The beauties of Serbia tour

Arrive at Belgrade Airport. Transfer to the hotel. Start of the tour with panoramic Belgrade sightseeing by bus followed by a walking tour of the city center. The tour includes the following sights: Kalemegdan fortress, Assembly of the City of Belgrade, National Assembly, Republic Square, Terazije Square, Old and New Court, Slavija Square, Temple of Saint Sava (largest Orthodox Church in the Balkans). Visit of the House of Flowers, the resting place of former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito and a part of the Museum of Yugoslav History Complex. This is the most visited museum in Serbia, an important symbol of a time and ideology which ruled in the region for almost 50 years. While visiting the House of Flowers, we will see Tito’s tomb, collections of Tito’s army uniforms and batons used to transfer birthday greetings from all parts of Yugoslavia, as well as gifts he received from all over the world during his rule. Dinner at Skadarlija, one of the rare quarters with the authentic ambiance and the center of bohemian life. It is known by the attractive national restaurants with live music. Overnight.

After breakfast, start the full day tour to Vojvodina. Visit Fruška Gora mountain and monastery Krušedol (80 km) - a 16th century monastery which is considered as the most beautiful monastery of Fruška Gora, and certainly with the most important role of its time. It was a seat of the diocese of Srem, which was later transferred to Sremski Karlovci. Relics of members of the holy family Brankovich are placed inside the church and many important people are buried there as well, such as two Serbian patriarchs and King Milan Obrenovich. Drive to Sremski Karlovci (35 km), the spiritual and cultural center of the Serbs during the Austrian-Hungarian reign. Walk through the beautiful baroque center and the pedestrian area of Sremski Karlovci - Patriarchal Residence, Saint Nicholas Church, the first Serbian grammar school, the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, the Roman Church of the Holy Trinity, the Four Lions Fountain. Visit the Peace Chapel, erected on the spot where the Treaty of Karlowitz was negotiated. Visit a wine cellar. Short lecture about wine, traditional snacks, and tasting of world-famous wines of Frushka Gora. Drive to Novi Sad (50 km) and lunch in the restaurant. Continue with sightseeing of Novi Sad - it is a city rich in tradition and culture, where everything flourishes and everything is preserved, most of all, the relaxed nature of the people. Long a center of Serbian culture, and sometimes called the “Serbian Athens”, Novi Sad is a city of art, science and entertainment. Begin your tour at the Dunavski (Danube) Park and stroll through Zmaj Jovina street and Stari Grad, the old town center. Explore Liberty Square which is dominated by the Old Town Hall and the Catholic Church „Name of Mary“. Visit the Petrovaradin Fortress - “the Danube Gibraltar”, the oldest preserved fortification on the Danube built during the reign of Queen Maria Theresa, originally built for defence against the Ottoman Turks, but now home to summertime festivals and beautiful views of the Danube and city below. Optional visit to underground tunnels in Petrovaradin Fortress. Depart from Novi Sad in the afternoon and drive back to Belgrade (95 km). Overnight.

After breakfast, drive 100 km to Viminacium which was a major city and a military camp in Roman times. The city dates back to the 1st century AD and is believed that it had 40.000 inhabitants and was one of the biggest cities of that time. Viminacium was devastated by the Huns in the 5th century, but rebuilt by Justinian. It was completely destroyed with the arrival of Slavs in the 6th century. Visit the Amphitheater, Roman baths, Mausoleum, Domuš (copy of a Roman villa, also science and research center), and Mamut park (skeleton of a mammoth was recently discovered in the site). Lunch. After lunch, drive to Lepenski Vir (90 km), an archaeological site located in the Djerdap Gorge. It is the location of one of the most important prehistoric cultures and archaeological discoveries that have changed our knowledge about the early Stone Age in Europe. There are remains of religious architecture dating from 6.500 - 5.500 BC that can be seen on the site. Drive to the city of Kladovo (80 km), check-in. Overnight.

After breakfast, departure to the Native town of Roman emperor Galerius - Felix Romuliana (115 km), founded at the end of the 3rd century. The palace with beautiful frescoes and mosaic floors is considered to be one of the best-preserved examples of Roman palace architecture. It is under the protection of UNESCO. Free time for lunch on the way. Arrival to Vrnjachka Banja (150 km) – The Queen of All Mineral Springs, one of the most celebrated and the most beautiful spas in Serbia and well-known tourist center. Overnight in Vrnjachka Banja.

After breakfast, a trip towards Studenica (80 km), the largest and the richest Orthodox monastery in Serbia established in the late 12-th century by Stevan Nemanja - founder of the medieval Serb state. The next stop on the way to Zlatibor mountain is Monastery Sopochani (80 km), the endowment of King Urosh from the 14-th century. The beauty of the existing frescoes in the temple makes Sopochani one of the most cherished monuments of European art from the 14-th century. As of 1979, Sopochani is on the UNESCO World cultural heritage list. Drive to Zlatibor (135 km), a mountain of exquisite beauty. It has large clearings, exuberant pastures intersected with mountain streams and pine trees which this mountain was named after. Dinner. Overnight in Zlatibor.

After breakfast, we go to Mokra Gora (35 km), i.e. “the Wet Mountain” , a village in Serbia on the northern slopes of mountain Zlatibor. The village becomes popular after a reconstruction of a narrow gauge railway called Shargan Eight which is unique in the world. The railway that passes through 22 tunnels, over 5 bridges, and overcomes the altitude difference of 300 meters, on a total distance of 15 kilometers, once connected Belgrade with Sarajevo. We will board the famous dinky train Nostalgia - created in old-time style, so you can feel that old atmosphere while sitting in its authentic cars with wooden seats, smelling fume from its wood burning stove and hearing the rumble of its wheels and go for a ride along the most exciting section of this narrow gauge line. During the ride, the train makes a few stops so you can take some fabulous photographs and enjoy the views. After the ride, we will visit the Ethno Village “Wooden City” (also known as Drvengrad and Mechavnik) built as a setting for “Life is a Miracle”, Emir Kusturica’s film. The amazing village was until recently just a couple of salvaged traditional wooden houses on a bluff above a spectacularly beautiful valley but has been transformed into a modern equivalent of the medieval great monastery or university made of natural materials, mostly wood. In the newly-built town, you can find streets and squares, a hotel, few restaurants and bars, a congress center, a library, Serbia's most advanced cinema, church, large indoor swimming pool, saunas, gym, tennis court, and an underground basketball arena. Once a year, the town hosts the annual “Küstendorf” Film and Music Festival with famous guests from all over the world. After Drvengrad, we will visit Sirogojno (60 km), ”Old Village“, a unique and very charming ethno village famous for its open-air museum of traditional architecture and well-known for its exhibition of handicrafts and world-famous hand-knitted clothes. After the visit, we return to the hotel in Zlatibor (25 km). Overnight.

After breakfast, we depart from Zlatibor and drive 150 km to the north, along with beautiful slopes of central Serbia to Topola. There is a small town in the heart of Serbia, called Shumadia (i.e the forest), rich in history and famous for its wine production, which will tell us a tale about the royal family Karadjordjevich, whose history began here. The town was established by Djordje Petrovich Karadjordje, leader of the Serbs during the First Uprising. On the hill of Oplenac, above Topola, you will visit a complex comprising of the Church of St.George, the Karadjordjevich Dynasty Mausoleum and a house built by the Royal Family Karadjordjevich. The interior of the Church is covered in mosaics, which required over 6 million pieces to complete and represent the best achievements of fresco painting in Serbia. The crypt contains the relics of members of the Karadjordjevich dynasty. The Mausoleum, built by King Petar I is covered with white marble from nearby Vencac Mountain and Carrara in Italy. The house of Petar Karadjorđević stands opposite the Church and was built in 1912. It served as the summer residence of the King. After the visit, we drive to one of the best Serbian wineries where we will have a visit and wine tasting with lunch. After lunch, we continue to Belgrade (80 km). Free afternoon in Belgrade. Farewell dinner. Overnight.

Breakfast at hotel and transfer to the airport in Belgrade.