Serbia - Land of the Iron Emperors

A day of imperial connections awaits us. We drive to Sirmium, one of the lost capital cities of Europe. Three emperors, namely Galerius, Severus II and Licinius, used it as their convenient base on the Danube to intercept barbarian raids and to dominate the road network. In the afternoon, we cross the river to Novi Sad and visit the Petrovaredin Fortress, a vast edifice built by the Austrian emperors against the Turks, but never used. Owing to its size, thick walls and 400 cannons, it was considered unconquerable and earned the name of the ‘Gibraltar on the Danube’. It was demilitarised in the 20th century.

We make our way out of the city today to Vinča. This was one of the most important sites of European prehistory, and occupation here from the Neolithic era, c. 5700 BC, produced one of the first great settled farming communities that subsequently saw an explosion in both human population and in settlement. We visit the famous riverbank site, one of only two prehistoric ‘tells’ in Europe. Later, we return to Belgrade to visit the Serbian National and Historical Museum with its impressive archaeological collections.

We have an early start with a drive along the Danube. We stop first at Viminacium, a huge Roman site, both provincial capital and legionary fortress, used as a campaign base by numerous emperors. Onwards to Golubac fortress, the beginning of the Iron Gates, where a medieval and Turkish fortress cascades down the river gorge. We continue along the Danube gorge, stopping at Lepenski Vir, the extraordinary Mesolithic riverside village. The culture of Lepenski Vir is around 8,000 years old and one of the largest and most significant prehistoric archaeological sites from the Stone Age. Located on the right bank of the Danube in the Djerdap Gorge, the site was found during the preparatory work for the Danube dam project. Finally, we drive on to Kladovo, the site of the dam and location of our overnight stay.

This morning we make a quick stop to see the remains of Trajan’s bridge. Built in AD 105, the great bridge across the Danube (1135m long) was intended to link the new provinces of Dacia, north of the river, with the Roman heartlands to the south. We continue our own travel southwards to Zajecar, where we see the finds from Gamzigrad that include some fine mosaics, famous inscriptions, sculptures from the temples and a magnificent series of imperial portraits. We drive on to the site, at a place named Felix Romuliana, where Emperor Galerius built himself a retirement villa, much like that of his mentor Diocletian at Split. Set in rolling countryside, a huge walled enclosure once contained this majestic country villa, but its ruins now are just as impressive. We drive on to the town of Nis, claimed to be one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and the gateway between the East and West.

This morning we set out into the hills to Caricin Grad, where we discover another emperor’s dream. We visit the ruins and archaeological site of Justiniana Prima. In an attempt by Emperor Justinian the Great to reduce the power of the archbishop of Thessalonika, this city was created as a new ecclesiastical centre in the Balkans. Justinian chose his native village, Bederiana, as the location and the hamlet was replaced by a considerable city with a fortified inner city where the bishop’s ‘palace’ stood, and an outer city with a collection of churches and houses of aristocrats. After discovering the story here, we return to Nis to explore the Archaeological Museum.

Constantine the Great was born at Nis and interestingly, elements of the city of his time remain. We will visit the Turkish fortress, in the heart of the old city, to find these. The citadel also has a fine set of Turkish walls dating from the 18th century and two of its four gates are well preserved. In the outskirts, we will find the huge Constantinian Roman villa at Mediana, with mosaics and a series of huge warehouses. We head back towards Belgrade stopping at Kruŝevac, where the hero Prince Lazar, last of the great medieval monarchs, had his capital. Seen as the ‘once and future king’, Lazar occupies a vital position in modern Serbian identity. We visit the church, the first of the Byzantine Moravan style.

Today we bid farewell to marvellous Serbia. We transfer to the airport and catch our return flight back to London.