Vrnjacka Banja

A reinvented pearl at the heart of Serbia

The word reinvented may sound surprising to domestic tourists and foreigners, who visited this famous spa centre in the past. 20 years ago, I was also one of them and this place today is unrecognisable to what it was then. Today it is filled with people, new hotels and restaurants with attractions like aqua parks and pleasant surrounding nature. I remember it as a somewhat stagnant city, relying mostly on its reputation of treatment of the elderly and ill, but falling behind similar centres in the surrounding countries. Let me share my recommendations when you visit Vrnjacka Banja.

By Marko Veckov

It is incredible to see Vrnjacka Banja now, filled with life and people pouring from different parts of the world. Indeed, I could hear several languages, while at the local restaurant. My visit this time lasted just a few days, but I managed to visit some great places to both enjoy delicious food and explore the local culture.  

Overview of the town

This spa centre is in fact a small town located in the Raska district, near the town of Kraljevo. City has around 30,000 inhabitants and is famous for its thermal springs, with temperatures around the ones of the human body. These wells served as a foundation for the medical treatment of various illnesses.

The city is very charming with a lot of greenery, trees and the famous Bridge of Love. It is, however, most famous for its main promenade where me and my brother spent most of our time during our visit. It also has several aqua parks, but as we were staying for just a few days, we didn’t have time to visit them. 

1. Kraljica (The Queen) restaurant 

The entire main promenade is packed with hotels, restaurants and cafes. Me and my brother, who accompanied me on this trip, looked for a traditional restaurant and found this one, situated in one of the streets away from the main promenade. We opted for Serbian style barbecue, which I strongly recommend. The restaurant also serves other traditional meals like sarma or shopska salad. Prices here are a little lower than the ones on the main promenade and the staff are hospitable if a little relaxed when it comes to service delivery.

Queen is a perfect place for a family lunch, while those restaurants on the main street are more suitable for breakfast, a quick snack or a dinner. These places are mostly pizzerias or cafes with sandwiches and coffee. The perfect place for an evening meal would be a hotel restaurant near the famous VRNJACKA BANJA sign.

2. Villa Emilia

It is easy to find this place as it is near the famous sign, which acts as the entrance to the city. It is a Villa built in 1903 and serves great spaghetti. The hotel’s architecture evokes the period of the early 20^th century and just intensifies the already pleasant feel. I ordered spaghetti as I was not very hungry and the portion was not that big. Prices here are reasonable considering that it is at the heart of the city walkway, but are higher than in Queen restaurant. In the part of Belgrade where I live such dishes are significantly cheaper, but again this part is not crowded with tourists during the summer.

3. Concerts

It is on the city’s main square, the authorities had placed a stage where concerts were being held in the evenings. Various famous Serbian musicians like Neverne bebe played during my stay. I enjoyed their performances with a cold drink in hand, which were more expensive (beer was for instance 200 dinars), as the season was in full swing. For comparison at my local store its price ranges from 100 to 150 dinars, for both domestic and foreign beer. Concerts were a perfect introduction to what came next and that is the annual carnival.

4. The Carnival

During my stay, the city hosted its annual carnival, which attracted a large crowd, with presentations of carnival troops from neighbouring countries like Slovenia, Montenegro and Macedonia. Troops had their acts in front of thrilled spectators, mostly families. Each one had acts which lasted for a couple of minutes and which were presented on two stages, separated from each other. The stages were on the main promenade, which meant it truly came alive during that night.

Sites to see

There are 4 mediaeval monasteries in the nearby surroundings of the town. Three of them are built in the Russian-Byzantine style of architecture. The fourth one, Saint Petka Monastery, was built much later.

5. Studenica monastery

This monastery was built in the late 12^th/early 13^th century and is a place where the body of the founder of the Nemanjic dynasty, Stefan Nemanja rests. It is the dynasty which ruled the medieval Serbia for nearly 200 years. This is also the place where he spent the last years of his life as a monk.

6. Žica monastery

Seven Serbian mediaeval kings after Stefan Nemanja were buried at this monastery. His oldest son Stefan became the first king. The architectural style of this monastery is very appealing, with its red brick walls and white arches. It is one of the most beautiful examples of the architecture found in this part of the country.

7. Ljubostinja monastery

This monastery only has female monks and was built from 1388 until 1405. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. It is also the place where the wife of the mediaeval Serbian feudal master found solace after the battle of Kosovo.

8. Saint Petka monastery

This monastery is located near a Roman fortress from the 4th century. It is located some 11km from the town of Vrnjacka Banja. It lies on the nearby mountainside.

List of the places to visit while in the town:

1. The Queen restaurant
2. Villa Emilia
3. Concerts on the main promenade near the town sign
4. Annual carnival held in July
5. Studenica monastery
6. Žica monastery
7. Ljubostinja monastery
8. Saint Petka monastery

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