Rural Idyll in Serbia: 4 Locations to Escape the City Hustle

Author: Tourist Organization of Serbia

Rural tourism is becoming increasingly popular. There are many reasons for this, from the fact that we have often already visited and explored big cities, to the fact that we prefer places without excessive crowds, where we don’t have to think about traffic, smog, free tables in restaurants, and everything else that is a normal occurrence in urban tourist centers.

Precisely because of this, the offer of quality rural accommodation, restaurants, museums and excursion sites is getting better. With infrastructure that meets the demands of modern travelers, rural locations are attracting more and more guests. With beautiful and untouched nature, numerous green destinations where it is a real pleasure to stay at any time of year, Serbia also has more and more to offer when it comes to this type of tourism. With the aim of preserving tradition, but also reviving it in a way and bringing it closer to new generations, Serbian hosts have renovated old living spaces that are now available for complete and relaxed enjoyment. In the following, we bring you 4 such villages, all located in the western and southern parts of the country, which are recommended to everyone who wants to get to know a Serbia they may not have known before.

We are sure that our suggestions will motivate you to visit them soon!

Museum Old Village Sirogojno

This complex is located in one of the most famous villages of the Zlatibor region, in Sirogojno, 26 km away from the tourist center of Zlatibor. The museum consists of two parts. The first is a group of houses that have retained their original appearance and purpose, and they represent a permanent museum exhibition formed in two Zlatibor homesteads. The second group consists of houses that have retained their original appearance, but their purpose has been changed, they have been adapted and adapted to modern tourist needs. These are the hall, souvenir shop, tavern, apartment buildings… The museum exhibition of Zlatibor log cabins represents a testimony to the culture of living in the Zlatibor region in the 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time, people lived in family cooperatives that numbered up to 50 members, and the Zlatibor homestead consisted of a large number of smaller buildings, arranged around the “main house” which has two rooms – “house” and “room”, and below the room there was a basement. The east and west doors, in addition to their functional, also had a symbolic meaning (everything that was good and beautiful entered through the east door – a newborn, a bride, godparents, guests…, and everything that was bad went out through the west). The central place of the house was occupied by the hearth, where the fire always burned, where food was prepared, where the members of the cooperative gathered in the evening and agreed on the tasks for the next day, and then slept there.

The museum’s program is also the preservation of old crafts, so training in pottery, blacksmithing and pottery skills is organized in three equipped workshops during the summer. An integral part of the museum is the Church of St. Peter and Paul with valuable icons from 1764.

Ethno village Gostoljublje

Ethno village Gostoljublje is located below Divčibare on the slopes of Mount Maljen, at an altitude of 550 meters. It is a rural area ideal for walking and staying in nature. Depending on your interests, it is possible to organize various excursions, both near the village and a little further (visits to households of food producers, traditional crafts, etc.). The hosts will prepare traditional food for their guests – homemade according to old recipes. In the summer season, there is also a swimming pool located in front of the accommodation itself in the village, which is used only by guests. The accommodation is modeled after old Serbian houses – vajati – double, triple and quadruple.

Ethno village Vrhpolje

This traditional village offers accommodation right on the banks of the Drina River. All traditional houses – vajati – are over 100 years old. The interior is adapted to the needs of the modern guest, so all the houses have been renovated and have terraces above the river. Each bears the name of a fruit. So you can stay in Pear, Raspberry, Apple, Quince and Plum, which replaced the classic hotel room numbers. A total of 40 people are available to guests. As part of the ethno village, there is also a well-equipped “Nikolina beach”. Ethno village Vrhpolje is ideal for those who want peace, but also for those who want an active holiday. Guests also have the possibility of organized excursions, walks in nature, swimming, fishing and rafting on the Drina. One of the most recognizable parts of the village is the ethno restaurant with a large summer garden above the Drina, which is located just a few steps from the houses and where all local specialties are prepared – kačamak, proja, gibanica, uštipci, which are a must-have breakfast for all visitors, and there is also goulash as a house specialty , beans, beef under the oven…

Cedar village Goč

At 1000 meters above sea level, the village of Goč on the mountain of the same name abounds in pine forest and incredible air. The houses in the ethno village are built in a modern style. Both the exterior and the interior are dominated by modern lines, with all the contents made of solid wood. Cedar wood is known for its many health benefits, and staying for a few days in such an environment contributes to the rapid improvement of health, but also to the improvement of the immunity of healthy people. The freshness that cedar exudes will quickly take you to some distant peaceful forest, without the noise, clamor of city streets and the stress of everyday life. The houses you are staying in are full of the relaxing scent of wood. Perfectly comfortable beds, clean white sheets and towels are at your disposal for a dream vacation, and a sauna, salt room and hot tub made of cedar wood in a natural environment will relax your senses and bring you to a state of complete peace!

Learn more about travel options in Serbia on the website of the Tourist Organization of Serbia.