The professional guide service introducing you to Belgrade & Serbia with care and affection! 


Excursions
     

 

Sturdiness of 
history

Monumentality of 
heritage

Serenity of
Orthodoxy

Attractiveness of the scenery

 
 

Exploration of Serbia: A great value for a day out of Belgrade 

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! 

Our tours into this country's past do not emphasize a scholarly analysis of history's problems and contested facts. They simply aim to present and interpret the most important monuments and the frequently overlooked remains of cultures which once flourished here or which briefly touched the region. 

Even for the most experienced traveler, Serbia still holds secrets to be discovered. Great sights, exotic scenes, pastoral landscapes and friendly people await everywhere all the time. Each tour brings new adventure and a new, strange mingling of impressions and sensations - in fact anything but ordinary. These are really discovery tours, brimming with coleur locale and genuine excitement for this country!
 

Tour # 9

Manasija & Ravanica

'Monastery tour' by private car/minivan 
Duration: 8-9 hrs,
total mileage 380 km/mile 236 

On this tour we explore some fascinating medieval monuments, two important monasteries - the endowments of two brave Serbian rulers, a father and son, built in one of the most difficult periods of Serbia's history, on the eve of long-lasting slavery under the Ottoman Empire. 

Drive along the Belgrade-Nis highway. A short stop at the Stari Hrast Motel. Upon arrival at the Manasija monastery (founded by Despot Stefan Lazarevic in the first half of the 15th century), you will visit the best preserved medieval fortification in Serbia (with 12 towers). You will view the ruins of the old refectory and the Church of the Holy Trinity with its exceptionally fine fresco paintings. An optional lunch may be arranged at one of the restaurants in the Despotovac area or at the Stari Hrast Motel. In the afternoon you will visit the Ravanica monastery, founded by the Serbian Prince Lazar in the second half of the 14th century. Here you will see the most typical example of what is called the Morava school of Serbian medieval architecture. The monastery's five-domed Church of the Ascension reveals rather badly damaged but very fine frescoes. On display in the church is a transparent coffin containing relics of the great and highly devoted ruler Prince Lazar, killed in the battle of Kosovo in 1389 and soon afterwards declared saint (the relics can be seen only on Sundays). Return to Belgrade.

What our clients say about this tour and its guide
"The most wonderful tour I have ever been on."
"Made complicated history easy to understand and fun at the same time."

Fruitful artistic creations
The last phase in the art of independent mediaeval Serbia is testified to by the many monasteries and churches, whose architecture and painting bear the stamp of the 'Morava school'. The light and slender forms of this architecture are highly decorated.


Tour # 10

Castles on the Danube  

'Medieval tour' by private car/minivan 
Duration: 8-9 hrs, total mileage 300 km/mile 188 

On this tour we explore some sturdy fortifications and superb castles down the Danube, situated on the banks of the Balkan's most strategically important waterway: At Smederevo you will visit the last fortified capital of the medieval independent Serbian state and at Golubac you'll view a medieval castle perched on a rock above the river. 

Drive via the favorite Belgrade's excursion spot of Grocka to the west of Belgrade (short stop) and to the former Serbian capital Smederevo, now a vast castle on the Danube surrounded by a modern town. You will tour the triangular shaped medieval fortification with its 25 huge towers, moat and citadel. Next, we pass Pozarevac, the regional center of the Branicevo district and a picturesque 19th century town with a rich ancient Roman and medieval tradition, especially known for its stud farm in Ljubicevo, founded in 1858. We will make a brief visit to the picturesque, 14 km long and 300 meters wide, Silver Lake (coffee break or optional lunch). Then we will drive along the old, slightly meandering road to the castle of Golubac to visit these superb medieval ruins 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 an important stronghold on the right bank of the Danube. Return to Belgrade.

Mediaeval fortifications 
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.


Tour # 11

Treasure of Vojvodina

'Baroque tour' by private car/minivan 
Duration: 7-8 hrs, total mileage 220 km/mile 137 

On this tour we explore mild landscape of the fertile Pannonian Plain covered with grain fields, quaint small towns and some splendid Baroque monuments - the area north of the Sava and Danube, once ruled by ambivalent Hungarian kings and the ambitious Habsburg dynasty.  

Drive via the old town of Zemun (visit) to the north, where a warm welcome from the province of Vojvodina and its major tourism sights await you. Upon arrival in the region of Fruska Gora, we will visit Krusedol monastery (founded in the 16th century) known for its attractive location, historical importance and a variety of paintings and icons in its church. Next, a stop in the romantic town of Sremski Karlovci, once a hub of the cultural and political life of the Serbs. You will enjoy a panoramic guided walk of the town center, which features the Baroque 'Four Lions' fountain on the main square (1790), a 19th century High school, the Patriarch Palace and the mid-18th century Cathedral church with its fine Renaissance facade and two Baroque belfries. En route to Novi Sad we visit the famous 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. Later, you will take a brief panoramic tour of Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, followed by a short walk along picturesque Dunavska Street. An optional lunch and free time for shopping complete the tour. Return to Belgrade.

What our clients say about this tour and its guide
"Wonderful and painstaking guiding."
"Combined facts with humorous details." 

Old culture with new ideas
The end of the 17th century, the period of the great Serbian migration under Patriarch Arsenije III, marks the start of a new era in the whole life of the Serbs on the territory of Vojvodina and particularly in the history of their art.

 

 


Tour # 12

Topola & Oplenac

'Dynasty tour' by private car/minivan 
Duration: 7-8 hrs, total mileage 200 km/mile 124 

On this tour we explore typical 'rebellious Serbia' in the south of Belgrade, homeland of Djordje Petrovic, called Karageorge or "Black George" for his dark features. He led the uprising against the Ottoman rule in 1804 and established one of the two Serbian ruling dynasties in the 19-20th centuries.

Drive to Mt. Avala for a brief visit to the Mausoleum of the Unknown Hero, situated on the mountain top (511 m), and offering a spectacular view of the landscape around the capital. Then we go to the central parts of the hilly Sumadija region, known as the cradle of Serbian uprisings against the Ottoman rule in the 19th century. Upon arrival to Topola, we will visit the Church of Our Lady, erected by Karageorge (1811-1813), the Residence of Karageorge (now a museum dedicated to the leader of the First Serbian Uprising), two sturdy stone towers preserved from what was once a mighty fortification, and more. Then, a short drive to the Church of St. George, built after WWI by King Petar I of Serbia, on top of Oplenac (337 m). This church is unique among all the monuments in Serbia, with columns made of Carrara marble, an iconostasis of local marble and mosaics covering almost 3,500 sq. meters and including 725 scenes and 1,500 human figures. After sightseeing, an optional lunch can be arranged in the nearby town of Arandjelovac. We will also visit Bukovicka Spa and its attractive park ornamented with many modern white marble sculptures ('Marble and Sound' Festival from 1968). On our way back to Belgrade a brief stop at the village of Orasac where the historic meeting of Serbian rebels took place in 1804.

What our clients say about this tour and its guide
"A fair introduction to life in contemporary Serbia."
"The expertise of an experienced guide."

Revolutionary Serbia
The agreement to start the First Uprising against the Ottoman Turks was announced at a spot near the village of Orasac on February 15, 1804. At that historic and secret gathering of several outstanding Serbian personalities, Karageorge was elected leader of the insurgents.

 


Please note:

All full-day tours include transportation by private car or minivan, professional driver, guide service, entrance fees
Lunch is optional. There is always at least an hour allowed for lunch at a restaurant of your choice. If you prefer to skip lunch and have a snack instead you could use that time to explore a little on your own.
Tours usually commence from and terminate at your hotel, unless we are requested otherwise.

Private Excursions Prices

 Starting from:
EUR 230 for a tour by car
(Per tour/car and not per person)


 


City Tours & Excursions in Greek 
Περιηγήσεις Περίπατοι Μονοήμερες Εκδρομές
Ξεναγήσεις στα Ελληνικά για ΄Ελληνες επισκέπτες. Δείτε το Βελιγράδι και τη Σερβία με το βλέμα του τοπικού ξεναγού!
Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες και κρατήσεις, παρακαλώ επικοινωνείστε απευθείας στο τηλέφωνο η email.


 

If you have accessed this page outside a frame, please follow this link to the frames version:
Belgrade Sightseeing

BELGRADE SIGHTSEEING / BRANKO RABOTIC PhD
Phone/fax: (++38111) 386.11.53, GSM: (++38163) 854.26.48 
(Calls to GSM from inside Serbia: 063 854.26.48)
E mail: rabotic@sbb.rs  URL: http://www.belgradetours.com/