VOJVODINA and WESTERN SERBIA - from Belgrade
Day 1: Departure Belgrade - Mt. Fruska Gora - Sremski Karlovci – Petrovaradin Fort - Novi Sad |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Belgrade - Fruška Gora - Sremski Karlovci – Petrovaradin - Novi Sad
We will take a drive on the old road north, crossing small villages of the province of Vojvodina and the region of Fruška Gora - the only hill in the entire Panonia Valley. Located on the slopes of this hill are 17 medieval monasteries, which for several centuries represented the spiritual centre of the region, and are often labelled as the Serbian Mt. Athos. We will visit Monastery Krušedol, founded in the 16th century and known for its attractive location, historical importance, and a variety of decorative frescos in its church.
Our next stop will be Sremski Karlovci, a picturesque baroque town which was a Serbian religious and educational centre in the 18th and 19th centuries. There, we will enjoy the Baroque-style fountain from 1790 and the Karlovci High School. This site dates from the end of the 19th century and contains decorative elements reminiscent of mediaeval Serbian buildings. We will also visit the Patriarch's Palace, once the most imposing building in the whole region, as well as the Cathedral from the mid-18th century.
We will make a stop to treat ourselves today with lunch in a typical “charda”, a small restaurant usually built to float on the river. These are known for serving great freshwater fish specialties.
En route to Novi Sad we visit the fortress of Petrovaradin, built in the 17 and 18th centuries, and once called "Gibraltar on the Danube". This Austrian artillery fortification is situated above the river and represents the second largest structure of its kind preserved in Europe. Built by Austrians at the spot of former Roman, Byzantine and Hungarian settlements, the fortress plays a very important role in the life of the town even today, as many cultural events are organized there.
Novi Sad is one of the biggest cities of Serbia and is the capital of the region of Vojvodina. It is a modern, lively city with many growing businesses, but, at the same time, it maintains a beautiful taste of the past. We will have a walking tour of the centre of Novi Sad to visit the main Orthodox Cathedral, the main Catholic Cathedral, and then continue to have a walk on the famous Dunavska street.
Overnight in Novi Sad – Hotel Central Garni 4* (B)
Day 2 : Novi Sad – Zlatibor/Sirogojno
Continuing our journey we will ascend to Mount Zlatibor, one of the most popular mountain resorts in Serbia, both in summer as well as winter. Zlatibor is a National Park famous for its beauty and intact nature. It is a mountain of golden pines, after which it got its name (Zlatan - golden, Bor – pine tree). A short drive through the beautiful countryside will take us into an area where the vegetation will change its look, giving you the impression that you are in a jungle. Here you can find unique flora and fauna, such as the Omorica, the rarest of the pine trees endemic to this area. First we will pay a visit to the unique and very charming ethno village of Sirogojno. It is an open-air museum of traditional architecture, as well as an exhibition of handicrafts and world famous hand-knitted clothes.
Overnight at Sirogojno - Hotel Staro Selo village “Special” (B, D)
Day 3: Sirogojno - Mokra Gora – Šargan Eight Train – Mećavnik – Belgrade
This morning we will take a nostalgic journey by the old steam engine “Šarganska Osmica” for 15km, crossing breathtaking scenery through 20 tunnels, 10 bridges and across many viaducts. Once, this narrow gauge train, affectionately known as the Ćira (Chira), used to be the only travelling solution for the people of the area. The train cut its path through the astonishing landscapes of Serbia and Bosnia, on its way from Belgrade to Sarajevo, and further on to Dubrovnik. Now it is possible to ride a 15km part of it, famous for its curves in the shape of the number 8 that made it possible to climb the steep slopes of the mountains Šargan and Mokra Gora. The track was reconstructed in 1999.
During the ride, the train makes a few stops, one of which lasts 20 minutes to let you take some fabulous photographs, enjoy the views, or have a refreshment in the cafe of a tiny and charming 'railway station'.
After the train ride we will pay a visit to the ethno village of Mecavnik, the 'Wooden City', built as a setting for the latest film of the very famous movie director Emir Kusturica. The amazing village was, until recently, merely a couple of salvaged traditional wooden houses on a bluff above a beautiful valley.
Driving back to Belgrade we will pass through the region of the Ovcar and Kablar Gorge, where a number of old monasteries were built in Turkish times. Here fervent adherents of the Orthodox Church withdrew to the mountainous, inaccessible, and isolated parts of the country.
In the evening we will return to Belgrade (B)
B - Breakfast L – Lunch D – Dinner
All hotels are carefully chosen for their character or best central location or they are simply the only option at certain destinations. All of them can be changed on a request. The categories mentioned by the hotel names are according to the local standards and sometimes do not reflect to Western standards
Trip organized by: “BALKAN EXPERT” d.o.o. license no. OTP 54/2013
Tour available with general condition of travel of “BALKAN EXPERT”