Getting to and Exploring Valjevo
En route from our one month in Subotica to our next five weeks in Sarajevo, we wanted to check out some other parts of the Balkans, so we settled on Valjevo in Western, Central Serbia. It was convenient to access by train and offered hiking in a beautiful gorge, which we were desperately hungering for after a month in pancake-y terrain. The town of 56k sits where the Kolubara and Gradac River collide and also offers Tešnjar which is one of Serbia’s “best preserved cobbled old quarters,” according to Serbia Travel.
Our final conclusion was that it wasn’t really worth the side trip, especially because getting out of Valjevo and heading to Sarajevo wasn’t so straightforward. Still…it was a pleasant stop for three days and we really enjoyed our hike, which we’ll get to below.
Through the years, we’ve discovered there are two types of rivers in Balkan cities…lovely, natural ones, and ones that are cradled in the arms of not-so-lovely concrete or stone. Most of these were designed in the Yugoslav period from the 1950s-80s for flood control, to protect infrastructure, and low maintenance. And yes, they were cheap to build as well. You can guess which river option we prefer….haha. The church pictured, Cathedral of the Resurrection of the Lord, is definitely one of the most photogenic we saw and considered the second largest Orthodox Church in Serbia, completed in 2010.
The cobbled neighborhood of Tešnjar was quaint, though a bit more weathered than the glowing descriptions we read online. It is filled with Ottoman-era merchant houses from the 18th and 19th Century, some of which have been converted into cafes or restaurants.
While some buildings could use a little restoration, the area has plenty of charm and potential. We grabbed a drink at the patio on the left, called Golos Pivnica, with some Dutch travelers who are in the process of moving to Serbia.
Despite all this, we truly appreciated it because no one really goes to Valjevo. It feels lived-in and authentic rather than curated for tourists. That said, we did meet a local who said the weekends have picked up significantly with visitors from Belgrade coming to the gorge, which, after visiting ourselves, we completely understand.
There were also ample cafes directly on the waterfront. On rather…next to the stone…which is next to the waterfront. One restaurant even had bleachers leading down. Perhaps for a parade? With REAL floats? That actually is a fun idea!
This bulky sheet of stone is Serbian Field Marshal Živojin Mišić, who was born in 1855 in the Valjevo region, taking part in all Serbian liberation wars during his lifetime.
Taking in the relaxed rhythm of the town, we noticed a mural created by one of the country’s best street artists, Artez. According to “Street Art News,” “it’s full of symbolism with the woman representing the present, or both a mother and Mother Nature. The child represents the future. The small tree the child is planting symbolizes the importance of bringing nature back into urban spaces and reminding us that today’s choices shape tomorrow’s city. And the miniature buildings in the woman’s hand depict recognizable landmarks from Valjevo which symbolize the city is literally ‘in our hands.’” Seems like a poignant piece in a town like this.
Nearby, another important piece is the statue of Desanka Maksimović, a local and prominent poet and professor.
A local market, where every single item is priced. This is something we consistently appreciated about Serbia.
For lunch one day, we went to Saigon needing an Asian fix. Here we met the owner, Bashko, who had opened his restaurant shortly after returning from a three year stay in China, which is very accessible to Serbs based on their positive relationship.
In addition to being incredibly friendly and giving us some local tips, he served a stellar menu featuring at least 1-2 menu options from all over Asia including Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Filipino, Korea and even Sri Lanka. We got a GongBao Chicken and Thai Coconut Curry Chicken, which were a terrific effort for what he has to work with. And the price was right too, at about $5/dish.
The entrance to our apartment building was a bit…uh Yugoslav-era chic with ramshackle mail boxes perched adjacent to metal modern day ones, and a distinct waft of nicotine remnants.
The apartment itself was an overpriced $35 a night and certainly spacious and comfortable. However, the odors inside also had a lot to be desired.
Speaking of Yugoslav-era chic…the train station when we arrived. We were impressively able to arrive directly from Subotica in three hours, for about $13/ticket, conveniently purchased online through the Srbijavoz app.
From Belgrade on, we were entertained by a little girl in front of us, who marveled us with her English capabilities having complex playful and imaginative dialogues in our language with her panda and owl characters. I got to chat with her briefly before she happily resumed playing. There’s definitely a reason the Serbs, especially the young ones speak such great English. Kudos to their education system for these little sponges. It never ceases to amaze us.
Hiking in Gradać Gorge
En route to Bosnia & Herzegovina, we paused in Valjevo mostly to slide in some hiking in the Gradac Gorge, which caresses one of Serbia’s most pristine and inviting rivers. It combines crystalline waters, dramatic limestone cliffs, dense beech forests, historic monasteries, caves and swim holes, which all feel relatively untouched. No tourist center. No fees. No overdone signage. No crowds.
That said, according to a local we met, the gorge (which he also amusingly called “The Amazon of Serbia”) has increased in popularity significantly since people started traveling locally during COVID and now every weekend during the summer is filled with day-trippers from Belgrade. Fortunately, we went on a semi-rainy weekday and mostly had it to ourselves. The best part?
You can wander there directly from the town (about 15 minutes) and go for miles in a variety of directions. Unfortunately, we had a late start due to some torrential rains, but we still managed to fit in 14k and see many beautiful views and sights, as well as douse ourselves in some much needed forest bathing.
Many locals proudly proclaim the water is clean enough to drink from in the upper reaches. We stuck with the Life Straw barrier, but that didn’t stop it from being tasty and refreshing. The river is dotted with swimming holes, into which young boys plunged, clearly not minding the chilly waters.
And despite not having suits on, at one point Greg flopped himself on the riverbank for a rear refresher, while I instead dunked my t-shirt and hat in the waters. Definitely a divine cool down after working up a sweat! There are also caves to explore, like Deguricka Pecina, which is the source of a major underground river, and moss-blanketed pipelines now evolved into tunnels of curiosity.
The area is scattered with multiple trails, including the main red/yellow trail which is marked like a series of pimples getting ready to pop. It also showcases multiple historic and lofted train tracks, which we would have ridden over had we continued on towards Montenegro from Valjevo.
The squeaky clean river provides the habitat for many Eurasian Otters, which are evidently avid and expert players of hide and seek. In fact, in this supposed Amazon, other than birds, we didn’t encounter much wildlife at all. That is, until Greg almost stepped on a snake directly on the trail! And despite our best efforts to stomp and get him to move, he stubbornly refused. Upon researching later, we discovered it was not a snake at all, but a legless lizard called a European Slow Worm, which typically freezes when threatened and are completely harmless.
We bobbed and weaved on and off the red trail throughout the afternoon, using Mapy, our favorite trail app as our ever-present guide. Venturing off of it was definitely worth it because it led us underneath some of the train trestle bridges, as well as what we think could have been a military bunker, though can’t be sure.
A narrow bridge crossing….
….which eventually gave way to the still active Ćelije Monastery, which dates back several centuries and today sits serenely above the river, despite having suffered centuries of destruction during Ottoman rule.
Moving on, we deliberately continued to wander until we found an adequate lookout to devour some lunch, which consisted of nuts, apples, and another box of Posni Pasaulj, aka Balkan Bean Stew and a well deserved treat of a Makovnjača, a Serbian poppy seed pastry. It was mildly sweet with a rich and nutty flavor.
(Side Note:) Eating poppyseeds led to all kinds of chatter, including memories of US drug tests and warnings not to eat them. It also raised the question… are poppyseeds are good for you? Turns out, yes, a typical tablespoon has more omega-3 fats and fiber than both chia and flaxseeds. Interesting…why aren’t they a thing like these other options?) In conclusion, I guess we’re gonna need more of these pastries….🤣)
Checking out the train tracks from far above was a quite different experience.
As we headed back, we felt fortunate we hadn’t gotten drizzled on after the liquid-dump that morning. Though most of the trail wasn’t caked in mud, we definitely had to do some forest whacking to avoid giant muddy puddles. Can you spot me?! Haha. Despite our efforts, both our pairs of shoes required a serious bath upon our return to the apartment.
Along the trail, we spotted an elaborate historic water source, which was the Melina Fountain, built in 1929 thanks to the famous Valjevo resident Milan Torevac.
And on the way out, of course we also awarded ourselves with our obligatory trail treat…draft Zaječarsko pivo at one of the several bars along the river. (About $3/each).
Just before you arrive to town, we encountered a large dam, where the fish bubbles made us wonder if it was raining again…and also how they feel about their dammed life. There are two red paths at the dam….one leading up one side of the river and one, the other. It’s best to choose your own adventure, but we ended up doing both in an elaborate loop.
There are trail markers which could keep you occupied all day.
