Gems of Serbia: Outside the City
Heading out of the city, we passed by two buildings of special significance. Surprising to me, we were passing by two buildings severely damaged by the March 1999 NATO bombing raid. For 78 days, this beautiful city was attacked, killing hundreds. Our new friend, Nina, shares the story of being awakened in the middle of the night to escape to safety with three other families. Of course, we had to ask why the damaged buildings still stand… as a reminder of the last bombing in Belgrade. It is part of Serbian history and though the government would like to replace it with profitable businesses, many of the people prefer the reminder.
Driving almost two hours away from the city, through charming villages, we arrived at our first stop. Manasija Monastery, a Serbian Orthodox Church was founded between 1406 and 1418. Surrounded by an impressive rock fortified barrier with eleven towers, this complex is protected by the Serbian Government and soon to become a UNESCO site.
Serene is the best word I can come up with to describe this historical landmark. No one on the grounds except a caretaker, we were able to wander at our leisure. Hearing stories of the times of destruction and rebuilding on this property was fascinating.
Our timing could not have been better for this trip. With the mountainside coming alive with fall colors, it was the perfect backdrop for photos. Standing inside the walls of the Monastery, I wasn’t sure what commanded my attention most! Barry and I talked about returning to the area in the next couple of days to focus on the colors of the turning tree leaves.
Would have been awesome to hear the bells chimed, but we weren’t that lucky! We will just have to be satisfied with the daily bell ringing outside our apartment. Protecting and cherishing history is important to the Serbians. This rock wall is proof of that… still standing when dorms were built for scholars and those wishing to be closer to God, plans were designed to build around the structure. Protecting the remains of the oldest section was a priority.
Unfortunately, I was goofing around taking oddly angled photos of the interior of the Monastery… and then found out no photography (can’t read Serbian rules). Unable to take serious pictures to capture the essence of the interior, these will have to do. The first photo, though not the content focus, shows the frescos which have survived centuries. The chandelier can also be seen. Not quite as ornate as the one in the center of Saint Sava, the upside-down crown signifies sadness of the Serbian people over collapse of the Serbian empire to Kosovo in 1389.
Two more angles that depict the fall colors that cover the hills and the unbelievable architecture.
View from inside the school portion of the church. Known as the Resava School of Transcription.
Traveling on to our next stop, we passed by an active coal mine. This popular source of energy is one of the roadblocks to Serbia becoming part of the EU. Limiting mining is one requirement. In our wanderings today, we heard arguments for and against the idea of joining the European Union. While in Albania, joining the EU was also mentioned and we were told (and confirmed the same for Serbia) that the process is expected to take 10-20 years (if at all). Personally, changing the uniqueness of the Balkan would be my concern…
Next stop… Resavska Cave! Estimated to be 80 million years old, we walked about one-fourth of the length. Though the weather was a comfortable 62 degrees (16C), it was a chilly 44 degrees (7C) inside the damp cave. The formations seen in the photos date back 45 million years!
Here we have a formation from the top and the bottom meeting in the middle. The process estimated to take a thousand years to complete, is called the 1000 year old kiss. We saw a few examples of this throughout the cave.
As you have probably figured out by now, I snapped a gazillion photos of this fascinating geological masterpiece!
Onward in our journey through this stunning countryside, it seemed we’d experienced so much already. So many rivers and changing landscape. The scenic drive would have been enough of a treat… add to that the Monastery and the Cave… we were happy! But there was more…
Not quite knowing what to expect, we walked down a path lined with a fence made of trees. The jungle-like setting was beautiful … and again… fall colors!
Water so clear… red foliage in the water… moss growing on the rocks… the sound of trickling water. Wow! This day is just full of surprises!
Got it! Only allowed one selfie a day, I have to be sure I have selected the right spot. Careful to snap only when both of our eyes are open and no movement that will cause a blue… only getting one click can be challenging! Took me a long time to get Barry to agree to one a day (if there was something worth photographing).
Nature at its finest… with rainy season just around the corner, this is the slowest the waterfall will flow. We saw photos from May when the snow was melting. We would not have been able to get close to the falls.
Pictures are fine but to hear the sounds of this waterfall… so much more powerful!
Okay… one more before we go! We are fortunate to be experiencing this during the off season. Usually quite busy with families on vacation, today we haven’t seen anyone else at any of our stops. To enjoy such beauty without other tourists is a gift.
Leaving this lovely spot, we passed “wild life”. Near the river that flows from the waterfall, were tubs of trout at different phases of growth. Sold to restaurants, I vowed to order trout for lunch now that I know how fresh it is! On the left is my duck friend… we actually had two cats and two dogs follow us to our car. None of them got to come home with us…
Onward in our travels! Never in a million years did I expect to be on a Serbian road trip! Trees with leaves turning color, local residents and awesome countryside… a dream come true! Snapping photos all the way!
Walking down another path in a new location, we arrived at a very special place. As my mom would say… “magical”. During the summer, this is a popular swimming area. According to divers, there is a maze of underground canals.
Hard to believe there was more to see but… yes! Barry had a great time with his camera today. Though he’s not as crazy as I am, he snapped more than I’ve ever seen. We have two different approaches. He has to really be driven by exceptional beauty or an out of the ordinary subject matter, then takes his time to snap the photo. Me? I barely slow down… it’s as if the camera is connected to my eyes and I want to document everything I am seeing no matter how good or bad the picture comes out.
More beauty in one day than I could have possibly dreamed of! My hope was that we would visit something of interest, something I could photograph but had no idea the hidden gems that can be found in Serbia. The color of the water was a special blue which reminded me of Croatia. Krupaj Spring is set in the midst of forest and limestone mountains. This is listed as one of the top places to see.
Time for lunch! All of this beauty got my stomach growling… so we stopped at a spot called Restoran Gornjak. Located just above Gornjak Monastery, we took a quick peek there first. Apples growing and flowers blooming, this was a completely different style monastery than the one we saw earlier.
Nuns live on the grounds and keep them immaculate. The well cared for gardens will soon be under snow. Hard to believe with the perfect weather we are experiencing! And of course… more “BBQ’s”. Now that I know they are actually the place to light candles, I realize how silly my thought was!
What a unique setting for the Gornjak Monastery! This very compact monastery is built into rock at the top of the stairs. We were able to peek in and see the frescos in this 640 year old structure. Just down the stairs, we walked around the chapel with bells. Next door is the Restoran Gornjak… which is where we stopped to eat. This will shock you, I know… not a single photo was taken of me eating my very fresh trout!!! That’s how incredibly hungry I was!… Not realizing how far the drive home would be, I forgot to use the restroom. that was a mistake. When we got back into the city, we hit every red light… every one! Thankfully we were dropped off just in front of our building instead of where we initially met up. With barely a proper goodbye, I RAN up to the building, jumped into the elevator, pushing number 7 … and made it into the apartment and the bathroom just in time! Whew!
Another successful day… As I prepare for bed each night, I think I can’t possibly have a better day than the day I’m finishing. However, every single day has been better than the day before because every day is a new experience. At the risk of being repetitive… Serbia is an amazing country with so much more to explore! Until tomorrow…
