East Serbia reveals medieval history in places where it still feels tangible. The day begins at Ravanica Monastery, where the story of Prince Lazar and the final decades of the Serbian medieval state starts to take shape. Beneath the hills, the Resava Cave tour leads through silent halls of crystal formations millions of years old. Nearby, Veliki Buk waterfall breaks the quiet of the forest before lunch beside running water. The final moment comes at Manasija, where massive stone walls surround a monastery that looks less like a sanctuary — and more like a fortress.
For monasteries closer to Belgrade combined with culture, landscapes and a visit to Novi Sad, see our Fruska Gora Monasteries, Sremski Karlovci and Novi Sad private tour.
After #YourSerbiaHost picks you up from the hotel or other place of your stay (usual start time is 9am) and the journey begins toward East Serbia. The first stop is Ravanica Monastery, founded in the 14th century by Prince Lazar, the Serbian ruler who led the army at the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Ravanica marks the beginning of the Morava architectural style, a distinctive Serbian form of medieval church architecture known for its refined decoration and harmonious proportions.
From Ravanica, the road continues through the hills of East Serbia toward Resava Cave, one of the most famous caves in the country. Discovered in the 1960s, this cave system stretches about 2,380 meters, while roughly 800 meters are accessible to visitors. During the guided tour, you will walk through several halls filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and other geological formations estimated to be around 80 million years old.
A short drive leads to Veliki Buk Waterfall, surrounded by forest and clear mountain water. Lunch is planned at one of the nearby local restaurants, where you can try fresh trout from the nearby streams or traditional regional dishes.
After lunch, the tour continues to Manasija Monastery, the most monumental example of the Morava architectural style. Built in the early 15th century by Despot Stefan Lazarević, the son of Prince Lazar, the monastery is known for its impressive defensive walls. The complex is surrounded by 15-meter-high fortifications and dominated by a 35-meter main tower, giving it the appearance of both a monastery and a fortress. Here you will learn more about its historical and cultural significance before returning to Belgrade.
From Monastery Manasija you’ll return to Belgrade. Usual drop-off time is around 6pm.
* Price is per private group, not per person
*Limited availability due to the private format.
* Price is per private group, not per person
*Limited availability due to the private format.
This was the second tour that we had the privilege of taking with Andrija Vatović and Serbian Private Tours. We had an absolutely beautiful spring day for our trip, which was just icing on the cake. These monasteries are all the more beautiful for their rough history, and the damage sustained. The history of the monasteries in this country is something I definitely did not fully appreciate before these trips, and now, I just want to know more! The visit to Resava Cave was a nice change of pace, in a week full of history and architecture. “Andrew” is an incredibly knowledgeable guide and was able to share the story of the construction of the monasteries, their place in Serbian history, and how they related to the other monasteries we had seen during our first tour (Fruska Gora). His knowledge of history is second to none, and he is an excellent teacher, explaining the connections and contradictions that have derived from centuries of challenge and conflict. We were incredibly lucky to have 3 days of tours with him on our recent visit to Belgrade, and still feel that we only scratched the surface of what he knows about the country and region’s history. Hope to have the chance to reacquaint in the future for more conversations! Date of experience: April 2022
The comment is taken from TripAdvisor review page connected to our service, to see the source follow this link.
First of all, if you can get Andrija Vatovic as your driver / guide, do so. The man has a great command of Serbian / world history, and his knowledge of the sites you’ll be visiting will make a great trip even better. More importantly, he’s just a great guy who has an instinct for custom tailoring a tour to his clients’ specific needs. My wife and I are no spring chickens, and I’m in need of a knee replacement. Andrija recognized that and conducted the tour at a pace that worked for us. In addition to that, he took time to snap tons of photos of us during the tour, which he promptly e-mailed to me the day after the tour. As for the destinations themselves, they’re beautiful, peaceful, loaded with history, and a great diversion from the hustle and bustle of Belgrade. Andrija’s choice for a lunch venue was perfect, too. Situated outdoors near a small but beautiful waterfall, the restaurant served up both great views and what may very well have been the best meal I had during a vacation in which everything I ate was delicious. I could go on and on, but If I haven’t convinced you by now, I probably never will. Book the trip; you’ll be glad you did. Oh, and…thanks again, Andrija!
The comment is taken from TripAdvisor review page connected to our service, to see the source follow this link.
Miljan picked us up from our hotel and we continued on our 1 day full tour. The tour was great for myself and my 3 other friends with lots of interesting sites of interest. The monasteries where great to see and Miljan had lots of information to make the experience more enjoyable. The caves where also very cool to explore in Eastern Serbia and again the guide was great. The tour is a full day and the journey quite long approx 2-3 hours in the car each way – having a friendly, talkative and informative guide made the experience great. Miljan also took photos along the way to capture those images you would not be able to on your own and emailed them over later. Great private tour – highly recommended.
The comment is taken from TripAdvisor review page connected to our service, to see the source follow this link.
Miljan was our guide, and he was great – professional, friendly, knowledgeable and informed, as well as very skilled with the English language. It was nice to get out into the country to see the monasteries, and the cave was fascinating, too.
The comment is taken from TripAdvisor review page connected to our service, to see the source follow this link.
* Price is per private group, not per person
* Price is per private group, not per person
*Limited availability due to the private format.
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Belgrade for Beginners – A Private City Tour with a Local Guide
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