4 Things to See in East Serbia

A spontaneous trip through the Balkans has seen me enter my 63rd country - Serbia. Having just arrived from the peaceful Lake Balaton in Hungary, I was looking forward to a few days based in the busy capital of Belgrade and exploring some of the surrounding country.

On my first full day in Serbia, I joined a tour through Get Your Guide appropriately named the Eastern Gems of Serbia. We made four stops throughout east Serbia, designed to give us a taste of all the variety of this part of the country.

Manastir Manasija

The first stop was a visit to the Manasija Monastery or Manastir near Despotovac. Founded by Despot Stefan Lazarević between 1406 and 1418 this beautiful and idyllic monastery is considered one of the most important places of medieval Serbian culture. Many well-known manuscripts and translations were produced in its Schoolf of Resava and the inside of the church is home to some stunning frescoes, notably including the non-reproducable Byzantine blue.

Check out my guide to visiting Manastir Manasija!

Resavska pećina

The Resavska pećina or Resavaska Cave is said to be 80 million years old. It was accidentally discovered only just over fifty years ago by a lost sheep who accidentally wandered into the cave opening. It took ten years before they opened the cave to the public but since, extensive excavations have uncovered some seriously otherworldly stalagtites and stalacmites in these incredible caves. It is thought to be one of the largest in the country at 4.5km long.