Belgrade City Tour & River Cruise
Full Day guided tour of Belgrade, to explore the capital city of Serbia – one of the oldest cities in Europe,
Belgrade has an abundance of religious architecture. The city has numerous Serbian Orthodox churches and temples and it is also the seat of the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Its two most prominent Orthodox Christian places of worship are the Saborna Crkva (the Cathedral Church) and the Temple of St. Sava, the largest Eastern Orthodox church in the world.
During the tour we will visit the Temple of St. Sava, St. Mark’s Church, in which rests the body of the first Serbian Emperor, Stefan Dušan.
The church of St Anthony’s, which is a Catholic church for the small Catholic community in Belgrade.
There is also a Muslim community in Belgrade and only one mosque, the Bajrakli Mosque built in 1526 by the Ottoman Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent. It is one of the oldest surviving structures in contemporary Belgrade.
The Jewish community is served by the Belgrade Synagogue, which is the only currently active Jewish place of worship in the entire country, although not the only such structure within the city limits.
Belgrade also had an active Buddhist temple in the first half of the 20th century. It was built by East Russian expatriates fleeing the outcome of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
We will reach the Kalemegdan Fortress is one of the holiest places in Belgrade for Serbian Orthodox Christians since this was the site where the body of St. Paraskeva was preserved for several years after the Ottoman conquest, before being taken to Romania where it still rests today. St. Paraskeva (Sv. Petka) is one of the most important saints to the Eastern Orthodox Christians.
At the fortress we visit The church of Sveta Ružica. Alongside of the Kosta Todorović’s carved iconostasis, beautiful icons from Rafail Momčilović and walls which were painted by the skillful hand of Russian painter Andrej Bicenko, special attention is attracted to the chandelier which is unique in many ways. Serbia Religious Tour!
Made out of rifle bullets and pistol shots from the Great War, Serbian sabers, cannon ammunition and parts of military trunks, this chandelier (polilei) represents a real curio and precious example of so-called trench art or war art. Although the appearance and meaning of the unusual chandelier were interpreted wrong many times, its symbolism is pretty simple and almost entirely connected to the World War I.
Polilei represents “lights with a lot of oil”, more precisely lamp that is lit because of the devotional and spiritual hoist. Light and devotional tears that constantly drip on the weapons are needed to be illuminated with the message to not ever again happen the madness such as the Great War.
In the afternoon we take a river cruise to enjoy the views of Belgrade from the boat (1.5 hrs) Dinner and overnight.

Belgrade – Old town of Smederevo and its fortress 1 hrs – Topola and Oplenac Hill 1.5 hrs – Thermal and SPA in Vrnjacka Banja2 hrs
Morning transfer to the town of Smederovo. It used to keep guard of Roman Empire’s borders, and later on the main roads of Constantinople passed next to it. Further, we reach the small town of Topola, where we will visit the Karadjordje’s Konak and the old church, a place where Djordje Petrović -Karadjordje, one of the most important characters in Serbian history, lived and from where he started the First Serbian Uprising, a war against the Ottoman invaders. We will climb to the Oplenac hill, a beautiful green area covered with wood, where is located the St. George church built in the 20th century, as a house of prayer for all the members of the Serbian Royal family. The church has Byzantine style, with five domes and completely covered with white marble. The interior of the church is a spectacle of colors and light, with lavishly decorated marble floors and colored glass mosaics. A surface of 3 500m2 is covered with more than 40 million peace of tiles, in more than 15 000 shades of different colors representing the most extensive gallery of copies of Serbian medieval fresco paintings in one place. We’ll also visit Petar’s House, the Museum of the Karađorđević family, palace, Royal vineyards and the Winery. Next we enjoy some wine degustation and visit of the cellars. In the afternoon reach Vrnjacka Banja, one of the best SPA cities in Serbia, with many hot springs. Overnight, Serbia Religious Tour!

Vrnjacka Banja – Zica Monastery 30 min – Studenica monastery 1 hrs *UNESCO – Gradac Monastery – Novi Pazar
This morning we visit the monastery of Zica, built in 1221. The monastery was founded by first Serbian King Stefan Nemanjić the First-Crowned. Here 7 medieval kings of Serbian Kingdom were crowned. The church along with the whole monastery belongs to the Raška architectural style and has red facades. A popular legend says that for every king crowned here a new entrance to the monastery was opened. Frescoes of the monastery belong to Byzantine school and were made in the beginning of the 13th century during so-called Golden epoch of Serbian art. Architecture and riches of Žiča monastery are the reason why it was included into the „Rout of culture Transromanica“ – rout that binds European heritage of the Romanesque period.
Further we visit another monastery, part of the “Rout of culture Transromanica“ – Studenica Monastery, built in 1196. Studenica Monastery is one of the most valuable, biggest and important monasteries of Serbian Orthodox Church. This is the second Serbian monument that had the honor to be included into the list of UNESCO World Heritage in 1986. The Monastery hosts 4 churches: Church of the Holy Virgin (Raška architecture style), Church of Joachim and Ana, Saint Nicholas Church and foundation of St. John the Baptist Church. Frescoes of the Monastery have depicted the development of Serbian medieval art and represent a masterpiece of Byzantine paintings from the beginning of the 13th century. Sacristy of Studenica keeps the ring of Stefan Nemanja, metal objects and other valuable relics.
Later we visit the Monastery Gradac, situated on the slopes of Mt. Golija, built in the late XIII century on the ruins of an earlier church. It is an endowment of Queen Jelena Anzujska /Helen Anjou/, the wife of king Uros I (resulting in the gothic architectural influence). The marble sarcophagus of St. Jelena is located in the monastery church.
The fresco decoration of the interior is considerably damaged, but the endower’s composition is still visible. The original iconostasis is preserved in very good condition. Gradac Monastery is functioning as a nunnery and in its glorious beauty represents one of the most attractive medieval Serb cultural historical monuments and spiritual centers.
In the evening we reach the city of Novi Pazar where we will spend the overnight.

Novi Pazar – Sopocani Monastery – Durdevi Monastery – Novi Pazar
Today we visit two monasteries located in the Raška region,
First visit if Sopocani Monastery, renowned for the exceptional quality of its decorative frescoes. The frescoes in the Sopoćani Monastery church, dating from about 1270-1276, are among the finest in Byzantine and Serbian medieval art. These exceptional paintings represent the work of the best artists of that period who were unable to work in the territory of the Byzantine Empire and found refuge at the court of the Serbian king.
The Sopoćani Monastery, is a foundation of King Urosh I, and was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the river Raška in the region of Ras, the center of the Serbian medieval state. The most certain year of the monastery construction is 1265. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
Later we proceed to Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery.
The Djurdjevi Stupovi monastery, built on a hill above the city of Novi Pazar, is among the jewels of Serbian medieval state placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
It is one of the oldest Serbian monasteries, endowment of Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, which was built by the end of the 12th century. The monastery represents the synthesis of two medieval architectural styles – the Byzantine architecture from the East and Romanesque architecture from the West. The Saint George Church has a significant place in forming of the Raška school. The facade is completely done in Romanesque style with alternate rows of light and dark stone, while the interior is in Byzantine style.
The church was decorated with magnificent frescoes, but most of which were destroyed during the centuries. The compositions Evangelist St. Luke, Daniel the prophet, scenes from the life of St. George, and the portraits of endowerers are partially preserved.

Afternoon return to our hotel in Novi Pazar where we spend the overnight.

Novi Pazar – Mileseva Monastery – Zlatibor
Morning visit of Mileseva Monastery. On its eight centuries old walls, the seat of diocese of Serbian Orthodox Church, Milieševa Monastery safeguards some of the most valuable and most beautiful frescoes that were ever painted in Serbia.
The monastery is situated in a valley of the Mileševa river, near Prijepolje. Even though its exterior looks very modest, you could not say the same thing for the interior. Mileševa monastery was built in 1218 and 1219 and the frescoes were painted between 1222 and 1228. It was founded by King Vladislav The true importance and value of their work is that they created a new unique style and made a step forward to a style that allows for more freedom. The frescoes painted by these artists are unique, above all, because they are markedly different from others.
The most famous fresco from the Miliševa monastery is certainly the “White Angel” which is reminds of Greek art. The size of the fresco and the white dress that the angel is wearing leave a strong impression.
Another interesting fact about this fresco is that it was used as a symbol of Europe and world peace in the first satellite video message sent from Europeans to Americans.
we continue towards Zlatibor mountain, a mountain of pine forests. Relaxing evening at our hotel in the mountains. For dinner we can try some local prosciutto made in Zlatibor. Overnight.

Zlatibor – Blagoveštenje Monastery – Belgrade
Today we return to Belgrade, passing through the Ovčar-Kablar gorge, a protected area of preserved nature, offering incredible views and spiritual mysticism. Ovčar Kablar Monasteries is a unit of 10 monasteries, placed on the slopes of the two mountains Ovčar and Kablar. It is also called the Serbian Holy Mountain (as the Holy Mount Athos in Greece)
We visit one of the monasteries. Blagoveštenje Monastery is located at the foot of the mountain Rudnik, in the gorge of the river Blagoveštenje and near the village Stragari, It is a temple dedicated to the Annunciation. The monastery church was built in the 15th century.
Afternoon return to Belgrade. Free evening to relax from the trip. Overnight in Belgrade. Serbia Religious Tour!

Belgrade – Krusedol Monastery – Fruska Gora National park – Novisad – Belgrade
Today we transfer to Vojvodina region, and Fruska Gora National Park, which hosts 17 functioning monasteries of Serbian Orthodox Church; all built from the 15th to 18th centuries. Due to their exceptional historical and cultural value, all the monasteries are under UNESCO protection. Most monasteries also have their own vineyards and can organize wine tasting.
We visit the most important Monastery of this region, Krušedol monastery, built in the 15th century. It is dedicated to the Christian holiday Annunciation Day, commemorating the announcement of the Incarnation by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary.
The monastery is famous for its stunning frescos and its baroque bell tower. The most stunning among the frescoes is the one representing the Last Judgment on the western facade of the monastery. The second layer of wall painting includes the iconostasis painted two centuries later. It includes 36 icons painted in different times, thus representing different epochs and styles.
Further we continue to the town of Sremski Karlovci, located in the bottom of Fruška Gora which presents a real gem of Serbian culture and spirituality. Sremski Karlovci is a “museum town” with highlights such as its Baroque city center, Cathedral of Saint Nicolas and Catholic Church of Saint Trinity, first Serbian gymnasium built in 1881 and the Library of Karlovac gymnasium. The town is famous for wine production and annual festival “Wineball”.
Driving further we reach Novisad, the second largest city in Serbia where we enjoy a guided tour of the old town and visit the Serbian Orthodox cathedral of St George, the Synagogue as well as Petrovaradin, a fortress located at the top of the hill, offering spectacular views of the city and Danube River.
Return to Belgrade for dinner and overnight. Serbia Religious Tour!

Belgrade Return
After breakfast, Free time in Belgrade until departure transfer. Flight back home.