Unmissable stops in the Bor District, Serbia

Travelling has always been a way for me to broaden my horizons and improve my mental and physical well-being. This was especially true when I visited Eastern Serbia for the first time. I had a near-spiritual experience with the untamed nature of the Vratna Gates in the Bor District. Additionally, I learned about Serbian history during my visit to the city of Negotin, which was once home to prominent figures. And, to top off my trip, I enjoyed some local wine produced with love and passion by my hosts in the village of Rogljevo.

By Marco Veckov

The city of Negotin is located in the eastern part of Serbia, in the Bor District, near the border with Romania and Bulgaria, close to the Danube River. It is well-known in Serbia and abroad for its nearby vineyards and as a city of historical importance for the establishment of the Serbian state in the 19^th century. 

Today, it is home to some 30,000 inhabitants, down from 70,000 residents 20 years ago. This is a phenomenon I will discuss later in the text. 

This part of Serbia has become the centre of the media spotlight recently due to a TV show called Secrets of the Grapevine, currently airing on Serbian national television, which was filmed in the area. I wanted to visit it to witness something new and to try internationally famous wine from the village of Rogljevo. 

I am always open to new experiences, tastes and excitements, and this small trip was no exception. I booked this trip with my brother through a Belgrade travel agency called Flamingo Travel Club for a price of 2,800 Serbian dinars, which is around 24 euros. Our destination was a little farther away, so we were instructed to arrive at the gathering site early in the morning (6:00 am) to embark on a journey of historical, natural, and gastronomic knowledge.

Prerasti Vratna

This prerasti known as the Vratna Gates have naturally created stone bridges on the small river Vratna. There are three of them surrounding a nearby 14th-century monastery, and they are really stunningly beautiful. Our trip first took us to the monastery, where we were welcomed by Prioress Anastasia, who told us an inspiring story or two about this holy place. 

According to belief, this monastery was built by Archbishop Nikodim. He was initially a monk in the famous Serbian monastery of Hilandar on Mount Athos. Later he became the 10^th head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He held this position from 1316 to 1324. Before that, he was the main figure in the Hilandar monastery from 1311 to 1316. 

He built this monastery for Serbian King Milutin at the beginning of the 14^th century and five more monasteries of such style in nearby Romania. His father was Greek and his mother was Serbian. Today this is a female monastery and its simple building style of a single church and two nearby facilities doesn’t diminish its beauty both inside and outside.

After visiting the monastery, the entire group was taken up the nearby hills to visit and explore the three stone bridges, which are the highest formations of their kind in Europe. These pictures tell the whole story:

City of Negotin: Three Historical Museums

As I mentioned before, the population of Negotin has significantly lowered in the last 20 years, due to mostly younger people travelling and opting to live and work in EU countries. However, this is not just a recent phenomenon, as we were told by a curator in front of the city museum, older generations are also leaving the city in search of better economic conditions in more advanced economies. As we were travelling to the city, we noticed a lot of lavishly decorated houses with closed windows. We were informed that their owners come during the summer vacations from countries like Germany or are returning for good to spend their retirement here. Mostly, however, younger generations tend to stay in other countries, not interested in the country where their ancestors once came from.

The Krajina Museum, also known as the city museum, first of all, has a vast collection of items important for this area, ranging from Roman times to the period before the First World War. It also has a fine collection of clothes once worn by inhabitants of the city. The museum tells the story of this area even into the ancient past, as it contains tools and pottery from the settlements on the Danube River during the Neolithic Period.

Second on our list of city museums to visit was a museum dedicated to 19th century folk hero, Veljko Petrovic, who fought for the independence of Serbia from Turkish rule. Although the museum bears his name, it is not the house of his birth, but the place where he spent several years of his life and was the house of a prominent city figure, who let him use it. 

He lived a turbulent life, mostly due to his temper and was married twice. His second wife was particularly noteworthy, as she too was celebrated in the folk songs of the Serbian people during the early 19th century. She also fought in battles against the Ottomans and sustained several injuries. After his death, she remarried a Greek captain and left for Greece, where she lived out the rest of her days.

During our trip, we had the opportunity to visit the birthplace of Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac, one of the most prominent musical figures in Serbian history. He is widely regarded as the most famous composer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Serbia, best known for his 15 compositions called Rukoveti. These works are composed for a choir and are based on traditional Serbian folk songs. The house, which has been turned into a museum, has a basement that contains various pieces of furniture from the period. On the first floor, we saw Mokranjac’s study room, where there was a piano and a desk. Additionally, another room served as a study for his son, who was a chemist and a renowned professor.

Our journey then took us to the village of Rogljevo, where somewhere in the 19^th century, a group of Frenchmen settled from 1860 to 1880. During their stay, they would use the village’s vineyards for wine production as they were travelling all over Europe and searching for an appropriate ground to settle and produce wine. Residents were able to learn from the best and after the French left, they continued with the wine production. 

During our visit to the beautiful wineries of Rogljevo, we were privileged to be hosted by the amazing Jovanovic family. They introduced us to their exquisite collection of white and red wines, and I must say, the taste was nothing short of heavenly. I was so impressed that I couldn’t resist buying two bottles to take home as a surprise for my loved ones. The region in which these vineyards are located is simply breathtaking, and it’s no wonder that it’s widely known for its wine. What’s more, you can also find a variety of beer on the premises. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience that left us in awe of the beauty and richness of nature.

In the end, this was a trip to remember, not just for the things we got to see, but also for the effort of the tour guide and the beautiful weather, making the day complete for all of us. I recommend this tour to both domestic and foreign travellers.

6 sites to see on a trip to Negotin

If you are ever visiting this area on your own, have a close look at these sites, as they are the most interesting part of the city and its nearby surroundings:

1. Canyon of River Vratna and its 3 stone bridges, which are a stunning natural formation
2. Monastery near the river from the 14th century
3. The Krajina Museum in Negotin
4. The Hajduk Veljko Museum dedicated to folk hero Veljko Petrovic
5. The birth house to composer Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac
6. The wineries of Rogljevo

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