Sacred paths of Serbia

The most important researcher of the Goddess Civilizations was archaeologist Marija Gimbutas (1921–1994). Gimbutas, of Lithuanian origin, was a professor at Harvard and was considered the greatest expert on the prehistory of Eastern Europe. A turning point in her career [...]

The first modern humans in Europe arrived about 40,000 years ago and were known as Cro-Magnon. They looked like us, had developed communication skills (language), art, abstract thinking ability and developed religiosity. They believed in life after death, world of [...]

When Christianity began to spread in the world, it did not have an orderly hierarchical structure, and each group of believers created its own leadership. Christianity was pluralistic and democratic when the common denominator among its people was faith, spirituality [...]

The Cro-Magnon man, who appeared in Europe 40,000 years ago, was religious in his understanding, perception, and actions. It is difficult to grasp this in a secular culture like ours, but belief in a power beyond us and in hidden [...]

The period of transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture is called the shift from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. In both periods, humans primarily used stone tools, hence the suffix -lithic (Lithos – stone), and so the Agricultural Revolution [...]

According to the chronicles of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII from the 10th century, the Serbs first lived in the regions of Bohemia and southeastern Germany and were called the "White Serbs." Under the leadership of one of their princes, [...]

Every nation has its defining event. For the Americans, it is the War of Independence, and for the Serbs, it is the Battle of Kosovo. No other nation has relived, over and over again, one of the most difficult losses [...]

The principle that formed the basis of the Ottoman Empire was a Muslim state as an ideal of law and justice, a concept developed by the advisor to the caliphs in Baghdad, Nizam al-Mulk, in the 11th century. The state [...]

During World War I, Serbia is ruled by Peter I of the Petrović dynasty, who builds the Topola Church as the family mausoleum and is buried there. The Serbs are in direct conflict with Austria over the issue of Bosnia. [...]

Pločnik is an archaeological site located an hour's drive from Niš and is part of the Vinča culture. What makes this site unique is that its ancient houses have been restored to their original state, as they were 7,500 years [...]

Niš is the capital of southern Serbia—an ancient and historically rich city. It was first founded by Celtic tribes called the Scordisci, who settled in Serbia in the 3rd century BCE and were part of the larger Celtic-Gallic invasion of [...]

In the Zaječar area lies one of the most stunning Roman sites in Serbia—the royal complex and palace of Galerius, who served as Eastern Emperor after Diocletian, acting as his deputy and successor. This palace is nestled within the forested [...]

Kladovo and Trajan's Bridge Kladovo is a port city on the Danube, located at the end of the Iron Gates Canyon. Next to it is the dam that closes the canyon and is one of the largest hydroelectric dams in [...]

Lepenski Vir is a must-see site for those interested in the origins of human civilization and the Goddess Culture, as it is one of the oldest settlements in the world. It was established more than 11,000 years ago, reaching its [...]

Viminacium was the Roman capital of Upper Moesia, reaching its peak in the 3rd century with a population of 40,000. It is located at the mouth of the Mlava River Valley, not far from the Danube. The 7th Claudius Legion [...]

Not far from Belgrade, on the banks of the Danube, a large Neolithic settlement from the 5th millennium BC was discovered, called Vinča. An entire culture that emerged 500 years after the Starčevo culture is named after this site. This [...]

Ancient Belgrade – SingidunumBelgrade is strategically located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The first fortress was built by the ancient Celts; later, it became a Roman stronghold and then a Byzantine fortress. The foundation of today’s [...]

Sirmium was the Roman capital of the Lower Pannonia province. At the end of the 3rd century AD, it became one of the four capitals of the empire as a result of Diocletian's reforms and was home to the Illyrian [...]

Žiča Monastery was built in the 13th century by Stefan Nemanja and Saint Sava as the center of the new Serbian Archbishopric, responsible for the country religiously and replacing the center (archbishopric) in Ohrid, Macedonia. The design is influenced by [...]

A half-hour drive from the Maglič Fortress is the Studenica Monastery, the jewel in the crown of the Valley of the Kings. It is a World Heritage Site, built at the end of the 12th century (1196) by Stefan Nemanja [...]

From Studenica Monastery, we will continue south for about an hour through the winding roads of the Golija Mountains Nature Reserve or through the Ibar River Valley to the next historical site, Gradac Monastery. This is one of the gems [...]

Sopoćani Monastery is located on a hill overlooking Novi Pazar. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its wonderful and unique frescoes from the 13th century. The monastery was built by a Serbian king in 1270 as atonement [...]

Lim Valley and Mileševa Monastery The Lim River carves a valley parallel to that of the Ibar River, with the Pešter Plateau lying in between. This valley hosts the main road that connects Serbia to Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea. [...]

Guča is a small, sleepy town for most of the year, but it comes to life and transforms into a kind of Balkan Woodstock for a week in August during the world's largest trumpet festival—the Guča Festival. With tents scattered [...]

Topola, nestled in the heart of Šumadija, is a royal city established by the Serbian hero Đorđe Petrović, known as Karadjordje (Black Hand), in the late 18th century. It served as the hub of the 1804 rebellion against the Ottomans. [...]

Kruševac is a relatively large city in Serbia, with 80,000 inhabitants. It was founded by Prince Lazar in 1371 as the capital of his Principality of Moravia, the largest and most significant of the principalities that emerged from the disintegrated [...]

A few years after ascending to power, Prince Lazar began the construction of the Ravanica Cathedral and Monastery, which would become closely associated with him and where he would be buried, following the tradition of Serbian kings. The Ravanica Monastery [...]

After Prince Lazar came to power, his son Lazarević built another magnificent cathedral monastery called Manasija, located half an hour’s drive north of the Ravanica Monastery. Lazarević was a Renaissance man and knight, married to an Italian woman. He spent [...]

From Smederevo, we turn toward the Balkan Mountains. In their northwestern part, not far from the town of Petrovac, is the Vitovnica Monastery, built by King Milutin at the beginning of the 13th century. The monastery was an important regional [...]

About half an hour from Vitovnica, hidden in a forested mountain valley, lies one of the most beautiful and spiritual monasteries in the Balkans. It was founded in the 14th century by the disciples of Gregory of Sinai of Mount [...]

King Milutin annexed eastern Serbia at the beginning of the 14th century, and to strengthen his presence and Serbian rule, he built a series of monasteries. Two of them can be found near the city of Negotin, which is located [...]

After exploring the captivating sites in the Balkan Mountains, we will head to Belgrade, Serbia's vibrant heart. To avoid retracing our steps, we plan to return to Belgrade via the stunning Iron Gates Canyon along the Danube. On the way, [...]

Smederevo Fortress is considered the best example of open-air medieval fortifications in Europe. The fortress was built in 1427 by the Serbian ruler Đurađ Branković, the last of the Serbian kings, to serve as the new capital of Serbia. Its [...]

Belgrade was initially established as a fortress on the Danube by the Celts in the 3rd century BC and was later rebuilt by the Romans and Byzantines. In the 13th century, Serbs from their mountain strongholds captured it and transformed [...]

The city of Novi Sad is the second largest in Serbia, and its metropolitan area has about 400,000 people. It is a center of culture, economy, and government on the banks of the Danube. On the south side of the [...]

Just a few kilometers south of the Petrovaradin Fortress lies the town of Sremski Karlovci, a significant destination on the Christian and historical route. At the end of the 17th century, the Serbian Patriarchate relocated there, transforming the town into [...]

South of Novi Sad lies a low mountain region called Fruška Gora, which became the center of Serbian monastic life starting in the 18th century, following the great migrations from Kosovo. The mountain is home to around twenty monasteries, some [...]