Serbian gymnasium built in 1881 and the Library of Karlovac gymnasium – all this make Sremski Karlovci a “museum town”. Sremski Karlovci and Fruška Gora monasteries are a must-see during tour around Serbia.

Petrovaradin Fortress:

The vistas, the history, the bastions, gates and underground corridors… this masterpiece of 18th century fortification has something for everyone. Walking the streets of the Lower Town we will discover many beautiful edifices with intriguing stories, most notable among them being the old Town Hall, House of the Commander of the Fortress and the baroque Church of St George.

From here we will slowly climb up the fortress, rising above the town. At its top you will be immediately struck by the stunning panoramic view of Novi Sad but also of Petrovaradin, the Danube and the lush Fruška Gora Mountain. Standing on its tall rock by the elbow of the Danube we will hear stories about its forerunners, the building of the current fortress, its master builders and old military tactics, famous visitors, underground passages and the most interesting events from its past. We will also walk by the famous Clock Tower, the Officers' Pavillion with its restaurants and the Long Barracks where the galleries of Novi Sad's painters are.

Continuing the walk we will see the extent of the fortress and some of its bastions, trenches and gates that still make it the largest fortress on the whole of the Danube. Due to its location and size, its called "Gibraltar on/of the Danube"

The clock tower in Petrovaradin fortress:

The minute and hour hand on the clock tower are reversed, with the small hand showing minutes, and the big hand showing hours. It was created as such so that fishermen on the Danube river can see the time from a long distance.

Liberty Square is the main city square in Novi Sad. It is here that the city administration, money, trade, the church, the cafés and restaurants and the local pigeons lend their rhythm to the city. Liberty Square is framed by beautiful buildings, such as the Magistrate (City Hall), Finance House (the Vojvođanska Bank building), the Roman Catholic Name of Mary Church, Tanurdžić’s Palace and the Vojvodina Hotel to name a few.

The Karlovci Gymnasium is the high school (gymnasium) located in the town of Sremski Karlovci. It is the oldest secondary school in Serbia.

Last halt of the day was visiting a local wine cellar and taste special wines of this area. Besides tasting wine, the long history of wine producing in this area will be introduced to you on the best possible way, by locals whose families started producing wines in 18th century.

12th of May,2019: ZLATIBOR MOUNTAIN ; MOKRA GORA/SARGAN 8/WOODEN TOWN /STOPICA CAVE

Mokra Gora, meaning the Wet Mountain in English, is a village located in the city of Užice, southwestern Serbia. It is situated on the northern slopes of mountain Zlatibor. Emphasis on historical reconstruction has made it into a popular tourist center with unique attractions.

Zlatibor is one of the most famous Serbian mountain chains and tourist centers, situated 230 km away from Belgrade in Western Serbia.

Famous director Emir Kusturica has built the beautiful ethno village “Drvengrad” (eng. Wooden town) set between two mountains. Every year it hosts Kustendorf festival, an event visited by some of the world’s top film stars.

Located on Mećavnik hill in Mokra Gora nature park, the meeting point of two beautiful Serbian mountains Tara and Zlatibor, ethno village “Drvengrad” is a product of film director Emir Kusturica’s imagination, and was built for the production of his film “Life is a miracle”.

Streets in the village are named after some famous people. Main street bears the name of a Nobel prize winner, writer Ivo Andrić.

There are also streets named after Cuban revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, Argentine football player Diego Armando Maradona, Serbian actor Miodrag Petrović Čkalja and famous film directors Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman. One street is named after Novak Djoković, one of the best tennis players in the world.

“Drvengrad” has an art gallery, a library, a cinema called “Underground” after one of Kusturica’s most famous movies, a cake shop with home made sweets, a restaurant with traditional Serbian cuisine, a souvenir shop etc.

Somewhat fantastic and mystical atmosphere of the place that actually resembles a fairy tale town, is additionally amplified by wooden birds placed on the upper plateau of its main square.

The Šargan Eight is a narrow-gauge heritage railway in Serbia, running from the village of Mokra Gora to Šargan Vitasi station. An extension to Višegrad in the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, was finished on 28 August 2010

The Šargan Eight tourist train, stationed in Mokra Gora, was once part of a narrow-gauge railway linking Belgrade with Sarajevo and Dubrovnik. The joy of the 2½-hour round-trip is in its disorienting twists, turns and tunnels (all 22 of them). The vintage train chugs past some stupendous mountain scenery

After break in Kustendorf you’re getting on board of the train for Sargan Eight tour departure. During the ride you will pass and stop at several stations and viewpoints. Authentic cars with wooden seats, wood burning stove and characteristic rattling sound will take you back to 1925, when this railway was opened and established connection beween Belgrade and Adriatic Sea. The track on this section is around 15km long and passes through 22 tunnels with overcoming an altitude difference of 300m. During the journey there are several breath-taking spots where we can make stop for short break and taking photos.

13th May, 2019 : THE DRINA RIVER VALLEY and TARA NATIONAL PARK

Drina River Valley:

The Drina is a 346 km long international river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed.

For centuries a place where the East and the West clashed, today the unusually green, clear, winding and powerful Drina river carries the merriest regattas on its waves through exciting nature, for which it became the favorite destination of bohemians and adventurists

Almost along its entire course the Drina cuts through mountain ranges creating gorges, only to enter a valley quite unexpectedly and change its character like a skillful actor. Its moodiness manages to trick even the most cunning ones, while its beauty will soften even the cruelest hearts.

And the beautiful lake Perućac, even the pickiest fishermen find it a true fishing paradise where they can enjoy the scenery and relax looking at the crystal clear emerald water while catching another spectacular trophy fishing from the river bank or a raft.

On the other hand, brave participants of the regattas claim that the best experience ever is to feel the waves splashing, while the river tosses you from side to side through narrow gorges.

Reka Godina (Year River) is because its 365 meters long. River ends with beautiful waterfall into river Drina.

And then the adrenalin rush and awe would leave you breathless while facing up to one kilometer high cliffs that barely reveal the blue sky and eagles flying freely.

At the narrows of the Drina River, a curious little house has rested on its rocky perch since 1969.

For more than 40 years, this increasingly famous, nameless cabin has balanced atop a rock in the middle of the river. It has been miraculously spared by the annual rising and falling of waters. According to the story of its construction, a group of youth became enamored with the spot after noting the outcropping in the middle of the Drina River was an ideal place to tan and swim. In the following year, the owner undertook the laborious task of building the house on the rock by hand, which he acknowledges could not have happened without the help of his friends. Since that time, the one-room cabin has served as a holiday respite for its creator.

At the time of its construction, all the house’s building materials were rowed out by the boatload. Little has changed today, as a watery traverse through the swiftly flowing currents of the Drina remains the only way of reaching the rock on which the house sits.

Tara national park:

Tara is a mountain located in western Serbia. It is part of Dinaric Alps and stands at 1,000 to 1,590 m above sea level. The mountain's slopes are clad in dense forests with numerous high-altitude clearings and meadows, steep cliffs, deep ravines carved by the nearby Drina River and many karst, or limestone caves.

Banjska stena is a very popular site, with a protective fence on two levels and a panorama of the Drina river canyon and its steep cliffs, Perucac Lake, and gentle slopes of Bosnia. Viewpoint Banjska Stena is located 10 kilometers from the village of Mitrovac. The name Banjska stena comes from Banjsko vrelo, a name of a hot spring at the foot of the viewpoint. From Banjska Stena there is a wonderful view over the lake Perucac, Drina canyon and Osat region in the Republic of Srpska. There are no words good enough to describe the beauty of this place.

Stopića Cave is a limestone cave near Sirogojno, on the slopes of Mount Zlatibor in western Serbia. It has been protected by the state as the natural monument.

Stopića cave is situated on the north-eastern side of Zlatibor Mountain between the villages Rožanstvo and Trnava. It is 250km away from Belgrade, 30km from Užice and only 19km from Zlatibor tourist centre. The main road Zlatibor-Sirogojno goes above the cave and there is an access path from it to the very cave.

Stopića cave is a river cave with the Trnavski stream flowing through it. It consists of three speleological and hydrologic horizons: the periodically flooded horizon, the river horizon and the youngest horizon the crack. Without its youngest system Stopića cave is 1,691.5m long, it covers the area of 7,911.5 m2 and its volume is over 120,000 m3.

The cave has got an impressive entrance hole from the right side of the Prištavica River. The entrance is at 711.18m above sea level; it is 35 m wide and 18 m high. Limestone layer in the cave dates from trias period and is over 100m thick. The climate in the cave is under the influence of the outer climate, it’s cold in winter and hot in summer.

The cave got it name after the settlement Stopići that belongs to the village Rožanstvo. The first written data about the cave were given by Radoslav Vasović in 1901 in the Serbian Geologists’ Association report and the first speleological researches were done by our great research worker and father of our scientific speleology Jovan Cvijić in the years 1909 and 1913.

There are five units of Stopića cave: the bright hall, the dark hall, the great hall with baths, the canal with baths and the river canal. The tourist part of the cave has got some attractive elements like: spacious entrance, “dugure”-the openings on the ceiling, sipar arch “Dog’s cemetery”, “The source of life” waterfall and a number of “siga” tubs.

Because of their uniqueness, the "siga" tubs are the greatest attraction of the cave. They were made by deposited limestone. They are dents bordered by walls of stone or by winding vermilion “siga” wrinkles in which water collects and later flows over the tubs to the lower ones. "Siga" tubs are periodically flooded and they stand out from the others in Serbia by their size and depth (some are up to 7m deep).

In the River canal there is a whirlpool above which “siga” toboggan arises. It becomes the “siga” cascades between which there are the “siga” tubs and “enormous pots”. Water is pouring down the cascades forming waterfalls when there is little water, while when there is a lot of water one unique waterfall, whose height is 9.44 m, is formed.

You can’t hear the person you are talking to because of deafening noise of water. It looks as if the foamy water mass is falling down from the heaven, the air trembles of tiny drops, cold comes from the wet walls and the visitor feels horror-stuck in the pitch darkness of this cave. In spite of this the waterfall has been called “The spring of life.”

It represents one of the biggest caves in Serbia and it is one of the Western Serbia top attractions. Its main landmark is a 10m high underground waterfall. The image of Stopica Cave won the 1st prize worldwide in Wiki Loves Earth 2016. Competition.

Uvac Lake:

"Uvac" Special Nature Reserve is protected natural asset of great importance. It's situated in south-western Serbia, wedged between Mt.Zlatar massif in the Southwest and Mt. Javor in the Northeast. Reserve occupies 7543 ha with an altitude ranging from 760m to 1322m above sea level.

Major morphological feature of the reserve is the Uvac River canyon valley including the valleys of its tributaries. The special value of canyon parts of the river valley are curving meanders. Relative height of meander heads is 100m at places.

Lakes in Uvac Valley

Uvac originates in Caričina village, at some 1460 meters above the sea level, and empt_engies into the Lim river at around 440 meters above the sea level.

Uvac valley is partly submerged due to construction of three dams and creation of artificial lakes: Uvačko Lake, Zlatarsko lake and Radoinjsko lake.

Uvac lake was created by building a dam in Akmačići village, at the altitude of 985 meters. The dam is 160 meters long and 110 meters high, length of the lake is 25 kilometers.

At 885 meters altitude, in Kokin Brod near Nova Varoš, Uvac was held back by another barrier that is 83 meters high and 1.264 meters long. The lake is 27 kilometers long.

The third lake, situated in the lowest part of the river course is Radoinjsko lake, at the 805 meters altitude. The dam is 40 meters high and 150 meters long. Wedged between steep limestone banks, the lake is 11 km long.

Water from accumulated lakes is mainly used for production of electricity and water supply. “Uvac” Special nature reserve is a high quality natural resource with the capacity of 500 million cubic meters of drinking water.

Wildlife of Uvac

"Uvac" Special Nature Reserve is distinguished by the presence of 104 bird species. Most important of all isgriffon vulture, one of the two vulture species that are still nesting in Serbia.

Griffon vultures are, at the same time, the greatest attraction in the reserve. "Uvac" Special Nature Reserve is the only goosander nesting site in Serbia. It is also home for the largest population of this rare bird species in the Balkans.

Besides a rich ornitofauna, there are also some other rare and endangered mammal and other fauna species.

Take a hike from the camp site located on the bank of Uvac river to the Molitva peak with famous observation deck. Hike is approx. 3-4h both directions and it’s not demanding. Second option is to take a drive with 4×4 or a van (group size dependent) to Molitva peak over local dirt road.

Clean water in watercourses and accumulations presents an ideal habitat for 11 fish species, and some parts of it are natural reproduction areas of trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, chub, sneep, barbel….

Of 219 registered flora taxa, 3 species are of international significance, 3 of them have the Red List status, collection, use and marketing of 25 taxa are subject to control and more than 50 species have therapeutic value.

Caves

"Uvac" Special Nature Reserve is rich in karst landforms with various karst formations: karst plains, karst depressions, karst sinkholes, rock shelters, caves and potholes.

Caves are numerous and vary in size, ranging from rock shelters to Usak Cave System, the largest known cave system in Serbia. The largest part of the system is the Ušak Cave. It has two entrances, one in Gornje Lopiže village and the other in Uvac valley. Ledena Pećina cave is slightly shorter. The main canal of Ledena Pećina cave stretches almost parallel with the main canal of Ušak Cave, at the distance of about 100m. The smallest, but yet the most interesting part of Ušak cave system is Bezdan pothole. The entrance into the pothole is at the end of a dead-end valley called Miletin Do.

UVAC CANYON TOUR:

The Uvac River's spectacular meanders are the highlight of the 75-sq-km Uvac nature reserve in southwestern Serbia. The incredibly green river snakes through steep limestone rock in a zigzag manner – a feat of nature that's best admired from high above, at Molitva or Veliki vrh lookouts. The reserve, which also comprises a 6km-long cave system, owes its protected status to 219 species of plants, 24 types of fish and 130 bird species including the endangered beloglavi sup (griffon vulture).

We sail through meanders for about 12km. The Uvac Cave system is the biggest cave system in the whole Serbia, comprised of two caves: Usacka (6km long) and Ledena or Ice Cave (2.5km). The access to the Ice Cave is possible only by boat. We’ll reach it and take 700m long stroll to check out the richness of cave jewelry.

15th May, 2019:

Less than 3h drive from Kopaonik, will take us to Devil's Town, nominee for one of the New Seven Wanders of Nature. The whole complex consists of two natural phenomena: the 202 soil figures and two springs of extremely acid water with high mineralization (Red Well). In order to reach platform, overlooking these soil figures we'll have to hike through the "forest" for 850m. During the hike we'll pass by Red Well and Saxon mining pane that dates back to 13th century. On the observation platform, besides taking memorable pictures, you will be captivated by a local legend about the wedding quests turned into stone.

Devil’s town (Serbian: Djavolja varoš) is one of the most attractive natural phenomena within the Balkans. It’s located in south Serbia, 27 km south-east of Kuršumlija and presents one of the seven Serbian wonders. Djavolja Varoš has been protected by the state from 1959.

It is located in Southern Serbia, on mount Radan not far from the town of Kuršumlija. It comprises of more than 200 stone formations, 2 to 15 meters high and up to 3 meters wide, with strange stone caps.

These soil pyramids were so mysterious to the locals. There are a lot of legend about its origins. One of the most famous legends said that a long time ago there were living kind and generous people. Devil didn’t like the harmony between folks, so he was making a plan how to harm them. He ordered to locals to marry brother and sister. They set out to the church where the ceremony was planned. Didn’t know what to do to prevent incest, fairy prayed to the God to help her. The God listened to her request: he made cold wind to blow very fast which also brought rain and then the storm flip wedding guests into stones.

Another legend said that devils were those who turned into stones. Devils used to hook to people’s back bringing trouble to them. Poor people didn’t know what to do, so they ask God for help. They were praying and staying all night in the church of Saint Petka. In the morning, all the devils unhooked and have become stones.

Church of Saint Petka

Remains of the church from the 13th century was discovered nearby Devil’s town and a few years ago it was rebuilt and dedicated to St. Petka. Nowadays, local people believe in the miracle of this saint and the church. They believe it can help illness people if they tie their scarf to the tree near the church. After one week, scarfs must be buried. According to belief, illness would disappear.

Devil’s water

Two springs placed near stone figures have a high mineral concentration. Devil’s Water (Serbian: Djavolja voda) is a cold and extremely acid spring (pH 1.5) with high mineral concentration (15 g/l of water), springing out in Devil’s Gully. It is ten to thousands times richer in minerals as compared to drinking water.

Red Well (Serbian: Crveno vrelo) is another spring 400 m away from Devil’s Gully (Serbian: Djavolja jaruga). Its water (pH 3.5) is less acid and contains a lower general mineral concentration (4.372 mg/l of water). Iron, contained in water in large amounts, oxidizes and turn water into an attractive red. Water overflows because of a flat terrain and runs into nearby yellow stream.

Ivan kula

In the vicinity of Devil’s town, there are remains of Ivan’s fortress (Serbian: Ivan kula). It was built on the top of the volcanic flattened cone on the Radan mountain. According to legend, it was a residence of a famous Serbian hero Ivan Kosančić, who fought in Battle of Kosovo.

This scene of unevenly arranged, extremely high pillars is something that fascinates everyone and leaves breathless. You’ll wonder how it’s possible that something like that exists ? The answer is simple – in time, Mother Nature has done its own thing. These stone giants were created due to erosion. The water of the water here is not a rarity, so each takes it to another part of the earth, which makes the giants just get on the heights. It will also be nice to you that the top of each pillar is a “cap” or a stone block, and what is even more interesting is that the pillars are still “growing” over time. Though you will feel remarkably small compared to the 202 figures they have in the Devil’s Town, it will not diminish the admiration that you will feel by nature. Some of these towers eventually disappear, but the action of these forces in the area of the Devil’s Town shortly after the disappearance of one, brought another tower.

15th May, 2019:

Red Cross Concentration Camp: 

The Crveni Krst concentration camp, located in Crveni Krst, Niš, was operated by the German Gestapo and used to hold captured Serbs, Jews and Romanis during the Second World War. Established in mid-1941, it was used to detain as many as 35,000 people during the war and was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans in 1944.

A Red Cross memorial museum at the site of the Niš concentration camp that operated for four eventful years during World War II.

One of the best-preserved Nazi camps in Europe, the deceptively named Red Cross (named after the adjacent train station) held about 30,000 Serbs, Roma, Jews and Partisans during the German occupation of Serbia (1941–45). Harrowing displays tell their stories, and those of the prisoners who attempted to flee in the biggest-ever breakout from a concentration camp. This was a transit camp, so few were killed on the premises – they were taken to Bubanj, or on to Auschwitz, Dachau or other concentration camps.

The English-speaking staff are happy to provide translations and explain the exhibits in depth: and the fact that you might have it all to yourself makes it all the more distressing.

MORE INFO:

A former Concentration camp in Nis, presents a witness of one of the darkest periods of the recent world history-the Second World War. In the occupied Serbia in September 1941, the authorities ordered that a Concentration camp be established in Nis (Anhaltelager Nisch) in the building of a deserted military warehouse near the train station “Red Cross”.

At that place the Nazis imprisoned Jews, Roma, Serbs, patriots, as well as the members of the Chetnik movement, and many women and children. Enclosed with a double row of barbed wire, humiliated and tortured, prisoners were left to mercy of the camp commander and his assistants.

The living conditions in the main camp building were utterly inhuman – the rooms were dark, without heating in winter or ventilation in summer, and prisoners used to sleep on thin straw mattresses on a concrete floor. Food was, as one of the prisoners described it, “never full, always hungry”, in other words, barely enough to survive. In addition to the harsh conditions and the daily beastly torture, the prisoners were forced to hard labor either in the camp or outside.

The fact that differs the camp from other Nazi camps is that on February 12, 1942. the inmates organized the first mass escape of prisoners in occupied Europe – a total of 105 managed to flee from the camp that day.

It is estimated that during the occupation, there were more than 30.000 people in the concentration camp.

Since 1967, the former Concentration camp has been a museum dedicated to all victims killed during the Second World War.

Jews, Roma, Serbs, women and children were imprisoned here during the Second World War. It is a three-storey building with the permanent exhibitions on each floor.

Felix Romuliana:

Felix Romuliana are the remains of a Roman city, located near the town called Zajecar, in Western Serbia. Unesco-listed Felix Romuliana was built for the Roman emperor Galerius and completed around AD 313.

Gamzigrad, near the city of Zaječar, is the site of the remains of the ancient imperial palace Felix Romuliana, built in the late 3rd and early 4th Centuries CE.

The palace built by emperor Galerius Maximianus to honour his mother Romula, used to be fortified by strong ramparts with many towers and its remains can still be seen.

Within the walls, there are remains of a large temple with two crypts, a Roman warehouse (horreum), an old Roman bath and other infrastructure facilities needed to run and maintain the palace. In the southern part you can see the imperial palace complex and a small temple with an exceptionally well-preserved monumental altar.

The luxurious palace of Felix Romuliana was richly adorned with expensive sculptures and floor mosaics with figurative shapes and geometric patterns.

To protect them from deterioration, two exquisite mosaics are kept at the National Museum in Zaječar. At that museum you can also see several sculpturestaken from the site, including a portrait of Galerius in porphyry.

Felix Romuliana is the best example of late Roman court architecture, from the Tetrarchic period, in this part of Europe. Due to its importance, the archaeological site of Felix Romuliana has been declared part of UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

To protect them from deterioration, two exquisite mosaics are kept at the National Museum in Zaječar. At that museum you can also see several sculpturestaken from the site, including a portrait of Galerius in porphyry.

Bubanj Memorial Park

Memorial Park Bubanj is a World War II memorial complex built to commemorate the shooting and execution of more than 10,000 citizens of Niš and people from Serbia and other parts of the country, but according to some data, over 12,000 people, and it is located in Palilula municipality of Niš, Serbia

The complex is arranged as a park, with a memorial trail about half a mile long running through it. The centrepiece of the site is a marble relief measuring 23 by 2.5 metres, with five compositions that symbolize the "killing machine": execution and firing squads, civil revolts, surrender of the German invaders and final victory over the oppressors.

Another dominant feature of the park is three concrete obelisks that symbolize raised hands with clenched fists. Each of the three fists are different sizes, depicting men's, women's and children's hands that defy the enemy, symbolic of the fact entire families were killed at Bubanj.

Niš Fortress:

Niš Fortress is a fortress in the city of Niš, Serbia. It is a complex and important cultural and historical monument. It rises on the right bank of the Nišava River, overlooking the area inhabited for longer than two millennia. Nis Fortress, located at the right bank of the Nisava River. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful and best preserved fortresses in Eastern Europe, with remains dating back to ancient Roman time.

Old, strong, high ramparts and grates of Niš Fortress, which has stood on the right bank of the Nišava since the first half of the 18th century, are counted as one of the most beautiful and best preserved fortresses in the Central Balkans. The history of the fortification in this location began in the 1st century AD when Roman legions paved the way for a new civilization.

Built both by Romans and Serbs, the fortress was razed and rebuilt several times until the Ottomans gave its final appearance in 1730. Niš is one of the rare cities in the world with an impressive fortress in the very center that hasn’t been moved for two millennia.

Apart from the well preserved stone walls and gates, the Fortress exhibits numerous remains from the turbulent history of Nis. It is also a park, a green oasis in the centre of the city , with a lot of caffes and children playgrounds.

After this a walking tour in the city, during which you'll see all major attractions located in the main city center such as: Banovina Building - the most beautiful building in Nis and former seat of the Government, King Milan Square with The Monument to the Liberators, Cair's Fountain - the most beautiful and best preserved drinking fountain in the city, Memorial of the Constantine the Great, The City Hall built in 1925, etc. Our sightseeing tour will finish in Kazandzijsko Sokace or "Tinkers Alley" - a cobbled street located in the old town. Once a craftsmen alley, today this street is favorite tourist area and the best location for feeling the local atmosphere. Full of bars and traditional restaurant it's also the right place for trying local delicacies. The Monument of Stevan Sremac and Kalca, located at the entrance,

Lepenski Vir -

Lepenski Vir, is an important archaeological site of the Mesolithic Iron Gates culture of the Balkans. The latest radiocarbon and AMS data suggests that the chronology of Lepenski Vir is compressed between 9500/7200–6000 BC.

It is located on the right bank of the Danube in the Djerdap gorge (The Iron gates of the Danube) near the town of Donji Milanovac. It was the center of one of the most complex prehistoric cultures.

Rich cultural layer reveals the traces of highly developed culture that had complex social relations and as such was the first in Europe to organize its settlement according to a plan.

The discovery of this prehistoric settlement that was named after a vortex in the Danube has changed the image we had about the early Stone Age, expanding our knowledge about how developed human communities that walked the Earth 8,500 ago were.

During the archaeological excavations seven stages in the construction of the settlement and 136 buildings were discovered. The settlement was built on the loessial terraces facing the Danube, the river that gave them life and at the same time seemed divine and awe-inspiring.

During the archaeological excavations the contours of settlement built according to a plan were discovered, making it the first discovered urban settlement in Europe.Stone idols found in Lepenski Vir represent the oldest monumental stone sculptures found in Europe. At first they only had a head with a strange expression, while in later stages these figurines had anthropomorphic shapes

This site also includes the Museum with the most significant archaeological findings with additional exhibition and virtual reconstruction of the settlement. This site is protected as a nature reserve.

Skull Tower is a stone structure embedded with human skulls located in Niš, Serbia. It was constructed by the Ottomans following the Battle of Čegar of May 1809, during the First Serbian Uprising.

Serbia does a fine line in grisly historical monuments, but few invoke as much terror and disgust as the is-exactly-what-it-says-it-is Skull Tower. Located in Niš, the name doesn’t really leave any question marks over the primary material used to construct the tower. In short, this tower was once made out of skulls, human skulls.

The Ottoman occupation of Serbia was brutal, to say the least. The Serbian population and culture was stuck under the gigantic boot of the Islamic empire, and the Ottomans weren’t shy when it came to stamping down. Rebellions were as inevitable as they were frequent, but by the 19th century these attempted revolutions came with added vigour and renewed enthusiasm. The First Serbian Uprising kicked off in 1804, although poor organisation eventually worked against the Serbs. The situation looked dire once again.

Serbian leaders found themselves fighting losing battles, vastly outgunned and outnumbered. This was the case at the Battle of Čegar in May 1809, but the Serb leader (a man by the name of Stevan Sinđelić) was about to go down with all guns blazing — he was going to take as many Ottomans out as he could. His trench was overran and he subsequently blew the whole thing up, ending the life of anyone and everyone in the vicinity, no matter which uniform they had on.

Angered by this suicidal move, Ottoman Grand Vizier Hurshid Pasha demanded the skulls of the rebels be sent to Sultan Mahmud in Constantinople, who decided that the best course of action would be to build a monument that might put the fear of death into the Serbs in and around Niš. 952 skulls were built into a tower, 14 ghastly rows of 17 skulls on four sides. Thus the Skull Tower in Niš came into being.

It turned out that skulls aren’t the best material with which to build a tower, and the dismembered heads subsequently started to fall out. Plenty of the skulls were stolen as well, as the Serbs looked for new ways to irritate their Ottoman overlords. The empire was running out of steam, and the tower eventually became a symbol of defiance for the Serbs as opposed to a warning. On January 11, 1878, Niš was once again under Serbian control.

The Skull Tower is now a protected monument of the city, one of its most famous attractions and a tangible piece of evidence showing the horror under which the Serbs lived for centuries. Less than 100 skulls remain in the tower today with that number dwindling all the time, although the Skull Tower will forever live on in the Serbian consciousness.

Stone Statue of Decebal Rex:

A 30 minutes’ drive through picturesque Iron Gate Gorge with short stops on the way for taking memorable pictures. The speed boat tour starts from Tekija and will last for 1h. While sailing along the most beautiful part of the Danube river, you will see the remains dating back to Romans, such as Trajan's Plaque (Tabula Traiana) - memorial dedicated to Roman Emperor Trajan. This unique monument can be seen only from boat (water). Besides this, on your sailing tour you will see the Mrakonija Monastery, Balloon Stations Pena and Varnica and Stone Statue of Decebal Rex, last king of Dacia, which represents the tallest rock sculpture (40m) in the whole Europe.

At the border between Romania and Serbia, in a spectacular landscape, where the Danube meets the Carpathians, “The Rock Sculpture of Decebalus” sculpted into the rocky bank, seems to defy the time from its height. The greatness of Decebal’s (the last king of the Dacians) Statue is mingling harmonious with the Danube spectacular rushing waters that are flowing through the rocks covered by Mediterranean vegetation. The whole landscape forms a breath-taking view.

The sculpture is 55 m high and 25 m wide, bigger than the New York’s Statue of Liberty and the Monument of Christ in Rio de Janeiro. 12 sculptors have contributed to the making of this monument, which lasted 10 years (between 1994 and 2000), a relatively short time compared to other resembling sculptures. A similar project on Mount Rushmore needed 300 climbing sculptors and 14 years of work.

Below the head of the statue there is an inscription dedicated to the one who had the initiative and who financed the work, Iosif Constantin Drăgan, business-man and an admirer of Romanian history and of Romanian origin: “DECEBAL REX-DRAGANFECIT” (King Decebal – made by Drăgan)

On the other side of the Danube River, in Serbia, there is an antique inscription Tabula Traiana, placed by the roman emperor Traian in order to mark his road and his many victories in Europe.

Tabula Traiana

THE SECRET OF THE ROMAN Empire’s military success lay in the meticulous planing that preceded every campaign. A network of roads crisscrossed the empire in order to facilitate the fast and efficient movement of troops. If needed, new roads were built by the Roman engineering corps in regions of planned military actions. The conquest of Dacia, the region covering most of present day Romania, during the reign of Emperor Trajan, represents the high water mark of Roman military might.

In order to supply his troops in Dacia, Trajan had a military road constructed. It traversed hard mountainous terrain. In some places, Roman engineers had to carve the road into almost vertical cliffs. Parts of road were constructed on wooden consoles over rivers.

Tabula Trajana is a memorial plaque erected to mark the end of road construction. It is located on the Serbian side facing Romania near Ogradina, opposite Decebal’s Head, the tallest stone sculpture in Europe.

A translation of the inscription reads:

“Emperor Nerva son of the divine Nerva, Nerva Trajan, the Augustus, Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, invested for the fourth time as Tribune, Father of the Fatherland, Consul for the third time, excavating mountain rocks and using wood beams has made this road.”

The Tabula was originally 50 meters lower. The original spot was flooded with the construction of hydroelectric dam in late 1960s and the monument was moved, now just above the waterline.

We will see the Mrakonija Monastery on Romania side.

Golubac Fortress:

The Golubac Fortress was a medieval fortified town on the south side of the Danube River, 4 km downstream from the modern-day town of Golubac, Serbia.

This fortress is the best preserved medieval fortresses in Europe. Yet the advent of modern technology has submerged some of the outer walls of this storied Serbian fortification, finally causing the decay of a powerful compound that survived years of war and battle.

Comprised of 10 different towers protecting three internal compounds, Golubac Fortress was a powerhouse guarding the Danube. Despite its formidable structure, it changed hands many times throughout its existence, but even war and constant attack could not destroy the thick stone walls. Unfortunately, the only thing strong enough to begin the death of Golubac was modern technology.

In 1964, a hydroelectric dam on the Danube caused flooding along its shores. The rising water levels eventually submerged Golubac’s outer walls along the lower bank. Along with the Danube’s invasion of the fortress, a road was created that passed through the walls, once again proving that the only way to breach Golubac was with the technology of modern progress and infrastructure.

All stories about this fortress are sad, and the saddest one takes us back to the time when this part of Serbia was under the Ottoman rule.

A girl named Golubana was the most beautiful in the area. A word was spread about her beauty, and the story came to a cruel Turkish Pasha who fell in love with her. She refused his love. To get his vengeance, the Pasha tied the poor girl to a rock sticking out from the water in the middle of the river opposite the mighty fortress, where she died in pain watching the city that was later named after her.

The second legend tells the story about the city that was named after the Byzantine princess Jelena (Irene Kantakouzene), the wife of despot Djuradj Branković. She tried to drive away her loneliness and sorrow by keeping pigeons that would come and sit on her white hands and she would tell them the story about her sadness and far Byzantium she longed for, since she wasn’t popular among the Serbian people…

The actors of the third legend are wild pigeons that lived on the rocks surrounding the fortress, and after them, that have chosen this place to be their home, the fortress was named after.

Golubac fortress has ten towers. The first and the true builder of this fortress gave it nine towers set in front, back and lower town, but Turks added another tower and strengthened the fortress with canon openings. All towers are built in a shape of a square except the donjon tower (the strongest tower of the fortress, the last stand of defense) that has a polygonal base, and the cylindrical top, thus the name “Šešir kula” (Hat Tower).

Not far from the fortress, a great settlement was created, also called Golubac and there was an old road leading to it, and going around the fortress. However, after the World War I, a new road was constructed passing through the very walls of the fortress, and nowadays a major roadway to Romania leads through the fortress.

So today passengers are left breathless when passing through an unusual tunnel above which the old fortress rises and their eyes seek the ending of the blue river Danube that here resembles the sea.

Ram Fortress:

The Ram Fortress is a 15th century fort situated on a steep slope on the right bank of the Danube, in the village of Ram, municipality of Veliko Gradište, eastern Serbia. The fortress is located on a rock, which is from the northeast side tilted towards the Danube. The fortress has rectangular, almost polygonal foundation, with five massive towers.

Smederevo Fortress: The Smederevo Fortress is a medieval fortified city in Smederevo, Serbia, which was temporary capital of Serbia in the Middle Ages. It was built between 1427 and 1430 on the order of Despot Đurađ Branković, the ruler of the Serbian Despotate.

Smederevo fortress is one of the most beautiful fortresses in this part of Europe. One is a strange but very striking story. Intriguing myths are related to the rich and long Serbian history. If you have the desire to grab beneath the surface, head to the Smederevo Fortress.

Although it is true that Despot Đurađ Branković erected this magnificent fort that covers as many as 11 hectares, however, his wife, Jerina, left a somewhat stronger trail. Throughout history, the story is about the evil, or the damned Jelena, who forced the laymen to work on the fortress for the day.

Thus, the Smederevo fortress was erected on the bones of the workers, because a large number of them died from fatigue during the construction.

The Smederevo Fortress comprises of the Big and Small Town. The Small Town is actually the remains of the castle where once the Despot’s family and nobles lived. The Big Town was built later and here people took refuge fleeing from Turks.

102 smederevo fortress smederevska tvrdjavaThere are numerous legends and stories about the construction of the Smederevo fortress. One of the legends says that the despot Đurađ Branković had a dream in which he was instructed to build a new city on a river, hence he ordered the new city to be built on the confluence of the Jezava River and the Danube.

The stone for the building of the fortress was brought from Viminacium, Mt. Kosmaj and the Ram fortress on the Danube.

The city was built in just few years so many builders died of exhaustion. People were looking for a culprit and the wife of Serbian Despot Djuradj Branković – Jerina (Irene Kantakouzene) was blamed for it and the name “Damned Jerina” remained until this day.

The legend of lost treasure, that she had buried somewhere in the fortress, never to be found by conquerors, still hunts numerous adventurists. So if you’re seeking an adventure and you want to feel like Indiana Jones, try your luck looking for this treasure

The Smederevo fortress was built in the form of irregular triangle and it is recognizable by 25 high towers. The fortress long stood strong before the conquerors. In 1459 it was finally conquered by Turks. It was the end of the Serbian medieval country.

The Smederevo fortress was well preserved until the middle of the 20th century. During the World War II a massive explosion occurred damaging the fortress and the large part of the town of Smederevo.

Thus , ends our Serbia trip.
Thanks to Serbia Inspired tours and their team who gave a detailed plan out and also completely enjoyed the trip!