In the western reaches of Serbia, we moved through the Valjevo canyon like we were its first inhabitants, slowly and to a silence only broken by the trickling of the river which we would break with our steps as we crossed its winding paths over and over. A steam train transported us through the fluttering green forests that started in Mokra Gora and spread beyond the mountain peaks on the steam fuelled tracks of the Sargan Eight Railway. An afternoon, flanked by a glorious sun, was spent following the gentle current of the mighty Dunabe river from the tiny beaches of Novi Sad to a narrow point that seemed like the tranquil end of its dominating course. On another, our tiny boat conquered the many bends of the 10 kilometre long Uvac River, hugged by the mountainous plateau.
The ebbs and flows of Serbia do not only come from its social change since troubled times. A country that is 75% mountainous, it is scattered with rolling green, protected nature parks, canyons, rivers and lakes. I spent a week exploring almost the full stretch of the country west of its Capital, Belgrade – from the coastline of Novi Sad to the valleys of Valjevo, the wilderness village of Gostoljublje to mountainous Zlatibor and the expanse of Tara National Park to the colossal, snaking Uvac Gorge.
If there is one thing that Serbia is not necessarily known for, it’s an abundance of untouched and undiscovered nature. Moving through Serbia is to move with the earthly setting that has been bestowed upon it, to be active in order to explore its multi-layers of landscape.
The Gradac River runs through what I said to be some of Serbia’s best and untouched scenery. Steep slopes, high rock formations and cliff faces encase a shallow river that bends through the forests and meadows of this protected area in hues of white and silver. It’s trickling waters were our path markers as we trekked through the villages of Valjevo that lay hidden in this mountainous terrain – a 50km-long said to represent a natural border of northwest Serbia towards the south. Wild Serbia, an adventure tour company set up by locals from this very area, take you into the very heart of the region – deep into the Canyon, through its woodland, and knee-deep into the icy-cold fresh waters flanked by bending trees and mud tracks
Off-track and truly as wild as the name suggests (Wild Serbia mange tourism numbers here through guided visits), it wasn’t until I stumbled upon small groups of locals having set up tents and campfires, or swinging from tree ropes as they hit the water in a giggling mess, that I knew I had experienced a true local hideout. The day ended with a feast of fresh trout (a prize of the waters) and fresh salads, dining with village locals who too were making the most of the very spectacular surroundings, that they could call their own
Off-track and truly as wild as the name suggests (Wild Serbia mange tourism numbers here through guided visits), it wasn’t until I stumbled upon small groups of locals having set up tents and campfires, or swinging from tree ropes as they hit the water in a giggling mess, that I knew I had experienced a true local hideout. The day ended with a feast of fresh trout (a prize of the waters) and fresh salads, dining with village locals who too were making the most of the very spectacular surroundings, that they could call their own
