Day Trips

Relatively small in size, Serbia is huge in history and tradition. A country of so many nationalities, accents, customs and ways of life deserves to be explored in depth: from sophisticated places of the capital to Sumadija's unrestrained rural charm; from the flat land of the north to the exciting scenery of the south; from sturdy fortifications of the Middle Ages to postmodernist architecture of today; from the flavor of the East to the taste of the West. Serbia is a wonder-full place! 

Here are the three most frequently taken day trips from Belgrade:

Monasteries of Serbia

If you are a history and heritage addict, do not miss to see some of the crowning achievements of Serbian medieval sacral architecture. Two 500 years-old monasteries, Manasija (Manasiya) and Ravanica (Ravanitsa) are conviniently situated in the relative vicinity of the Belgrade-Nis highway (autoput). The first monastery lies close to the town of Despotovac and the letter is near the city of Paracin/Cuprija .   Both monuments with their still active religious life date back to the late 14 th and the early 15 th centuries. Architecturally, the churches belong to what is called Morava School though you’ll notice some differences between the two. Manasija monastery is the best example of monasteries-fortresses, for it is entirely surrounded by mighty remparts and defensive towers. As for Ravanica, its five-domed Church of the Ascension displays rather badly damaged but very fine frescoes. A transparent coffin containing relics of the great and highly devoted Serbian ruler Prince Lazar, killed in the battle of Kosovo in 1389 and soon afterwards declared saint, is now displayed in this church (the relics can be seen only on Sundays).

Vojvodina

In the north of Serbia and in the southeast of the vast Pannonian Plain, bordered by the rivers Danube and Sava and by the state borders with Hungary and Romania, lies the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. For centuries, the region of Vojvodina has been the point of great migrations of the Serbs from the south. Because of its extraordinary soil and climate, this agricultural and mainly flat region has been not only the breadbasket of the country but also the most developed area of Serbia in general. Even today and despite the wars in former Yugoslavia, this peaceful region has retained its centuries-long and recognizable points: its multinational, multicultural and multi-confessional features. The area is well connected with Belgrade with numerous regular bus departures and a few trains that serve Belgrade-Novi Sad line. You should visit the following attractions:

Sremski Karlovci is a town of extraordinary cultural heritage. It was the spiritual and cultural centre of the Serbs in the 18th and 19th centuries and the meeting place of almost all Serbian national-church assemblies. There are several monuments of architectural and artistic interest, such as a Baroque-style fountain from 1790, the Karlovci High School from the end of the 19th century with decorative elements reminiscent of mediaeval Serbian buildings, the Patriarch's Palace - once the most imposing building in the whole region, the Cathedral Church from the mid-18th century, and many others.

Petrovaradin Fortress ('Gibraltar on the Danube') is a fascinating artillery structure located on a small hill on the right bank of the Danube opposite modern Novi Sad. The Ottoman Turks captured it in 1526 and held it for 130 years when it passed into the hands of the Austrians. This marked the beginning of several successive reconstructions and enlargements. The last one was carried out in the mid-18th century, when the fortress got its final appearance. Its massive walls built to resist heavy artillery encompass the lower garrison town and extend to the bank of the river. Subterranean galleries run beneath the walls, and there is a number of buildings within the fortress, which were once used as barracks and now house a museum, the archives and art studios.

Novi Sad is the capital of the Province of Vojvodina, a charming city with an attractive pedestrianised area, lined with open-air cafes and restaurants.

Forts and Castles on the Danube

There are many surviving fortifications from the Middle Ages, during the period of the highly-developed and powerful feudal state. The enormous, usually stone, ruins of these can be found all over the country. There were several types of castle or fortress: on the frontiers or at strategic points for the defense, beside mining settlements or market-places, above the most important towns and, finally, around the great monastic centers (monasteries).

Following the bank of the Danube downstream you can reach Smederevo, the last capital of the medieval Serbian state where a well-preserved mighty fortress can be visited. The town itself is a charming place with a beautiful church on the main square. There is frequent regular bus service from Belgrade, scheduled at every 30 or 60 minutes.

If you proceed further towards the Iron Gates Gorge, you will reach the slightly dilapidated castle of Golubac, otherwise a superb medieval ruin situated at the entrance to the Djerdap Gorge. The mighty citadel was built in the second half of the 13th century on inaccessible rocks above the Danube, at the point where the riverbed begins to narrow, allowing the citadel to monitor all traffic across the Danube. With its nine towers, each between 20 and 25 meters high, and all connected by a curtain wall with an average width of 2.8 m, the castle was once used as a stronghold on the right bank of the Danube.