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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.
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Lisine Viliki Buk
The Viliki Buk Waterfall is on the slopes of Beljanica on the river Vrela. The water tumbles into a seriously gorgeous gatorade-blue pool at the base. Swimming is not permitted in this icy-cold waterfall but it's a beautiful little spot to visit. It is considered a natural monument of Serbia.
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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.
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The entrance to the cave where the sheep wandered in
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Krupajsko vrelo
Krupajsko vrelo is a crystal clear blue hole and cave with icy cold waters between 9–11°C. The blue hole is fed by the Vrela stream and then leads into the Krupajska River. Legend goes that there is treasure at the bottom of this cave which has never been discovered...
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.