Visiting Serbia: The Best Possible Combination of Eco and Cultural Tourism

The source: Tourist Organisation of Indjija

Krcedinska ada and The Memorial Room of Danica Jovanovic in one breath and day

Thinking about what topic might be the first for my blog on cultural tourism, a lot of different ideas were going through my head; writing about the cultural tourism itself, making a book review on this subject, ending up in some of the famous museums in the world with a view to the upcoming exhibitions, giving recommendations for the potentials of using theater performances to improve the tourist offer of a place and so on.

And then there was a "click" and I realized that my ideal destination was there all the time, in front of my nose, and literally in front of my eyes. We often think that only what is far away can be worth our attention, our time and our money. In Serbia, we even have a saying for that, which means that things belonging to others are usually more valuable in our eyes than ours.  For example, Krcedinska ada, an oasis of untouched nature, beauty and peace, is situated in my closest neighborhood, which I had an opportunity to visit last summer, was not my personal choice, but I visited it for business reasons.

Krcedinska ada is one of the largest Danube islands (with a surface that varies greatly from the Danube River water level, which is almost 9 km²) made by the river itself. It is located in the territory of the municipality of Indjija (Autonomous Province of Vojvodina), across the village of Krcedin, halfway between Belgrade and Novi Sad.

The source: Vojvodinaonline

An excursion to Krcedinska ada is organized from the Beska coast. The travelers are transferred in little boats to the river island. In addition to sightseeing and the possibility of photographing animals living freely and in harmony with nature, walking along with the guide, this visit includes a conversation with kind and professional hosts and tasting products that are made from domestic materials on the island. What I have taken as a special impression: the purity and freshness of the air reminded me that I, living in the urban area, definitely forgot how to take a deep breath!

There were a plenty of children, so if you are a parent, I warmly recommend that you take the youngest family members to this unique trip to nature, it's totally safe, useful and it will be absolutely unforgettable for them.

The source: Vojvodinaonline

Also a couple of tips about dressing. Since you will be on the open river, and you go in a "real" nature with a lot of (moderate) hiking, dress lightly and sporty (shoes with high heels or uncomfortable and inadequate shoes can create a lot of inconvenience and problems). Keep with yourself a piece of clothing that you can throw on due to the wind and the temperature that could vary a few degrees relative to the land.

The tour lasting about four hours can be completed by lunch at the Domestic Cuisine Restaurant "Sidro" "http://www.sidro.co.rs/", which is right next to the place of disembarkation in return (be sure to try a fish soup or some other fish meal). For those who would stay for a night, there is also an accommodation house, right on the bank of the Danube.

What can represent the true pearl of this one-day or multi-day trip, if you are coming from abroad and would like to stay longer and visit other locations, for instance, on the nearby Fruska Gora, is the possibility to take a look at the Memorial Room of Danica Jovanovic (1886-1914), located in the Cultural Center Branko Radicevic- Beska (you certainly must pass through this place on your way to and back, so this visit doesn’t require additional efforts, costs and time). The initiators of its opening in 2016 were the Association of Serbian-Greek Friendship - Beska, the Memorial Collection of Pavle Beljanski, the Matica Srpska Gallery and the Primary School Braca Grulovic from Beska.

The source: Indjija.net

The setting of the Memorial Room shows, with the reproduction of selected works of Danica Jovanovic from the funds of the Matica Srpska Gallery, the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection and private collections, life and historical circumstances in which one of the most interesting Serbian painters from the beginning of the 20th century worked and lived. Since I wasn’t able to find an adequate site with information about the period in which the Memorial Room can be visited, it may be best to call the Culture Center itself and inquire about the possibilities and details of the visit.

The only "bad side" of this trip, in which the landscape and artistic motives of a tourist visit can best be combined, is that group tours, due to the weather conditions and the Danube water levels, are organized only from May to September. So hurry up, because it's the right time to call the Tourist Organization of Indjija http: //www.indjija-tourism.com/code/navigate.php? Id = 1, which is responsible for organizing excursions to Krcedinska ada, and arrange this outstanding and specific tour. You will be pleasantly surprised by this offer, as I was myself  J.