Rural idyll in Serbia: 4 locations to escape from the city crowd

Staying in the countryside is an increasingly popular form of tourist experience. There are many reasons for this, from the fact that we have often already visited and got to know big cities, to the fact that we prefer to choose a place without excessive crowds, where there is no thought about traffic, smog, free tables in restaurants and everything else that is a normal occurrence in urban areas. tourist centers. This is exactly why the offer of quality rural accommodation, restaurants, museums and picnic areas is getting better. With infrastructure that meets the demands of modern travelers, rural locations are attracting more and more guests. With beautiful and untouched nature, numerous green destinations where it is a real pleasure to stay at any time of the year, Serbia also has more and more trump cards when it comes to this form of tourism. With the aim of preserving the tradition, but also reviving it in some way and bringing it closer to the new generations, the Serbian hosts arranged the old living spaces, which are available today for complete and relaxed enjoyment. In the following, we bring you 4 such villages, all located in the western and southern parts of the country, which are highly recommended to anyone who wants to get to know Serbia as they may not have known it until now. We are sure that our suggestions will motivate you to visit them soon!

Sirogojno Old Village Museum

This complex is located in one of the most famous villages of the Zlatibor region, in Sirogojno, 26 km from the tourist center of Zlatibor. The museum consists of two parts. The first is a set of houses that have preserved their original appearance and purpose, and they represent a permanent museum exhibit formed in two Zlatibor courtyards. The second group consists of houses that have preserved their original appearance, but their purpose has been changed, they have been adapted and adapted to modern tourist needs. They are a hall, a souvenir shop, an inn, apartment buildings... The museum exhibit of Zlatibor log cabins is testimony to the culture of living in the Zlatibor region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time, people lived in family cooperatives with up to 50 members, and the Zlatibor garden consisted of a large number of smaller buildings, arranged around the "main house" which has two rooms - "house" and "room", and below the room was basement. The east and west doors had a symbolic meaning in addition to the functional ones (everything good and beautiful entered the east door – newborn, bride, godfathers, guests... and everything bad went out the west door). The central place of the house was occupied by the hearth, where the fire was always burning, where food was prepared, where the members of the cooperative gathered in the evening and agreed on the work for the next day, and then slept there. The museum's program also includes the preservation of old crafts, so training in potter's, blacksmith's and potter's skills is organized in three equipped workshops during the summer. An integral part of the museum is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul with valuable icons from 1764.

The ethnic village of Hospitality

The ethnic village of Gostolbjube is located below Divčibar on the slopes of the Maljen mountain, at an altitude of 550 meters. It is a rural area ideal for walking and spending time in nature. Depending on the interests, it is possible to organize various excursions, both near the village and a little further (tours of households of food producers, traditional crafts, etc.). The hosts will prepare traditional food for their guests - homemade according to old recipes. In the summer season, there is also a swimming pool available, which is located in front of the accommodation in the village and is used only by guests. The accommodation is modeled after the old Serbian houses - sivoze - double, triple and quadruple.

The ethnic village of Vrhpolje

This traditional village offers accommodation right on the banks of the Drina river. All traditional houses - vajati - are over 100 years old. The interior is adapted to the needs of the modern guest, so all the houses have been renovated and have terraces overlooking the river. Each bears the name of a fruit tree. So you can stay in Kruška, Malina, Jabuca, Dunja and Šljiva, which replaced the classic hotel room numbers. A total of 40 people are available to guests. As part of the ethnic village, there is also a well-equipped "Nikolina beach". The ethnic village of Vrhpolje is ideal for those who want peace, but also for those who want an active vacation. Guests also have the option of organized excursions, nature walks, swimming, fishing and rafting on the Drina. One of the most recognizable parts of the village is an ethnic restaurant with a large summer garden above the Drina, which is located just a few steps from the houses and where all local specialties are prepared - kačamak, proja, gibanica, ushtipci, which are a mandatory breakfast for all visitors, and there is also goulash as a specialty of the house, beans, beef...

Cedar village of Goč

At 1000 meters above sea level, the village of Goč on the mountain of the same name abounds in pine forest and incredible air. The houses in the ethnic village are built in a modern style. Both the outside and the inside are dominated by modern lines, with the entire content made of solid wood. Cedar wood is known for its many healthy properties, and staying for a few days in such an environment contributes to a rapid improvement in health, as well as improving the immunity of healthy people. The freshness that cedar exudes will quickly take you to a distant, peaceful forest, without noise, the murmur of city streets and the stress of everyday life. The houses where you are accommodated are full of the relaxing smell of wood. Perfectly comfortable beds, clean white linen and towels are available for your dream vacation, and the sauna, salt room and hot tub made of cedar wood in a natural environment will relax your senses and bring you to a state of complete peace!

Find out more about the possibilities of traveling to Serbia on the web Tourist organizations of Serbia.

(Tourist Organization of Serbia)