Hello! In addition to being a student, I am a licensed tourist guide for Serbia. I have traveled a lot in Serbia and lived in several cities. So I know what our people like. I also know that we are not familiar with the beauties of our country. We prefer a city abroad, and we have not visited 80% of cities and towns in Serbia.
Don’t you know that there is a place in Serbia that the United Nations has declared to be a cultural asset for all of humanity?
Do you know where the cradle of the Republic of Serbia is located? Where was Serbia born? Do you know which is the oldest church in the Balkans and it is located in Serbia? It is also the place where the best kebabs and mantles are made. With all that, those cities are very affordable!
In this text I will write about 3 hidden towns in the southwestern part of Serbia – Sjenica, Novi Pazar and Tutin.
Sjenica
Sjenica is the rose of the Peštar plateau. With some 15,000 inhabitants, it is an ideal place for a peaceful vacation. There is no noise here – only the vastness, the distant view, the chirping of birds and the sound of roasting lamb.
The people of Sjeniča, like Pazar and Tutin, are very hospitable people. In addition, they have very tasty dairy and meat products.
Uvac is near Sjenica. There is a much more natural and beautiful approach from the Sjenica side. The view from the Molitva sightseeing point is absolutely incredible.
It is enough to stay in Sjenica for one day. Go to Uvac, eat delicious food and sleep. There is a very good hotel Borovi with its lake and swimming pool.
After sleeping, continue towards Novi Pazar. On the way to Novi Pazar, you will enjoy the spacious landscapes of the Pešter Plateau. You continue towards Duga Poljana. Duga Poljana is a kind of “hub or accelerator” for roasted meat. Bosses compete to make the best roast. So Duga Poljana has the best roast meat in the Universe. And please leave the fork and knife with the roast. The roast is eaten with the fingers.
You go down further and there are a lot of curves waiting for you, please drive carefully!
Novi Pazar
Novi Pazar is the liveliest city in Serbia along with Belgrade and Novi Sad. The city is teeming with people. The biggest city of the Sandžak privince is the center of this area and simply radiates positive energy.
Nowhere will you find such a fusion of East and West. Like Moscow, Berlin, Baghdad and Istanbul in one. The muezzin calls from the mosque to the rhythm of the church bells. That’s just how life is here. Despite all the silly happenings, there were no conflicts here, and the people of Pazar are proud of that.
The historical significance of the Sandzak pearl is greatly underestimated. I’ll try to list what you can see here:
- almost a thousand-year-old monastery – Đurđevi stupovi,
- the mosque where, according to tradition, the sultan who conquered Constantinople worshiped – Lejlek Mosque
- almost 800-year-old monastery with fresco painting of unprecedented beauty – Sopoćani
- a mosque whose minimalist beauty reflects the philosophy of Islam – Altun Alem Mosque
- the oldest church in Serbia and one of the oldest monuments in the Balkans – Peter’s Church
Still not convinced to visit Novi Pazar?
- Stefan Nemana the father of Serbian state was baptized in Peter’s church
- In it, he handed over power to his son
- According to tradition, Saint Sava, the first Serbian educator, was born nearby
- In the old bazaar, there is a half-century-old fortress that is still there
- Turkish bath
And that’s just a tiny part of a very rich history…
What about the activities?
- Horseback riding
- Shooting in the forest (something like paintball but better!)
- Enjoying traditional dances
- Enjoying spas, saunas
You leave Novi Pazar Pazar with 1 kg more!
Food:
- the best cevapi
- the mantije– these are real mantije!
- Pies, bureks, gurabije, baklava and tufahije!
Tutin
You will immediately think “no way to go so south , it’s far away”. If you are going to the sea in Montenegro or Albania, it is right on your way. But in any case, it’s worth every hour of the trip what you’ll see.
What you can see:
- Extremely beautiful nature that you can tour with mountain bikes and ATVs.
- Everything is very affordable.
- Extremely pleasant and hospitable people.
- Very tasty food.
But here, as in the two previous cities, you will come across pearls of history.
The Crna Reka monastery is definitely in the first place. It was known in the media as a drug rehab center using special methods that included a shovel. The monastery is literally carved into the rock. It is entered via a narrow wooden bridge. It will remind you of scenes from a fairy tale or a movie like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. This is the perfect place for spiritual purification and Instagram likes.
Tutin is located near the border with Montenegro. As in Novi Pazar, you will feel the strength and freshness of youth at every step. These are the cities with the most babies born in Europe and Serbia.
Tutina area, is heading towards teh Pešter plateau , definitely the most beautiful plateau. At the same time, this region is rich in caves and cave jewelry. The so-called Godovska Pećina is one of the real pearls of this region, which contains rarely seen examples of assembled cave jewelry called stalactites and stalagmites. If you enter from one side of this cave, that is Tutina (Serbia), from the other side you come out to another country, that is Montenegro, which makes it very attractive and unique.
Also, if you are a mountaineer, this city is perfect for you. The breathtaking branches of Mokra Gora are precisely part of this city, with the highest peak, Beleg, located at 2142 m above sea level.
In order to achieve all this, you need top comfort and rest. This city has 4 hotels that you can easily find on the map of Serbia.
The only thing you will need when visiting these cities is TIME.
