Serbia, The Last of the Balkans: The Second Half

After an incredible three days in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was time to make our way to Serbia. Like Katie said at the end of her last post, we had an incredible, eye-opening experience in Bosnia, and we weren't super excited to be heading to Serbia, but here we go!

Wednesday, October 22: Transfer to Serbia

We began our morning with an early breakfast at the hotel! We are very thankful that the hotel staff were accommodating and willing to make arrangements for us to have an early breakfast before our 7:20 am pick-up time. Following breakfast, our tour guide arrived at our hotel for our 12-hour tour/transfer to Belgrade, Serbia!

Nekropola stećaka u Bjelosavljevićima

Our first stop of the morning was to visit 13th-century Bosnian tombstones, known as stećak. We learned from our tour guides that many of these tombstones, dotted all over the Bosnian countryside, actually don't contain human remains, but wooden or stone eating utensils. Why? Great question, and archaeologists aren't completely sure either. Although not the most exciting start to an excursion, the autumn colors and beautiful sunrise hit the misty fields made for a great spooky season vibe.

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge: Most Mehmed-paše Sokolovića

Our second stop of the morning was the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, which was completed in 1577 by the Ottoman Empire. Our guide informed us that the town of Višegrad is predominantly (95%) Bosnian Serbs and that during the war, the Serbs would throw Bosniaks off this bridge. Over the last few days, Katie and I have learned how the war and subsequent ethnic cleansing have affected the Bosnians, and for us, it has made us less and less excited to visit Serbia.

Turistička vožnja "Brod Ćiro Višegrad"

While in the town of Višegrad, we enjoyed a boat ride on the Drina River. Our boat guide only spoke Serbian, so we had absolutely no idea what we were looking at, but at least the cool autumn air gave us a jolt to wake us up!

Andrić grad

Following our boat tour, we took a short walking tour of Andrić grad, a small movie set built in 2014 to resemble a medieval town. The village was named after Ivo Andric, a Yugoslav novelist who won the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Orthodox Monastery Dobrun: Манастир Добрун

Just a few miles east of Višegrad is the Dobrun Monastery, built in 1343 and nestled in the mountains. This Serbian Orthodox Monastery is very close to the border of Bosnia & Serbia.

Kotroman Border : Гранични прелаз "Котроман"

Following our visit to the monastery, we made our way to the border, where we officially made it to country number 55: Serbia!

Ресторан Шарганска осмица Мокра Гора

Our first stop in Serbia was to grab lunch before our scenic train ride through the Tara National Park. Katie and I enjoyed some fried chicken and beef stew!

Железничка станица Шарган

Following lunch, we enjoyed a 45-minute train ride through the national park. Unfortunately, Katie and I were squished into the caboose and sat on some very uncomfortable seating. Not the most idyllic train ride, but still beautiful nonetheless.

Drvengrad - Mećavnik: Дрвенград „Мећавник“

Our second filming location of the day (and built by the same director) was Drvengrad. Set in the mountaintops of the Tara National Park, this village is known for its wooden homes and beautiful views.

Banjska Stena Viewpoint: Видиковац Бањска стена

After Katie and I took a short nap in the back seat on some windy roads, we were woken up when we breathed in the crisp mountain air and experienced the best view of the trip thus far! Just a short 15-minute hike from where we parked, the Banjska Stena Viewpoint left us stunned by its incredible autumn colorway. On the opposite side of the river is Bosnia; this river works as a natural border between Serbia and Bosnia.

Drina River House: Кућица на Дрини-Бајина Башта

Our final stop of the tour before making our way to Belgrade was the Drina River House. Originally built in 1968 by two brothers who enjoyed swimming in the river, this house has been destroyed and rebuilt over seven different times due to high floods. In 2012, Business Insider put the Drina River House on its list of the 16 "wackiest" homes in the world.

Natali Luxury Suites

After a nearly 2.5-hour drive to Belgrade, we finally made it to our hotel for the evening!

Thursday, October 23: Belgrade, Serbia

Cookie Beacon Brunch

Katie and I started our day with an excellent brunch at Cookie Beacon! Katie enjoyed a unique take on avocado toast, while I enjoyed the carrot cake pancakes.

St. Mark Orthodox Church: Српска православна црква Светог Марка

Our one scheduled event for the day was a walking tour of Belgrade. Our meeting point was St. Mark's Orthodox Church, a Neo-Byzantine-style church completed in 1940. At the beginning of the tour, we learned that many of the buildings in Belgrade only date back a little over 100 years.

The Ottomans departed Belgrade in 1867, and when the Serbians officially gained their independence, they began demolishing everything in their city that represented Ottoman occupation. Very much unlike Sarajevo, where the old town feels like you're stepping back into the 17th Century, much of Belgrade felt very new and modern (with some Brutalist architecture mixed in here and there).

As we made our way north through the city, we passed by the Serbian House of the National Assembly. Our guide informed us that over the last 11 months, numerous protests have taken place across the country (but predominantly in Belgrade) against government corruption. The protests began shortly after a concrete canopy collapsed at the Novi Sad Railway Station, killing 16 citizens. Public outrage stems from the fact that the railway station was renovated just months before the canopy collapsed, and its failure was blamed on corrupt business practices and shoddy contracts.

Republic Square: Трг републике

Our second stop on the tour was the Republic Square, marked by the Prince Mihailo statue. The statue was constructed in 1882, presenting Prince Mihailo on horseback and pointing to the south. Prince Mihailo is famously known for liberating Belgrade, but when this statue was erected, much of southern Serbia was still under Ottoman occupation; thus, the significance of the statue facing south.

Belgrade Fortress: Београдска тврђава

Our final stop on the walking tour was the Belgrade Fortress. Originally built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the 6th Century, this fortress lies near the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, providing great views!

Dogma Brewery Central

Following our walking tour, Katie and I grabbed a few pints at Dogma Brewery Central before exploring more of the city on our own.

Delfi knjižara „Borislav Pekić“

Next on the to-do list: find our Serbian Harry Potter book! We learned from a very informative bookstore clerk that the Serbians utilize both Latin (Harry Potter) and Cyrillic (Гарри Поттер) scripts, but only the 1st Edition of the Harry Potter series was released in Cyrillic. According to our new bookstore friend, first editions are really rare and collectors items...so we weren't going to be finding one of those here in the city center. We still were able to nab a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Serbian, as well as a fun children's dental book written in Cyrillic.

Curry Souls: Кари Соулс

For dinner, Katie and I enjoyed Curry Souls, a Sri Lankan street food restaurant. The last time Katie and I had Sri Lankan food was in London back during the New Year 2024.

Friday, October 24: Novi Sad & Northern Serbia

For our second full day in Serbia, it's time to head out of the city to visit Novi Sad and northern Serbia.

Coffeedream

Before meeting up with our tour group, we had to grab some coffee. Of course, it's fall, so I stuck with the theme and went with a pumpkin spice latte from Coffeedream.

Krušedol Monastery: Манастир Крушедол

After an hour drive north of Belgrade, we made our first stop at the Krušedol Monastery. The church within the monastery was originally built in the 15th Century. Shortly following construction, the church was burned down by Ottomans on their return to Belgrade following a defeat in Vienna. The church was later rebuilt in 1726, and, amazingly, some of the original frescoes survived.

The monastery was all fine and cool, but our favorite part was definitely the monk/sheperd guiding a huge flock of sheep around the area!

Sremski Karlovci Wine Shop

Our next stop was the small town of Sremski Karlovci, located just a few miles south of Novi Sad on the Danube River. This area of Serbia is famous for its Serbian wines (I, nor anyone else, was clearly aware Serbian wines were famous). Our first stop in the town was to the Sremski Karlovci Wine Shop, where we tried a red and white wine unique to the region. The wines were very sweet, so not really Katie and I's forte, but who's going to say no to wine at 11 am when you're on vacation?

Споменик Бранку Радичевићу

Following the wine shop, we were given 30 minutes of free time in the town; now, we didn't really need that much time in this tiny Serbian town, but we did get to see the oldest school in Serbia.

Petrovaradin Fortress Clock: Сат на Петроварадинској тврђави

The Petrovaradin Fortress was built in 1692 by the Austro-Hungarians on the banks of the Danube; it played an important role in the longstanding feud between the Austro-Hungarians and the Ottomans in central Europe. Although Novi Sad isn't the most remarkable city to look at from the fortress's bastions, I can't complain about getting to spend time with my best friend.

Church of the Holy Name of Mary: Црква Пресветог Имена Маријина - Нови Сад

Our final stop of the tour was visiting the city of Novi Sad, Serbia's second-largest city. We were given nearly two hours of free time in the city to explore and grab lunch. The focal point of the city center was the Church of the Holy Name of Mary, an Orthodox church with a beautiful multi-colored ceiling.

Lazin Salaš: Лазин Салаш

For linner (that's lunch-dinner combo meal for those who didn't know), Katie and I took our tour guide's recommendation for traditional Serbian food at Lazin Salaš. For an appetizer, we enjoyed a feta pastry and honey, while we split the veal with gravy and beef stew as our entrees.

Next time, Katie and I are getting the feta pastry and honey for our meal- that was some good stuff!

Following our meal, we made the 1.5-hour drive back to Belgrade and then turned it in for an early evening.

Saturday, October 25: Along the Danube River

But that's not all folks! We still have a whole day left in Serbia!

Golubac Fortress: Тврђава Голубац

The following morning, we met our tour bus at 8:00 am. We made our way to eastern Serbia to explore some additional highlights along the Danube River (if you couldn't tell, this is clearly a significant waterway).

Our first stop of the day was the Golubac Fortress, located just across the river from the Romanian border. The exact date the fortress was built is unknown, but recent discoveries date it back to the 14th Century. The origin of the fortress's name is largely based on myths and urban legends; the most popular myth is that it is named after a Serbian girl named Golubana, who was beloved by a local Ottoman politician. After rejecting his numerous advances, the Ottoman locked Golubana in the highest, cone-shaped tower.

We were given one hour to explore the fortress and climb the towers. Many of the exhibits contained medieval armour, swords, and arrowheads that were discovered on the grounds. This fortress literally had it all: knights in armour and damsels locked in tall towers.

Капетан Мишин брег

Following the fortress, we made our way along the river to Капетан Мишин брег (Kapetan Mishin breg in Latinic). Our meal was a buffet-style barbecue lunch consisting of a variety of meats, pastries, vegetables, and hard cheeses. Definitely one of the best meals we've enjoyed in Serbia.

Voznja Camcem Boat Ride Tours Djerdap's Gorge

Our last event of the day was a boat tour along the Danube River in the Djerdap Gorge. After parking on the side of a two-lane road and walking along a short path through the woods, we made it to the riverbank and were welcomed by our Serbian captain.

Romanian Border Cave

The first stop on the ride actually consisted of a quick trip to Romania; that's right, Katie and I have visited Romania two separate times now! This time, we only spent a few minutes inside a cave, but I say it counts.

Rock Sculpture of Decebalus: Chipul lui Decebal

As we made our way down the river, we were stunned to see a large, 180-foot-tall rock sculpture. This sculpture of Decebalus, a Dacian king who fought against the Roman invasion of modern-day Transylvania in the 1st Century AD, is the largest rock relief in Europe.

Trajan's Plaque: Трајанова табла

Arguably, the most interesting part of the boat tour was Trajan's plaque. Built in 106 AD to commemorate the Roman bridge built across the Danube, this white marble plaque was raised 25 meters by the Yugoslav government from 1966-1969 so that it wouldn’t be underwater following the construction of a hydroelectric dam.

It's incredible the reach of the Roman Empire; we're nearly 900 miles away from Rome (on foot), but here we are looking at traditional Italian marble on the Serbian banks of the Danube River, nearly 2,000 years later.

Sunday, October 26: Back Home!

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport: Аеродром „Никола Тесла“ Београд

The next morning came very early with a 5:00 am cab ride to the Belgrade Airport. After quickly making our way through security, we spent a few minutes in the lounge before we were hit with the news that our first flight from Belgrade to Istanbul had been delayed by 50 minutes. This wasn't super, considering our layover was only scheduled to be 1:20 before our connecting flight to Sevilla took off. So, of course, in traditional Bryan fashion, I stressed the entire time!

We landed in Istanbul at 12:40 pm, where Katie and I immediately sprinted through an immigration checkpoint and to the opposite end of the airport. For fellow travelers- Istanbul's airport is MASSIVE and an hour and a half would barely be enough time...let alone the 20-minute sprint we had to do! We made our flight just in the nick of time!

Of course, it wouldn't be the end of a Johnson blog if we didn't provide pics of Hugo and Reynolds from when we were away. We are very blessed to have such a great Spanish dog sitter!

Thanks for tuning along as Katie and I visited our last two Balkan countries (we haven't been to Slovenia yet, but if you ask any true Balkan, it's considered Western Europe)!

Живели (cheers)!

Bryan